Frozen Frontier: Saginaw Bay Winter Walleye Adventures
Featuring Captain Brandon Stanton of Team Gunsmoke Sportfishing
The smile says it all! Saginaw Bay is a year-round destination fishery, especially on the hard water.
The brisk air and conditions of the season brings in more than a mere freeze of an oncoming winter. As the season shifts deeper, time is setting the scene for Saginaw Bay, a hallmark fishery for those in the chase of trophy walleye, perch, and lake trout opportunities. The tradition of ice fishing is vivid with history and experiences across Michigan and the north, many of the biggest tales and shared stories coming from the region.
With Otter shelters and Polaris Snowmobiles, Team Gunsmoke Sport Fishing uses the best equipment for clients.
Headlights beam a reflection across the shine of winter around the coast. The temperature is frigid and the snow is apparent. These might be grim conditions, but to thoughts committed to the potential jackpot on the hardwater.
There is no place quite like Saginaw Bay, that’s what makes it a destination-fishery that draws anglers from far places to enjoy the natural resource opportunity of adventure. At 1,143 square miles (or 700,000+ acres), the bay demonstrates a thrill many look forward to when the conditions are right and safe. The big show when conditions align, year depending, is what draws a crowd and brings a buzz to this corner in the world of angling.
Seasonal sections of tackle departments boast a wider variety of lures and gadgets. New comers to the sport may visit places like Franks Great Outdoors or read articles and feel overwhelmed with the options. Some of the best advice an angler can receive comes from people who live close by and fish specific bodies of water, like Saginaw Bay. This is another great reason to support local tackle shops.
Offerings, 2-3'“ in length, such as swimming jigs, lipless cranks, and jigging spoons are the three essential categories of ice fishing lures for Saginaw Bay.
Swimming jigs, spoons, lipless crankbaits, where does a person start? There is a time and place for everything. With fisheries offering differences, one thing to keep in mind, especially for Saginaw Bay, is the subtle approach in action. Dead-sticking and slow movements to a jigging spoon are often the hottest ways to punch a ticket to a limit.
For a horizontal presentation with a lot of action potential, swimming jigs, like the Rapala Jigging Rap, the Moonshine Shiver Minnow, or the Northland Puppet Minnow, are all popular for their long-standing reputation. Lipless crankbaits, such as the Rapala UL Rippin Rap/Slab Rap, Berkley Jack, and Northland Fishing Tackle Rippin Shad, are wonderful choices for their flash, rattle, and vibration. Jigging spoons are wonderful options for their versatility to be used fast and flashy with active jigging methods OR as a dead stick opportunity. The Berkley Vibrato, Swedish Pimple/Do-Jigger by Bay De Noc Tackle, VMC Rattle/Hatchet Spoon, or Northland Tackle Buck-Shot spoon, are all recommended across the board of industry professionals. Having variety goes a long way when giving pesky walleye options.
Guide on size: The most commonly used lures for ice fishing walleye on Saginaw Bay are roughly 2-3 inches in length, depending on the depth being fished. Anglers need to consider an offering that mimics natural forage in size that does not come off as intimidating. The famous options, such as the Rapala Jigging Rap in sizes #5 and #7, and the Do-Jigger 2/3 oz. are highly recommended as a baseline for those starting to build an ice tackle collection. Giant baits have their time and place, but not often on Saginaw Bay.
WIth an abundance of bait on Saginaw Bay, the wandering walleye will have to be coaxed into striking when they come across your offering. Fish, especially walleye, are curious. If they are interested, they will approach your bait and sometimes follow it sometimes 15’+ upwards of the water column towards the hole. This is the case later in the season with the dreaded ‘finnicky february’ bite- where they'll still bite, but you have to put in the work for them.
This is a fishery where anglers should not expect to bust a mess of fish by ripping a big #9 jigging Rapala or pounding a giant, loud lipless crankbait, expecting a fish to be unable to resist with a clobbering strike. Most of the time, they want it lifelike and lethargic.
The right equipment is paramount to success as an angler in this hard water adventure. You would not want to bring a knife to a gun fight. Strong, yet appropriate tools deliver success. A medium-powered rod, such as the Fenwick HMG or Berkley Lightning Ice Combo, grant the ability to detect small bites and yield a proper hook set with a solid backbone. These models consist of a strong graphite blank that are light weight, easy in the hand, and balanced.
The Pflueger President has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best ice fishing reels on the market.
When selecting a reel, prioritize finding an option with a smooth drag and an adequate spool diameter. Not all reel makes use the same size stradard, but these are likely to be the second smallest available. For Pflueger or Abu Garcia models, this size would be a 25, while Shimano or 13 Fishing would be 1000, etc.
The emphasis on the drag system being functional in the extreme cold is to prevent the spool form sticking and not playing to the fish, resulting in a missed opportunity. When you have a trophy walleye or lake trout on the end, a smooth drag will play to the fish best. Cheap grease will freeze, while multi-disc systems with multiple bearings can withstand the frigid temperatures and quick response to a fighting fish.
Popular reel models, such as the Pflueger President are tried, true, and trusted by ice fishing gurus and guides.
8lb fluorocarbon is recommended as it handles big fish effectively and can withstand the properties of the ice with its natural abrasion resistance. While the 10lb test offers extra muscle, 8lb is the superior choice for the Bay because its thinner diameter cuts through the water and hangs straighter off the spool, resulting in less “sway” in the line. There is a lot more natural current under ice than people may expect. In deeper water, your spoon or bait may sway or kick out from under the hole and not be directly vertical. To eliminate this happening, 8Lb works through the water better and provides sensitivity for detecting a small “tick” on the end.
Built on reputations of strength and delivery, Berkley Trilene and Suffix both offer 100% fluorocarbon line options.
Often overlooked to newcomers, securing tools and equipment for safe transport is not to be taken lightly. Rod lockers, special tackle trays for lures, are two examples of things to consider in protecting gear. The ice and snow is not consistently smooth. Actually, it’s very bumpy. When a sled is being pulled behind a machine, the small bumps of the ice will shake your gear around like popcorn in a microwave. Rods hastly tossed in the sled or baits thrown in any tackle tray can be destroyed in no time with broken rod tips and busted lures.
Reminder: Wear your helmet and have ORV tags when operating machines on Ice
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Reminder: Wear your helmet and have ORV tags when operating machines on Ice 〰️
When going out onto Saginaw Bay, or any big water ice fishing venture, you must consider that it is going to take “going the extra mile” in securing gear and buying the right tools to get out there.
We know that no two fisheries are the same, considering layout, contour, and structure profile; and this is to be considered on top of fish movement and behavior. What separates saginaw bay is how much the fish move in their daily activity. This may not be fish swimming long and far away, but moving around. They don't sit and hang out on a rock pile or weed patch all day.
“These fish do not act like they do on Lake Erie or Green Bay- they don’t come in swinging to crush a big bait with violent action and bold profile.”
Fish movement and activity is a lot like a bus schedule- you can expect more action at certain times of the day. The expected most-active bite windows throughout the day will be as the sun is rising and when the sun is setting. Between these times, their appeasement may require a trick or two. This is important to consider when creating a gameplan of what to start off with and have pre-rigged.
A quick-change clip is a small piece of tackle that makes swapping baits easy and efficiently. They also enable a free range of motion for the lure to move in the water.
Being prepared and being able to adjust quickly are two of the best skills to have when being a an efficient ice angler. If an angler is limited with their gear, having a quick-snap tied on to a jigging rod will allow them to be able to change lures quickly. When using sonar and fishing technology of this age, we are able to see immediately how fish react to our presentations. If the swimming action of a jigging Rapala or wobble of a bold lipless crankbait are too much for shy or timid fish, the fast snap allows us to change over to something subtle, like a spoon.
Dead-sticking is about the lack of action, not the presentation itself. Any bait you tie on can be used as a dead stick. Sometimes, that is what simply works best, especially come later in the winter when fish become extra picky, especially during the inevitable finicky February.
Throughout the dayshift when the sun is up and high, walleye will cruise low and just about hug the bottom. Just because they are sluggish does not mean they aren’t interested in eating. Walleye pick minnows and bugs off of the bottom and spend a lot more time rooting their noses around than most people think. Going back to the basics, this is when Capt. Brandon and his clients use a long-shank jig head, like the VMC Sleek Jig. This profile is small and subtle. It answers one extreme with another. With small hopping movements, the jig head taps the bottom and immitates a minnow on the last leg of its life, sideways and kicking up silt. WIth this longer-shank jig, when the walleye nips at the back half of the bait, they are sure to get a piece of something for a hookset.
By threading a minnow through the mouth, out of the gill plate, and securing it again through the back above the dorsal fin, you create a flat, lifelike presentation that mimics a distressed minnow festering along the bottom. With the designed extra-long shank and locking curve, this setup capitalizes on the walleye’s instinct to opportunistically strike easy prey without appearing overly aggressive or unnatural.
A simple solution to fussy walleye:
View from the underside of the minnow. Run the hook point through the mouth and out of one of the gill plates, spin the hook 90 degrees, and push the hookpoint in between the spine and the swim bladder. This method enables minimal damage to the bait so it still moves slighly underwater.
The slim profile of the jig, combined with the natural motion of a minnow threaded on the hook, is a simple sirens call to tempting these bottom-oriented fish into biting. The subtle movement resembles a minnow slowly stirring up the bottom sediment, giving the impression of an easy meal. It’s a simple yet highly effective way to entice stubborn walleyes when they’re hunkered down low.
Everything eats a minnow!
One of the most thrilling parts about ice fishing is seeing what has been hooked. Saginaw Bay boasts potential for the thrill of lake trout.
This classic combination of simple gear and straightforward techniques is a testament to how going back to basics can solve modern fishing challenges anglers periodically expereince. When the bite is tough, resisting the urge to over complicate your presentation and focusing on natural, time-tested methods can make all the difference in turning a slow day into a longstanding memory.
Captain Brandon Stanton of Team Gunsmoke Sportfishing is a local to Michigan’s thumb region, and has been guiding for almost three decades. Ice fishing the big water is his passion and one of his specialites. Growing up on Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, he is one of the most respected and knowledgeable Captains available.
If interested in booking an ice fishing adventure with him on Saginaw Bay, you will not be disappointed! Springtime Detroit River walleye trips available as well.
Cell #: (989) 963-0215.
A special word of gratitude is shared with Capt. Brandon and photographer, Chris Blackmer, on sharing their skills, experience, and knowledge that contributed to this article.
All photos have been used courtesy of Northern Film Co. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution is strictly prohibited.