BFL on Saginaw Bay?

[Bulletproof]

Just outta curiosity has there ever been a BFL on the Saginaw Bay?  Has anyone ever inquired the powers that be in this circuit to possibly have one?  It seems to me that the Bay would be a legitimate place to host a BFL event.?  I was shocked to see the 1st tourney on Burt/Mullet.  That I feel is a postive direction.  It seems like 3-4 tournies a year on St Clair is a little much, IMO.  So whaddya you boys think? 

[MBell]

They went there pretty much every year 96'-01'.  They launched out of Bay city and used a launch up the river a ways, I think it's like a 40 minute idle in the no wake of the Saginaw River.  Everyone I talked to hated that idle, as someone who considers saginaw bay my home lake that's not saginaw bay.  I don't like all the st. clair/erie events I would like a more diverse schedule, but I wouldn't care if they were drawing closer to 200 boats.  With the time and money you have to spend to find they type of fish you need to compete on st. clair/erie a 90 boat tournament is not worth it to me.  If they go back to the bay they will probobly use the same ramp so it won't be that great.  A lot of the BFL guys are from Indiana/Ohio, the burt/mullet turnout will tell you how well the Michigan division travels north.  If they do go back I would like to see it out of au gres, it has the facilities and most guys could find some easy fish at least enough to make them want to fish the bay again.  You can also run anywhere on the bay from augres. 
-Matt     

[blakstr1]

40 + minute idle...welcome to the 2006 State Fish-off!!  launching out of vets park in Bay City, its a long frustrating idle..

[smbassman]

Frustrating no wake, numerous complaints from businesses and coast guard/sheriff harassment for sure. 

The few tournaments I have fishing out of Vets Park all turn out to be the same.  You would think they would be a little more tolerant since it brings a lot of business to the area and since 100 bass boats plowing thru have less wake than 5 cruisers - but it is always the same thing.  And anyone that witnesses a tournament blast off usually thinks we are idiots(and some of us are) so repeated areas of full throttle - no wake - fuill throttle just is opening us all up for a bad reputation.  Just make sure you have lots of time to get back because the coast guard/sheriff will be there to great you and looking for anyoone to ticket in a bassboat going any more than idle speed.

That being said - there is a lot of racing, passing and "dangerous" instances in all the stop and go areas in the morning.  I know I am always looking over my shoulder when approaching a no wake - and looking for that guy that was racing to get in front of the next guy at the last minute like they do on the highways only to forget they have no brakes on the boat.  It scares the heLL out of me cause close calls happen way too often in the neck down/no wake areas. 

[blakstr1]

Howdy Jarrod,

Are you coming to the Team BASS meeting this Sunday?  Have you decided if you will be joining or not?

Blake

[smbassman]

Hi Blake,

Yes and Yes(if you'll have me ).  I'll see you Sunday.

[Bulletproof]

I think the format used by the federation outta Augres would be ideal for BFL. 

[djkimmel]

That last time the BFL went to Saginaw Bay - enough complaints that I think it soured them on it for a while. They really do want to go where the most anglers want to fish. Seems odd considering all the Lake Erie events last year, but Erie gets so much press as a fantastic world-class bass water, and there are quite a few anglers who do like to fish there, it probably seemed like a good idea.

Other things occurred to make it seem even more like a good idea, but Ron Lappin and our new tournament director - Anthony Wright - want Michigan to stay a success and a popular division - which is why they are changing the lakes up.

It is really hard to talk to even 20 bass tournament anglers and get any kind of majority consensus. I'm glad they are trying and I hope I can help make it a success.

I don't think Saginaw is off the map for good. I can check into Au Gres and mention it to them next time we talk about potential tournament sites. I'm not sure that Au Gres has enough parking, but things have changed there too now since the site is no longered administered by the MDNR, but by the city according to what I've been told. Don't know how that affects things one way or the other yet.

There are other lakes in the hopper for future seasons too. A lot depends on participation this year. I know I really like the schedule.

An interesting test this year will be if the federation can get the run of the river in the morning as they have allowed in some previous walleye events. Not sure what the odds are anymore with some of the opposition. It would still be no-wake in the afternoon regardless. Normally, though, the Bay Area Convention Bureau has been good about donating money and services too...

[MBell]

Dan,
The au gres ramp is pretty big, I didn't go there this year but the dnr says it has parking for 305.  They must be counting the grass lot, it's not any smaller than elizabeth park.  The only bad thing about augres is charity is close so everyone goes there and it get crowded, but if the bfl comes back to saginaw I'll deal with it. 
-Matt

[djkimmel]

THANKS Matt. I wasn't really sure how much parking there actually was. I know the main lots hold a respectable amount, but couldn't picture how many we could park in the grass (the site gets a lot of walleye boats, but I guess they wouldn't be too mad if we took a big chunk of the parking every other year or so only).

It will make the smallie waters more crowded, but it would save a lot of gas and equipment too - as anyone who fishes Saginaw Bay knows - to launch up there (as long as you don't get a really bad NE or E wind - yuck!).

I'll have to check into the management of the ramp and feel out the local chamber(s) for interest before I would talk to BFL about it. If the numbers go back up this year, it could be an option. I love fishing the Bay WHEN the wind doesn't blow too hard.

I hope the northern trip works out - that opens up another option or two.

[djmaclf]

We discussed the Fed. fish-off being on Saginaw Bay this year in our Club meeting today.  No body is planning on fishing the fish-off this year, except for maybe me.  I have never been out on the bay to bass fish.  Couple of perch charter,s but that's it.  I do know some of the guys are fishing BFL that weekend or so they say.  Others wanted nothing to do with the bay.  For now I guess I will plan on being the Representative for our club.

[djkimmel]

The Bay can be something special... when the wind doesn't blow hard.

It is nervy thinking about running 20, 30 or a lot more miles out into the Bay in a little bass boat. I've done it plenty of times. I can remember some times I wish I hadn't... but the fishing can be fun.

I'm leaning towards the BFL myself right now because I want to make the regional on the muddy Mississippi again. Who knows for sure this far in advance.

I'm sorry to hear your guys don't want to fish there. It is always a challenge scheduling the state championship when dealing with so many different clubs and anglers spread across the state. Making the state team is pretty cool though... and making it a whole lot farther would really be cool!

[Savage]

It's hard to believe any club would not want to get out on the Bay.  The fishing is just awesome year round.

[dhuff]

It is truly a phenominal fishery.  How many other places can you go and have a 17-19 lb limit int he boat in less than an hour and still not be in the money.  That tells how phenominal it really is.  Just in the short time I have fished it I found a few really good places that put up big weights with tons of fish.  It was a blast.