# Saginaw Bay



## Ron Lynn (Jan 3, 2018)

Looking to get any info on ice conditions on Saginaw Bay planning to go the 23rd looks like it's going to get real cold!! Any info is appreciated ready to get on the hard water!


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## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

I would check at the Michigan fishing sites or try Ice Shanty it has a section that is for each state.


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## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)




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## Tinknocker1 (May 13, 2013)

https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/forums/icefishing-saginaw-bay-and-its-tributaries.97/


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## drl149 (Nov 23, 2014)

They are fishing some bays up there now but not the main lake as of yet.


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

We're going up the 31st and fishing the 1-4 . Glad to see the cool temps . I was starting to worry .


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## stampman60 (Jan 12, 2015)

better bring boards. fish there many times, always cracks working.


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## Ron Lynn (Jan 3, 2018)

stampman60 said:


> better bring boards. fish there many times, always cracks working.


I fished there about a dozen times never had to use a board but I always have them with me been to Lake Erie 10 years now just need update on ice thickness That's all folks


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

stampman60 said:


> better bring boards. fish there many times, always cracks working.


For anyone who hasn't went there before I find it pretty similar to Erie ice . On big water I think cracks are to be expected and people should be prepared and use common sense . We use snowmobile and crossing cracks is easier as long as it's not spread out 3 ft wide . 

If you are fishing big water like Saginaw or Erie ya better go prepared to deal with cracks . Be it planks for quads or sleds .


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## Deadeyedeek (Feb 12, 2014)

Carpn said:


> For anyone who hasn't went there before I find it pretty similar to Erie ice . On big water I think cracks are to be expected and people should be prepared and use common sense . We use snowmobile and crossing cracks is easier as long as it's not spread out 3 ft wide .
> 
> If you are fishing big water like Saginaw or Erie ya better go prepared to deal with cracks . Be it planks for quads or sleds .


Ron, was up fri-till today at Mitchell and cadilac lakes..fishing not great..10 in ice..took a hot lap over to Linwood, was froze out about 4-5 hundred yards, was pretty open at mouth of river, downtown Sag river starting to freeze over, got a woody!! I can post when things start to happen..forcast looks good for up that way


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

It would be interesting to know how many times a day I am checking the weather right now


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## Tightlines (Jun 29, 2012)

Linwood Beach Facebook page has good updates. Some guys are walking out and catching fish.


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Yippie!!


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## keepinitreel (Apr 11, 2004)

It’s a brewing.











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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

Whos ready to take a road trip?

Get a few guys together and split costs?

Ive never been up there and Im dying to go sometime soon. I have a 4 person, 2 person and a 1 man flip, 2 flashers, chairs, heaters, tons of ice tackle, plenty of walleye rods....lets go boys..whos in?


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## Ron Lynn (Jan 3, 2018)

allwayzfishin said:


> Whos ready to take a road trip?
> 
> Get a few guys together and split costs?
> 
> Ive never been up there and Im dying to go sometime soon. I have a 4 person, 2 person and a 1 man flip, 2 flashers, chairs, heaters, tons of ice tackle, plenty of walleye rods....lets go boys..whos in?


I'm leaving the 23rd fishing through the 26


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## Ron Lynn (Jan 3, 2018)

Ron Lynn said:


> I'm leaving the 23rd fishing through the 26


I've been up there a handful of times real nice


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## drl149 (Nov 23, 2014)

Fishing big water is special... lake Erie is amazing ice fishery... Saginaw compares close but still not erie... Saginaw fishing is lots of fish coming in and marking lots of times 3 and 4 fish on the screen... lots of lulls between the fish during daylight hours. When you have that lull time use a dead stick and you will pick more off during the day. Your peak times are 30 minutes before sunrise for about 45 mins. And the last 45 minutes of the day. You need a machine to get out there and recommend a sled up there, snow can get deep and a quad works hard running 8 to 12 miles out. I broke a belt on my can am 6 miles out last year.


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## Ron Lynn (Jan 3, 2018)

drl149 said:


> Fishing big water is special... lake Erie is amazing ice fishery... Saginaw compares close but still not erie... Saginaw fishing is lots of fish coming in and marking lots of times 3 and 4 fish on the screen... lots of lulls between the fish during daylight hours. When you have that lull time use a dead stick and you will pick more off during the day. Your peak times are 30 minutes before sunrise for about 45 mins. And the last 45 minutes of the day. You need a machine to get out there and recommend a sled up there, snow can get deep and a quad works hard running 8 to 12 miles out. I broke a belt on my can am 6 miles out last year.


I never had to go farther than 2 miles out and cut my share of fish good luck


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## drl149 (Nov 23, 2014)

Hope you get into them at that range, I fished primarily east of the shipping channel going out of linwood which was a haul. Looks like its locking up there, my buddy invited me up to go next weekend but have to work.


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## Ron Lynn (Jan 3, 2018)

drl149 said:


> Hope you get into them at that range, I fished primarily east of the shipping channel going out of linwood which was a haul. Looks like its locking up there, my buddy invited me up to go next weekend but have to work.


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## Ron Lynn (Jan 3, 2018)

I never had much luck on a dead stick with a jig tipped with a minnow any tips thanks in advance! Any information on setting up tip-ups would be appreciated too I just got all my fish jigging. Want to try some new ways to fish up there


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## drl149 (Nov 23, 2014)

Saginaw bay allows you to use 3 rods. If you run into any dedicated bay fisherman they have a dead stick running. Like earlier when I said dead stick... do it on a minnow off of a jig or strait hook with a split shot. I usually have me and one other person in my shack. So I drill 6 hole, 3 for who is fishing with me and 3 for myself... I run a vex in the hole in front of my jigging hole and run my dead stick off to the side closer to the side of the shack. Run it about a foot off the bottom. When I said you mark fish throughout the day with multiple fish I fugured they were not walleye until I dropped my camera down and took a look. I am not kidding you in 15 minutes if I didn't see over 100 walleye swim throu I didn't see one... they are just not as aggressive during the day there... its just a little modification compared to erie... On lake erie if you mark 2 fish on your electronics one is going to eat it if you have figured out the cadence they want... Saginaw is little more finicky. That dead stick will pull 2 or 3 fish... I promise you it works.


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## jcrevard (Feb 14, 2018)

That's our home fishing grounds, being only a few miles away we fish it a lot. Once these winds stop we will finally be able to get out to the areas we like to fish. Usually only fish on the east side but there's times I'll travel to the west side. Some trips are within 1 1/2-2 miles others are 12 mile trips, the areas we like to start in is around 5 1/2 miles. 
Dead sticks can be killer or dead lol, usually good tho for a walleye or 2 each trip and I've caught some monster perch on them also. 
There was already a couple rescues, a side by side went down yesterday(zero reason for it to be out already) and we rescued a buddy Monday evening. He was walking in and the ice broke away from shore, 50yds wide when he called at 645, by the time I paddled out with a 10ft Jon boat and got him back on shore it was 200yds wide. Water depth was around 5ft
Be careful, bring a snowmobile of you have it they cross cracks way easier. Snowmobiles are the only way our group of 20 or more travel. Pay attention to the winds if you are on an ATV and travel in groups and bring a spud for checking cracks, spuds are cheap

I'm sure most you guys have some contacts up this way, if you don't and want some general info or maybe just wanna run out with us please don't hesitate to PM me I don't mind it at all. 
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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Appreciate the info guys . Made it up some lastlyear and really enjoyed our time there 

We've been planning on going up since late Dec . Booked lodging for the 31st to the 4th so needless to say I've been a little antsy watching the weather . Glad to hear it coming together .

We are planning on fishing out of pinconning this trip as long as fish allow it . If it isn't happening there well just trailer to other access points . I'd like to head off the east side sometime but I'd be totally blind going off there so probably stick with the west for now


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## Ron Lynn (Jan 3, 2018)

drl149 said:


> Saginaw bay allows you to use 3 rods. If you run into any dedicated bay fisherman they have a dead stick running. Like earlier when I said dead stick... do it on a minnow off of a jig or strait hook with a split shot. I usually have me and one other person in my shack. So I drill 6 hole, 3 for who is fishing with me and 3 for myself... I run a vex in the hole in front of my jigging hole and run my dead stick off to the side closer to the side of the shack. Run it about a foot off the bottom. When I said you mark fish throughout the day with multiple fish I fugured they were not walleye until I dropped my camera down and took a look. I am not kidding you in 15 minutes if I didn't see over 100 walleye swim throu I didn't see one... they are just not as aggressive during the day there... its just a little modification compared to erie... On lake erie if you mark 2 fish on your electronics one is going to eat it if you have figured out the cadence they want... Saginaw is little more finicky. That dead stick will pull 2 or 3 fish... I promise you it works.


Thanks


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## jcrevard (Feb 14, 2018)

2 snowmobile recoveries today, so far

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## karp.20 (Mar 4, 2015)

drl149 said:


> Fishing big water is special... lake Erie is amazing ice fishery... Saginaw compares close but still not erie... Saginaw fishing is lots of fish coming in and marking lots of times 3 and 4 fish on the screen... lots of lulls between the fish during daylight hours. When you have that lull time use a dead stick and you will pick more off during the day. Your peak times are 30 minutes before sunrise for about 45 mins. And the last 45 minutes of the day. You need a machine to get out there and recommend a sled up there, snow can get deep and a quad works hard running 8 to 12 miles out. I broke a belt on my can am 6 miles out last year.


I went up last year for the first time and we did great after dark. Lots of action until we quit at 11pm.


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