Local anglers have pretty much given up walleye fishing this time of year; not because the walleye aren’t biting any more, but because they have enough walleye in their freezers to last through the winter. Numerous locals have told me they have long taken their walleye gear off their boats and are getting ready for the fall perch fishing.
Others are getting ready for the early goose season in September and still others are gearing up for the October 1 archery deer season. There is no shortage of walleye in Saginaw Bay, but there is a shortage of anglers still interested in catching them.
We spent the week fishing a couple miles to the east of Buoys One and Two in 24 to 28 feet of water and had excellent walleye fishing. Anglers trolling anywhere from as shallow as eight feet to as deep as 17 feet were also taking good numbers of fish off the Saganing and Pinconning Bars and around the “Black Hole”. The weed beds have been especially productive the last couple of weeks. Anglers reported good fishing around the sailboat buoys, the “Red Plug” and on a line from Linwood all the way out to Number One Buoy. However, the northern part of the bay has been pretty quiet as has the east side around the islands and down “the Slot”, a 12 to 14-foot trench that runs a considerable distance along the eastern shoreline.
The biggest drawback to fishing this month has been the weather. “Trying to get two or three days in a row of good weather has been tough,” an angler told me. “You just have to take advantage of the days when the winds quiet down and the sun comes out and go fishing.” I couldn’t agree more. Just remember to take the kids, too. Enjoying one another’s company on the privacy of a fishing boat is hard to beat.
Capt. Terry R. Walsh
Termar Charters
(989) 846-8318-H