Saginaw Bay Those trolling for walleye caught some off Linwood in 19 to 20 feet of water on crawler harnesses. Perch anglers did well in the Old Shipping Channel, as well as at the Spark Plug and an area about three to four miles northeast of Spoils Island. On the east side of the bay most perch activity was centered around Quanicassee.
- Saginaw River #walleyefishing walleye and small perch were caught in the lower river.
Au Gres Area boats that did get out caught some perch out by the NOAA weather buoy in 42 feet of water while walleye were caught off Point Au Gres in 30 to 35 feet. Bass anglers did well in shallower water between Point Lookout and Point Au Gres.
Outer Saginaw Bay:
Oscoda: Low numbers of walleye were reported by anglers fishing in the evening while casting stick baits from the pier. A couple smallmouth bass were taken from the mouth of the river by anglers casting cranks and jigs.
- Au Sable River: A couple Atlantic salmon and steelhead continued to be caught in the lower river while drifting spawn bags and beads or casting spinners and spoons. Most fish were found by anglers targeting areas between Foote Dam and the Whirlpool Access Site. Smallmouth bass and northern pike were taken by anglers casting cranks, spoons and jigs around the weed lines and in the holes.
Tawas Area: High winds prevented most boats from getting out. Those on the pier picked up a few walleye while still-fishing with minnows. A few pike were caught there as well.
Fishing Tip: Why is fall fishing so great?
Many anglers will tell you that as fall rolls in the fishing gets better and better. But why is this?
There isn’t much formal research to answer that question, but several factors could be contributing to this influx of angling opportunities: forage availability, dropping water temperatures, fish movement, or oxygen availability.
Some say it could just be related to less fishing pressure and/or better angling techniques.
The bottom line is, if you don’t consider fall to be an ideal time to go fishing you may want to rethink that sentiment. Some of the biggest crappie, muskellunge, walleye and smallmouth bass can be found in the fall – don’t you want to experience that?
For more information on fishing in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/fishing.