Saginaw Bay Trophy Hunts What to Bring
A complete list of details and what to bring for the Saginaw Bay Trophy Hunts in May and July
Lure List: Trolling will probably be the presentation of choice, but there may also be some fish in the weeds and on shallow rocks that can be caught casting cranks and jigs, as well as bobber fishing. Here is a list of what to bring as far as lures go. If you need to purchase some of these items, contact Dave at Freeway Sports at 810-629-2291.
1. Reef Runner Deep Little Rippers: The medium sized deep divers seem to work the best, and will work at both slow and faster speeds. Lures that imitate perch, shiners and shad work the best so stick with gold and natural (bone) based lures. Throw in some bright colors for dirtier water.
2. HJ12 Rapala Husky Jerks: Work great for shallow water casting and trolling.
3. Hot-N-Tots and Rattle Tots As the water warms, these baits will start to produce. They work in all depths and can be great trolled over shallow weeds.
4. Spinners: Warmer spring water temps will turn fish on to spinner/crawler combos. Dark beads traditionally are best this time of year with dark purple, dark red, dark green and gold usually being the best. For fish close to the bottom, harnesses with combinations of orange, green and chartreuse work well. Blades are always an important factor, and history has showed us that #3-#6 Indiana and Colorado blades in gold are usually the best producers. Be sure to have some silver and copper though, just in case. When fishing bottom bouncers, #3 or #4 gold Indiana and willow leafs produce the best catches. Spring fishing has been good using 3/4 ounce inline weights and large splitshot, as well as leadcore.
5. Pa's, Inlines and Bottom Bouncers: Last years MVP's on the bay were a 3/4 ounce purple Pa's or 1 ounce inline weights, and I would not head out this year without either one. Be sure to stock up on inline weights in the 1-2 ounce range as well as 2-3 ounce bottom bouncers. Smaller 3/4 -1.5 ounce bouncers will work great in the shallow water. Dark colored Pa's are always good so be sure to bring some purple, dark green, dark red, watermelon and gold 3/4 ounce Pa's. Check out the article in the fishing article section of this site for details on rigging and fishing Pa's.
6. Crawlers: I will be stopping on my way to the lodge to purchase crawlers for myself. There will be some extra packs at the lodge, but I would suggest bringing your own.
What to Bring: (Non-Boaters should bring as much as listed if they have it)
1. Trolling rods/reels: Line counter reels spooled with 10 lb XT or 14 lb Sensation for trolling cranks and 10 or 14 lb Fireline for pulling small Dipseys and Jet Divers. Rods that are 7'6" to 8'6" are preferred.
2. Off Shore Planer Boards: Inline boards are the preferred method for presenting baits in the spring.
3. Precision Trolling Book: Absolutely critical to getting your baits at the proper depth. Spring fish will not move very far to chase a bait, so depth of your lure is very important.
4. Raingear and warm clothes: Remember this is Early Season! Plan accordingly when packing clothes, especially for the boat. Be sure to include a warm hat, 2 pair of gloves, long underwear and several layers of outer clothing. Raingear helps keep out the wind, even when not raining. Warm, waterproof boots are always needed.
5. Fillet knife and cooler: Hopefully you will need a BIG cooler!!
6. Memory Card for Lowrance/Eagle GPS: a download of waypoints for the area will be available on the night of check in and updated every night. You will need a MMC or SD card for me to download these waypoints to. A map card will NOT work since it cannot be inserted into a computer to receive the download.
For The Boat:
REQUIRED ITEMS: Life Jacket for each passenger, 1 throwable cushion. Anchor with 50' of rope, Fire Extinguisher, Boat Registration, 3 flares (be sure to check the expiration date), distress flag (orange flag with ball and square printed on it), manual signaling device (whistle or air horn), Electrical signaling device (boat horn), 1 electric bilge pump, manual bailing device (bucket or can-Folgers plastic coffee containers work great!). Please be sure you have all of these on board. If you do not and are checked the DNR officer will NOT let you launch. If caught on the water, you WILL be fined!
Directions:
We will be staying at Fish Point Lodge, 4130 Miller Avenue in Unionville, Michigan. If you need any details or want to check out the lodge, visit www.fishpointlodge.com.
Check in time is anytime after 4 pm on Thursday. We will be fishing Friday thru Sunday. Dinner on Thursday night will be ready anytime after 5 pm at the lodge. Please try to be early enough to attend the 8:00 pm meeting on Thursday night.
1. From I-75 take the M-46 East exit
2. Take M-46 East to Bradleyville Rd. North
3. Take Bradleyville Rd North to M-25 East
4. Turn Right onto M-25 East to Ringle Rd. North. Look for "Fish Point Wildlife Area" signs.
5. Turn left onto Ringle Rd and head north. Go all the way to the end of Ringle Rd. The road will dead end at the bay. The lodge is on your left.
Angler Roster (listed below are names of those I have signed up for the trip. If there is an error, please contact me at lance@walleye101.com.
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