Saginaw Bay Anglers who fished along the east side of Saginaw Bay reported slow fishing for yellow perch and panfish, and the fish that were caught were small. Walleye anglers who were able to get out on the bay around Quanicassee and Sebewaing found fishing to be slow, with low numbers caught.
Lower Saginaw Bay Boat anglers who trolled around the Cigar reported catching a few walleye when using Bandits. Walleye were also caught when trolling the west side of the shipping channel across from Spoils Island. Jigging live minnows around Spoils Island was reported to work well.
Saginaw River, A few walleye were caught by anglers jigging with twister tails near First Street in Saginaw. Shore anglers caught a few walleye in the evenings at Veterans’ Park in Bay City when casting jig and twister tail combinations.
Oscoda Pier anglers caught good numbers of Atlantic salmon, lake trout and brown trout while fishing minnows on bobbers and close to the bottom. Spoons and spinners of various colors were all productive throughout the day. Steelhead action slowed, but a few fish were still caught on fresh spawn. A few walleye were caught while casting crankbaits in low light conditions. Weather permitting, those in boats did well on lake trout, Atlantic salmon and walleye. Medium diving crankbaits and standard-size spoons in oranges, gold/green and chartreuse worked well in waters 15 to 40 feet deep.
Au Sable River still had good numbers of steelhead being caught by anglers. Fresh spawn and plugs caught the majority of the fish near the Foote Dam. A few fresh Atlantic salmon were caught in the lower river on bright-colored spoons, spinners and plugs.
Fishing tip: How to catch your own nightcrawlers
Are you interested in catching and keeping your own nightcrawlers? It’s fairly easy to do – just follow these simple steps:
Know where to look. Scout locations such as parks, playgrounds and open, grassy areas after a good rain. Look for nightcrawler castings (the little piles of dirt they leave behind), and then plan to visit again following the next good rain.
Know when to collect. Nightcrawlers are best caught an hour or so after dark. Bring the right equipment. Nightcrawlers are sensitive to vibrations, so wear lightweight shoes. They’re also sensitive to bright light, so consider rigging your flashlight with a red cover over the lens.
Store them properly. When you catch nightcrawlers, just lay them on top of some storage bedding – don’t mix them in. This will allow you to remove sick or dead ones more easily.