Fisherman on Saginaw Bay are Searching for Trophy Walleye
Walleye Bonanza & Open Water
Make Dangerous Conditions on Saginaw Bay
Use Your GPS, Check NOAA Satellite on the Web, Experts Advise
February 27, 2007
By: Dave Rogers
Some experts say the walleye fishing on Saginaw Bay this winter is the best ever.
They quickly add, however, that good fishing comes with a price: danger from thin and shifting ice.
Dangerous ice on Saginaw Bay combined with the attraction of good fishing makes for an explosive situation that scares veteran fishing enthusiasts.
Officials from the DNR and Coast Guard also warn folks heading out on the bay that open water can result in more fatalities. One man died after his ATV went into open water on Feb. 24.
"Take extreme caution when venturing out on the ice," one outdoor expert, AuGres Bill, told MyBayCity.com. "There are reports of high south winds later in the week that could separate the ice more and make things even worse."
Some drivers are jumping cracks and going through standing water on the ice, signs of very uncertain conditions perhaps caused by longer than usual warm water temperatures this season, experts theorize.
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Capt. Dan Manyen, reporting on the Franks Great Outdoors website, said: "I had a bad gut feeling Saturday when I saw a Coast Guard helicopter flying over my house on its way to the bay. This is a terrible thing to watch and I'm afraid it might not be over yet. As the word of the great fishing on the bay spreads, we get more and more people from out of the area and the state coming here unaware of these open water spots."
Capt. Dan recommends that sports enthusiasts heading out on the ice first check the real time satellite view of the bay that shows open spots at: http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov.
"Use your GPS going out and coming in," says Capt. Dan. "Never blindly head straight in toward any shore lights. No fish in the world is worth yours or your loved one's life."
As for the fishing, it has "stayed steady," Capt. Dan reports. Fish are being caught in 11 to 24 feet of water under ice ranging from 16 to 20 inches thick. Bay fish are from 17 to 22 inches "and perfect eaters," he says, adding: "And the river is on fire!"
If you catch one big fish, chances are another will be along soon since the bigger walleye seem to be pooled, one expert says. By the same token, the smaller fish also are grouped, it appears.###