Saginaw Bay Anglers were catching small yellow perch at Palmer Road and Sagatoo Road on perch riggs. Average size was five inches. Walleye were caught in Pinconning in 20 feet of water while trolling with Bandits. Some walleye were caught five miles N/E of Spoils Island in 20 feet of water while trolling with Bandits.
Saginaw River Anglers reported that the walleye fishing was poor. Shore anglers were catching and releasing a few channel catfish while using night crawlers on the bottom at Zillwaukee.
Au Sable River Anglers were starting to catch better numbers of steelhead in the Au Sable River in the deeper holes. Lake trout were caught at the mouth of the Au Sable River and on Tawas Bay.
Fishing Tip:
Crappie are among the most difficult pan fish to pattern because of their tendency to suspend in the water column, except in the spring. During this time, crappie move to shallow water – sometimes in water only a couple feet deep – to spawn, so there isn’t a lot of water column to suspend in.
Crappies like both minnows and jigs. The easiest way to fish for them is to suspend the bait under a bobber, halfway between the surface and the bottom, around any sort of cover – weeds, brush, dock pilings … whatever.
Anglers who prefer a more active approach can cast with jigs and swim them back or fly fish with minnow-imitating streamers. Just think shallow in spring.