Fishing the Saginaw Bay and Tittabawassee River From Essexville Michigan by Captain Dan Manyen Visit Dans Website Walleye Express

E-mail Capt: RManyen@aol.com, at Walleye Express Charters

Hey everybody.

Well, I'm back on the Bay. The ice went out with that last SW wind we had last week. Been out both trolling and jig fishing near the river mouth the last few days with some pretty good success. Anchoring and jigging has been the technique at the mouth and has been taking quit a few walleyes the last few days. But that action will taper off some as the majority of spawner's get up-river and away from the mouth area. Trolling shallow will stay productive for a while longer as well, as schools of walleyes stack up during the day and push up the rivers as night falls. That action won't have to much of a lag time if any, as the fish dropping back out after the spawn will also stay shallow for a while feeding on shiners and other baitfish staging themselves to spawn. Jigs and live bait are the best producers at the mouth, while stickbaits are always the best choice when trolling in the colder spring waters. Water depths 12 to 14 FOW are the best locations for trolling during the day and going as shallow as 3 feet are best after dark. The jig bite is best anchored just off the channel itself in water depths as shallow as 10 FOW. The fish make feeding forays in and out of those flats areas off the main channel. I'm booking a few trips now out of my smaller boat for these type trips if your boat is still in storage. But it may be time to get that boat back out of storage if you have one and hit the water. And when doing so be safe, fish smart and tight lines. Capt. Dan.