Fishing Report 8/1/2024

[sagbay]

Lower Saginaw Bay:
Anglers reported catching walleye northeast of buoys 1 and 2 in 30 feet of water when trolling with both artificial baits and crawlers. There were also reports of some walleye being caught in the old shipping channel in 18 feet of water on crawlers. Yellow perch, around 7 to 9 inches in size, were caught by anglers near the sailboat buoy F on a small piece of worm.

Sebewaing: Some walleye were caught in the slot in 13 to 14 feet of water as well as past the bar in 25 to 26 feet of water. In both areas, catches of five to eight walleye per boat were common. Anglers who made the run north of the Spark Plug saw better results. Flicker Shads were reported to have worked well.

Quanicassee: Anglers reported catches averaging around nine to 15 walleye per boat. Anglers were catching these fish early in the day in the slot in 14 to 15 feet of water. Other productive areas included east of the Spark Plug in 24 to 27 feet of water and later in the evening on Callahan Reef in 6 to 7 feet of water. Reports show that nightcrawler harnesses yielded the best results. Perch anglers did well in the slot in 13 to 14 feet of water when anchored and fishing with minnows. Anglers fishing for largemouth bass did well along the shallow shoreline when casting artificial baits in 2 to 7 feet of water.

Outer Saginaw Bay
Au Gres Area: Many anglers were heading out to Charity and were able to get limits of walleye when trolling crawlers or flickers. Yellow perch were also caught on occasion. Pier anglers caught catfish. Some walleye were caught by those going out from the Pine River, along with the occasional northern pike, some white bass and freshwater drum.

Oscoda/Au Sable River: Out of Oscoda, there were some steelhead caught when running spoons high in the water column in 100 to 120 feet of water. Anglers were marking a lot of fish but had a tough time getting them to bite. Walleye were also caught while targeting silver fish and using spoons. The walleye fishing in the lower Au Sable River was reported to have been slow. Anglers fishing the lower river caught freshwater drum and channel catfish while using cut bait or crawlers on the bottom. Anglers fishing the lower river who were throwing spinner baits or crank baits had success catching good numbers of smallmouth bass with a few pike mixed in.

Tawas Area: Anglers were able to catch a few walleye and small perch when trolling crawler harnesses in Tawas Bay. Those spear fishing for walleye also saw success. Outside of Tawas Bay, many were heading north or northeast of Charity and were able to catch their limit of walleye in 20 to 30 feet of water on crawler harnesses with bottom bouncers. Spoons and plastics have also seemed to work well. Off the pier, anglers caught some rock bass on worms. Steelhead were also caught in the deep waters out from Tawas.

Fishing tip: Catching big pike in the summer

Most anglers consider winter the best time to catch a trophy-sized pike, but following a few key pointers can make summer pike fishing worthwhile.

When it’s very warm out, think about where pike will hide – places with cooler water. These spots include along the thermocline (the transition layer between the warmer surface water and the cooler, deep water below), where cold-water streams/rivers flow into lakes or around springs.

Look for bodies of water that aren’t densely populated with pike, so those present may have a chance to grow fairly large. Also consider locations that have special regulations like size limits.

Lastly, focus on bodies of water that have a good pike forage (prey fish) base – particularly other species that prefer cooler water.

Want to learn even more about fishing for this species? Check out the northern pike page on the DNR’s website.