Saginaw River 07-18

[baydog2]

Fished the Saginaw River Sunday and caught about 18 smallmouth. Biggest was about 18" but all gave up good fight and they was jumping fools. Lost 1 small eye about 12". Chamook was out there catching smallies too, just don't know what his tally was for the day. I do know one thing he did pick up a nice eye about 3 or 4 lbs :yikes:. Won't be long eyes will be the norm on any river trip, usually start about early September. Sure was a pain in the rear end fighting the wind :bash: , drifting upstream instead of downstream with white caps on the river. Baydog2

[chamookman]

BayDoggie - Damon and I ended up somewhere around 22. If We would have landed all the LDR's, You could add at least 10 to the tally :rant: ! The 'Eye, weighed 4.4 lbs., and WAS very tasty. Nothing like from fillet knife to frying pan in about a minute and a half :corkysm55 . Still mad about losing My favorite Yozuri to that "hammerhandle" Pike :mad:. Caught some Channel Cats on cranks, and got a big Sheepy flippin' a plastic Craw - typical mixed bag for the Saginaw River. Wind sure made things miserable tho, bet the Bay was really kicken' up. When there's white caps on the River, look out :help: . Not too bad for a "slow" Day! Bob WC#253.

[Ruler]

Yeah, the wind sucked this weekend. I was going to go friday evening after work, but saw the storms around and decided to be a chicken-s**t and stay home. That was the only time I could've gotten out - wind came up and went to NE friday night and has stayed there. :mad: (And just to rub salt in it, it did no more than lightly sprinkle here friday evening and somebody who was where I was going to fish went out and were releasing eyes because they'd limited already.)

What area (city-wise) of the river are you guys fishing that you're catching so many fish? Also, what time of day - I can't seem to catch anything other than cats when using crawlers in the saginaw during the summer. If I can't get out on the lake/bay, it'd be nice to just get out and get *something*.

[chamookman]

Ruler - Not purposly trying to be vague, We've been fishing from Downtown Saginaw to the start of the no-wake near James Clements Airport in Bay City. We've been fishing the River (for Bass) for a Year now, and I believe just starting to scratch the potential. There are too many "Bassy" lookin' spots - It will take years to learn all the Premo spots! Technique wise, crankbaits/spinnerbaits/soft plastics have been taking fish. As You can tell by the previous posts, it's truly a "mixed bag" -never know what is going to hit next. Last Fall, I had a big King Salmon take a swipe at a crankbait. BayDog caght a nice Steelhead while Walleye fishing in the past. Good luck fishing - Bob WC#253. PS - The nice thing about River Smallies, is they hit ALL day!

[baydog2]

Chamook is right on any lure that has smallmouth potential we have been thowing at them. One thing stay away from the cahnnel and hit the shallows. We only use crawler when we are done fishing for smallies, then we switch to jigs tipped for the farm animals. This keeps us ready for those fall walleyes. :lol: See your from the Essexville area, that area sure looks good with all the docks, wood, and rock down there when passing over the bridges. One of these days I will have to pull :bash: away from upriver area and hit the Bay for perch and Eyes early in the morning and explore the Bay City area for smallies after. BAYDOG2

[robin]

I'm only adding this because I know you guys fish the Flint also. I walked down to the river Sunday afternoon for a few casts. I picked up 4 smallmouth and the rock bass that had broken my son's friend's line the day before. Anyway, while I was there 2 boats with 2 guys a piece floated past. I watched them catch 3 fish in front of me and they said that they had caught alot for the day. They said that they caught 2 walleye upstream from me that went 16 and 17 inches. I walked back down tonight and the river is mud. I'm looking forward to trying that hole soon.

[chamookman]

Robin - I fished the Flint last Wednesday evening (in the rain), it was high and slightly off color then. Very tough wading to say the least. My Buddie caught 6 and I got 7 plus two bonus 'Eyes 15 1/2" & 17". The Smallies were all in the 14" to 16" range - jumping fools, too much fun. River Smallmouth are My absolute FAVORITE fish to catch :fish: . Good luck fishing - Bob WC#253.

[DREAMCATCHER]

BAYDOG--CHAMOOKMAN--ROBIN
Thought I would find you guys when the post for RIVER showed up. Sounds like you are at them hot and heavy. Won't be back on the river until fall but I may grab my fly rod after work some night if the Flint ever stays clear for more than two days. To many dam honey do's!^$#&%&^*&&*Save a few fish for us part time river rats and stay safe. Dream Catcher

[chamookman]

Dreamcatcher - Don't worry, there are enough Smallies in the Flint for everybody on this site, and then some :p ! Catch & release seems to be working well, the spots I fish the Bass are larger and spunkier than ever! There also seems to be more "holdover" Walleyes this Year also. Be nice to be able to fish "normal" water instead of the torrent I've hit every trip this Year :bash: !!!!! Damn rain - Bob WC#253.

[baydog2]

Dreamcatcher, should start heating up a little more as the temperature start to drop at nite and the mornings. Come fall should be a little more mixed bags coming from the big streams. Wife keeps giving me looks when I say I'm going after those unedible fish ( sheephead, smallmouth). She thinks that perch is the only other white meat. :lol: Have to get in all the fishing I can get before hunting season or hard time prying my hands of the bow. BAYDOG2

[ezyeric]

I just now recently have been taking my passion for fishing to the next level and I been bass fishing on lakes but I live 2 miles away from the Grand River and I been fishing off some docks/shore that goes along the White Pine trail. My AIM is smallies...even though I only caught a couple before I'm quite sure they are my fav. fish to catch as they fight so hard, even the small ones.

Well I really had no idea how to fish the river, I mean its very slow water. I have tried a few different lures but only consistantle been using lures that mimic crayfish. Namely tubes and jigs all pumkin seed color. I been casting out near many downed trees/branches I know are in the water and letting it sink down and then just slowly bouncin it back and letting it sit sometimes. I have them rigged weedless so I just been trying to feel for bites and then set it. Today and yesterday (remember this is from shore, only 3-4 different spots) I cought a few small rockbass and finally one smallie (only 10 inch though) I also been loosing a lot of lures even though they supposed to not hook onto logs with the setup, but thats gonna happen.

I plan to start going out on the boat now and just looking for any tips you guys have about river (big river) smallmouth fishing. What to use, when, and how to use it.

Thanks,

'Eric

[chamookman]

Ezyeric - You might try a 3/8 oz. spinnerbait. Smallies eat 'Em like candy, and they are quite weedless and good around wood. White - white/chart. with tandem silver blades is a good starting point. Good Luck - Bob WC#253.

[baydog2]

That is what me and Chamook sound like Smallie fishing. He prefer the spinner baits and I prefer the cranks. Fish small shallow diving cranks about 2 to 3 inches long. Yozuris, Rapala minnow type, and anything else along that lines. Colors that I like are crawfish, gold, and silver shad colors. If fishing from boat and get hung up just get over top and slide a good size sinker on a snap down the line and try and knock the lure loose. This usually works, althou I have lost some of my favorite Yozuris this year. BAYDOG2

[robin]

I like anything with a spinner on the river. I usually use a #2 spinner (black if the water is clear, chartreuse or orange if the water is muddy. Also, a cheap little beetle spin works great if you have a short cast. I like to walk the middle of the river and cast toward the shore. I do catch them on rapalas also, but not as frequently. My son is hoping the rain doesn't come tonight so we can wade tomorrow night. He only weighs 75 lbs. and he starts floating away if the water is high.

[chamookman]

Robin - A couple of Buddies and I went to the Flint for a couple of hours last afternoon just before the storm hit. Was pleasantly suprized that the water had come down some from last week (still off color). Started out SLOW, but found they wanted Firetiger (Sub Warts). We each got 4 or 5, but Matt got a dandy - 18 1/2" just before We had to do the SPRINT for the truck to duck the storm :tdo12: ! Bob WC#253.