Saginaw Bay Yellow perch were caught near Gambills in 12 to 14 feet of water with a lot of sorting. Yellow perch ranging in size of 7 to 10 inches were also caught near Sailboat Buoys A and B in 14 feet of water and at the Old Shipping Channel in 16 feet of water and at the Spark Plug Buoy in 26 feet of water on minnows. Walleye fishing on the east side of the bay was good one day, and then slow the next. Shallower water from 10 to 13 feet was best around Callahan Reef, out from Quanicassee and towards Sunset, and from Thomas Road to Sebewaing. A few walleye were caught in the slot as well in 14 to 16 feet. Body baits produced the most walleye with crawler harnesses catching some as well. Out from Quanicassee, anglers were starting to target yellow perch around 10 feet of water. Most boats were reporting slower fishing, and those doing best were moving around and sorting through lots of small fish to get some larger perch.
Bayport, A few bass anglers were out but fishing was slow.
Au Gres Area where some good catches of walleye caught between Lookout Point and Au Gres Point in 25 to 35 feet while trolling flicker shad and crawlers. At Pine River Access, there were some walleye caught out near the catfish hole and the Saganing and Pinconning bars in 15 to 20 feet while trolling crawlers and flicker shad. There were also some reports of perch caught in the same areas in 12 to 165 feet while still fishing with minnows.
Outer Saginaw Bay:
Tawas Area there was some walleye, coho salmon and brown trout caught in 70 to 90 feet out past buoy 2 and south towards the Bell Buoy in 30 to 40 feet while trolling spoons, flicker shad and crawlers. At Gateway Park on the Tawas River, there were some bluegill and small perch caught while still fishing crawlers and minnows.
Fishing Tip: Avoid these mistakes to experience great fishing
Did you know simple mistakes can make or break your fishing adventures? Check out these basic things to avoid if you want to have better success on the water:
- Make sure your reel is filled with line – don’t wait until it gets to half-empty and risk losing a great catch due to an inadequate amount of line.
- Check your knots – monitor their strength and durability after each fish. If the strength gets compromised, cut the line down a few feet and start again.
- Set the hook – don’t forget to do this each time you even think you’ve got a bite. Why waste a great catch just because you forgot to set the hook?
Want more tips for fishing in Michigan? Visit Michigan.gov/Fishing.