ABA Saginaw Bay

[dartag]

i see there is a tourny at Bay Port in the thumb... anyone ever fish that area...  used to hunt ducks there.  i remember lots of rocks and mud flats..  should be good smallmouth water...

[TINYBASSMAN]

North Island on the north east side, rocky points slab smallies in the spring. Last May myself and a club member had a hay day there on tails and tubes, 28 to 30 landed fish, weighted 9 over 5lbs had one 5-15. A weekend before opening of season. Will never forgive that day.



If you a partner to show you around, let me know. TINYBASSMAN

[blakstr1]

Dartag-

Lola would probably like my white schnauzer Emrick.....don't see too many of them...

(at least she looks white from the picture)

[djmaclf]

What's the best map or maps to get for Saginaw Bay.  Don't need to run aground out there. 

[dartag]

Dartag-

Lola would probably like my white schnauzer Emrick.....don't see too many of them...

(at least she looks white from the picture)

she is white and even has a blonde in her neck fur...  she fishes with my son and myself on the wed night NBAA events...  she complains and eats a lot less than my son.. 

ss

[blakstr1]

What's the best map or maps to get for Saginaw Bay.? Don't need to run aground out there.?

I've heard there are some really good nautical maps out there, but not sure..I know the Hot Spots is really outdated, but ok for general purpose.  If you run across any that were created within the last year, let us all know..if you want to give that kind of info away 

[dartag]

my Garmin Hot Spots shows some contours but not much..  is shows the islands and says the Rock shoal between islands is good...  when i read ROCKS that means go slow and keep the motor up..  looks like only a few miles from the ramp to the other side of the island...  since it is a 100 mile drive one way,  may not get pre-fishing in..  just have to wing it. 

[djkimmel]

Saginaw Bay is extremely treacherous without good maps and common sense in not running anywhere blindly that you haven't run before UNDER the same water levels AND wind conditions - water levels can change up to 2 feet (or more) across the Bay up and down in a strong wind.

Water level will drop on the lee side and rise on the windy side. After the wind stops, water will move back.

Even out in the middle of the Bay away from visible land, you are not safe because of reefs and wrecks.

Get the NOAA chart from MUCC or online at various map sites. Call MUCC at 517-371-1041 | orders: 800-777-6720 to order.

I also use the Lakemaster Michigan with Saginaw Bay computer map to zero in on specific areas. They have pretty up to date 3-foot contours. Never use only one source for your information and trust that it is completely accurate. Some bottom contours change because of storms and man-made (wrecks, dumping) changes.

Lakemaster will soon have a GPS-loadable version of the Michigan Series that will load into most newer GPS/Sonar mapping units.

They also have a LOWRANCE NauticPath USA Marine Electronic Chart that includes the Great Lakes, but I don't have a lot of information on this new product yet.

[MBell]

That area is known as wildfowl bay, it's loaded with carp.  They hold a carp shoot there every sping and fill up dump trucks with carp.  Can be a tough area to run out of when it's rough, or if you don't know the water so be careful.  Lakemaster has a good map like dan said, they told me the cards will be out in march or april. 
-Matt 

[Anthony Adams]

Dartag,


Your going to love the Bay ....

We will be hitting it at the best time and you shold have no problem fininding 18+ pounds of fish.

It will take 20 + to win this tournament so be prepared.

If you ask me real nice I may take a trip up there with you and we can look around.

[dartag]

hi anthony

about the only way i will get to the bay is if i go on friday... that week will be busy with nepessing on sunday and then NBAA on wed..   i would like to do the friday deal,  as it gets closer maybe we can get a group together for friday...


think spring

ss

[smbassman]

RESULTS ARE???

[McCarter]

1st -Eric Bond 20.93

2nd -John Jerziewski 18.98

3rd -Rich Chambless 18.27

4th -Andy Nowyarkus Jr 18.18

5th -Anthony Adams 16.92

Big Bass Eric Bond 5.13

PoorBoy himself

[smbassman]

Poorboy,

Did you fish?  Hopefully you didn't go to the same place as last year.  That spot got hammered early on memorial weekend (TOP Bass).  I haven't been back there since the 28th but it was really cleaned out then.  Any more run ins with the CG???

[McCarter]

No, i was up in Kalkaska on a little weekend fishing trip with my homie dawgs.  I heard it was a little tougher up there this time around.  Heard it was rolling out there too.  I will be there next year, for shizzle.  I cant understand why we cant get a better turn out up there with the weights that people bring in.

PoorBoy himself

[MBell]

People are affraid of the bay, so numbers are tough to get.  I came in an hour early (was able to run faster than expected)  and about 20-25 boats were fishing in hoyles marina and never even attempted to fish the bay.  I would have fished the aba last weekend but it would have been the only one I would have fished and with the membership it wouldn't have been worth it. 
-Matt 

[smbassman]

I think the NE winds during the TOP bass tourny surprised a lot of the guys since the forecast was for SW winds.  I was only out there to look around a few small spots for the NBAA tourny and that wind ruined the little time I had.   I wish I had the time to check out the Islands so I wouldn't have been so embarrassed at the NBAA tourny.

MBell - I am guessing you were one of the two in the Triton at the NBAA?

[MBell]

Yep, DHuff is the one with red hair and I'm the other one.   Are you fishing next sunday?  Were still not sure since we will be on st. clair saturday.
-Matt

[smbassman]

No, I'll be fishing St. Clair also on Saturday.  I am signed up for the CATT tournament though(hopefully they actually give away the boat they were talking about).  It is going to be a busy launch that day.

In case you didn't realize it, I was in the BassCat with my wife tagging along.

[Anthony Adams]

It was fairly tough in terms of weather - The wind was really blowing coming straight out of the North east and if we had launch anywhere else no one would have had the weights we did ..

We had a strong wind out of the North and only 4 guys went to Charity the rest stayed in around the North and in Bay Port.

Most of us who went to Charity ran out of trolling motor 3 Hours in ..

The winning weight came from Bond and I was suprised that at 12 noon he still had trolling motor. By 9am I was drift fishing.