By Mark Romanack
The
Saginaw River walleye fishery has come a long ways since fish were first
introduced in the early 1980’s. As a resident of Saginaw at the time, I
remember how amazed folks were to see crowds of anglers trying their luck for
walleye on the frozen river. The spectacle made the evening news, the front
page of local papers and became the buzz at every coffee shop in town. Keep in
mind that just 10 years earlier the Saginaw River was considered too polluted to
support fish life!
In
fact, during the 60’s and 70’s the Saginaw River resisted freezing even in the
coldest weather. Pollution was out of control, but thanks to the Clean Water
Act, things were about to get better.
The
decades of the 80’s and 90’s witnessed great improvements in both the water
quality and the fishing opportunities. Two decades down the road from the first
fish plants, the Saginaw Bay drainage system has grown into one of the most
popular walleye fishing destinations in the Midwest. Many say that the combined
fishing opportunities of Saginaw Bay, the Saginaw River and her many tributary
streams rivals even mighty Lake Erie!
It
can be argued that this fishery rivals Lake Erie, but one thing about the
Saginaw River is an indisputable fact. There are few places anglers can ice
fish for walleye on a river. Even the Saginaw River doesn’t produce safe ice
all winter long or even every year for that matter. When the conditions are
right, fishing is almost always good enough to brag about.
ABOUT THE SAGINAW RIVER
The
Saginaw River is little more than 20 miles long. It starts in Saginaw where the
Tittabbawassee and Shiawassee River converge and ends in Bay City where the
river pours into Saginaw Bay. The majority of the Saginaw River has been dredged
to allow ship traffic. Great Lakes ships loaded with road gravel, salt, grain,
sugar and other commodities frequently travel from Bay City to downtown
Saginaw.
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Open water can be found on the Saginaw River most winters. Some of the best fishing often occurs in late winter just before the walleye season closes on March 15. |
ACCESS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
A
big part of the reason walleye anglers find so much success on the Saginaw
River is because access is available up and down the river. In addition to
several public and private boat launches dotted along the river at strategic
points, the cities of Bay City and Saginaw both maintain a ribbon of park land
that borders the river. An ice fisherman can gain access to the river at any of
these parks. Many of these parks also have boat launch facilities. In most
instances an ice fisherman won’t have to walk more than 1/4 mile to reach any
of the popular fishing spots.
ICE FISHING TACTICS
Among
ice fishermen, one lure dominates the winter walleye scene on the Saginaw
River. The popular Jigging Rapala has the advantage of tracking into the
current, eliminating the problem of line twist. This minnow shaped jigging lure
also has some exceptional darting action. Most locals modify the Jigging Rapala
by adding a slightly bigger treble hook to the bottom of the lure and adding a
small shiner minnow as added enticement.
The
size 5 and 7 lures are among the most popular and productive. The Jigging
Rapala or other similar lures are best fished on eight or 10 pound test
monofilament line. This fishery occasionally produces trophy sized walleye, but
the average fish is only slightly larger than the state minimum of 15 inches.
The Saginaw River acts as a nursery for growing walleyes and it’s common to
catch half a dozen undersized walleye for every legal fish. A bunk board to
measure fish is an absolute necessity when fishing the Saginaw River.
OPEN WATER TACTICS
When
the weather turns mild, it only takes a day or two for safe ice to be converted
into open water. Boat fishermen take to the river as soon as open water appears
and the ice flows disappear.
Because
the average depth of the Saginaw River is 20 feet and the current is modest,
vertical jigging ranks as the most popular open water fishing method. A 1/4 to
3/8 ounce jig tipped with a live shiner minnow works best on the Saginaw. Long
shank jigs suitable for dressing with soft plastic grubs are the top choice for
vertical jigging. Some great jigs for fishing vertical include the Bait Rigs
Odd’ Ball and the Fin Spin. Both of these jigs can be fished with live bait,
plastics or a combination of both.
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The Saginaw River is lightly fished compared to other walleye fisheries in Michigan. |
Drifting
with the current and keeping the jig within a few inches of bottom is critical
to success. On calm days the boat and jig drift along at the same speed. Little
attention to boat control is necessary and fishing is easy.
However,
when the wind picks up an electric motor will be required to keep the boat
positioned directly over top of the jig. The trick is to use the electric motor
to match the boat’s drifting speed to that of the current. Staying vertical
with the presentation allows the jig to be positioned close to bottom without
dragging on the bottom. This reduces snagging and keeps the jig positioned where
walleye can easily spot it. On windy days, those who have mastered the boat
control chores of vertical jigging catch the majority of the fish.
The
water clarity of the Saginaw River ranges from murky to down right dirty. In
dirty water the brightest possible fluorescent jig colors and soft plastic
grubs are required for consistent success. In murky water, more natural colors
produce best.
Regardless
of water clarity, stinger hooks are a must have item when fishing the Saginaw
River. Cold water walleye are always lethargic and the stinger hook accounts
for the majority of the hooked and landed fish. Fishing without a stinger hook
is like fishing with a handicap!
Slow
as you go is the best advice one angler can give another when it comes to
winter vertical jigging. The most common mistake made by anglers is jigging too
aggressively. The ideal jigging stroke is a slow lifting of the jig about six
to 10 inches off bottom, followed by a pause, then by a slow lowering of the
jig to the bottom. At no time should slack form in the line. Keeping the line
tight controls the movement of the jig, slows down the presentation and
increases the opportunity to detect bites.
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A small boat equipped with a bow mounted electric motor is the ideal boat for winter jigging on the Saginaw River. |
In
addition to vertical jigging, anglers will find that the many bridges on the
Saginaw River routinely hold walleye. Fish both the upstream and downstream
sides of concrete bridge pilings. One of the best ways to fish the bridges is
with a auto-pilot style electric motor like the MotorGuide Xi5 which can be set
on anchor mode. In this mode the electric motor will compensate for current and
wind drift, keeping the boat in position so the anglers can pitch jigs without
having to worry about boat control issues.
GOOD SPOTS TO TRY
Winter
fish are constantly on the move and today’s hot spot can be cold as a flag pole
in January tomorrow. The best advice is to hit the river with the attitude that
moving frequently may be required to find the best fishing action. That stated,
there are a number of river stretches that routinely hold fish. These represent
good starting spots.
In
Saginaw the point where the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee Rivers converge is
always a good destination. Swirling current and moderately deep water seem to
stage fish at this location routinely. Further downstream the stretch between
M-46 (Gratiot) and M-58 (State) is productive, especially near the Hooter’s
tavern. The water just upstream and downstream of the US 675 bridge is also a
common fish holding stretch. Moving further downstream, the deep water stretch near
the towns of Carrollton and Zilwaukee always holds some fish.
A WORD ON SAFETY
Even
in cold conditions the ice on the Saginaw River is never 100% safe. When ice
fishing check the quality and thickness of the ice often with a spud. When
fishing in groups, spread out and don’t push it if conditions suggest the ice
may be weak. Never fish alone and always wear a life jacket when ice fishing or
open water fishing on the Saginaw River.