Saginaw Bay boat anglers continue to take good numbers of walleye. Boat ramps at the mouth of the Saginaw River and Linwood were busy. Most were trolling crank baits off planer boards. Yellow perch were hitting on minnows in the cuts, canals and various river systems around the bay.
- Saginaw River has seen a good number of boat anglers targeting walleye and from the tag returns, they are catching some keepers even though many were small.
- Sanford Lake in Midland County was producing some big crappie. Try minnows or wax worms.
- Au Gres River had steelhead in the East Branch where anglers were getting them on spawn bags.
- Rifle River had steelhead for the taking. Most anglers were floating spawn.
Fishing Tip: Are you ready to do some ice fishing?
Although ice still hasn’t formed on most water bodies throughout Michigan, it hopefully won’t be long before there will be plenty of opportunities to go ice fishing across the state!
Now is the time to start preparing for this unique outdoor activity – including making sure your equipment is ready to be used and making sure you are ready to take the necessary safety precautions before heading out on the ice.
Equipment
Here are a few simple equipment preparation tips to follow this ice fishing season:
1. If you use any motor or battery-operated equipment, test it out now to determine if it’s working properly.
2. Open up your ice fishing shanty to make sure it’s clean and ready to provide you with shelter on the ice.
3. Check your tackle box to remove any old equipment and take stock of what new items you might need.
Safety
Here are six simple safety tips to follow while ice fishing:
1. Never fish alone.
2. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return.
3. Always test the ice with a spud.
4. Wear a life-jacket.
5. Take a cell phone with you in case you need to call for help (carry it in a plastic baggie).
6. Bring ice picks and a 20-foot length of throw rope with you in case you fall through the ice.
For more information on ice fishing in Michigan, click on the “Ice Fishing/Ice Safety” button at michigan.gov/fishing.