Corey Houser unhooks a spring walleye. Photo by Mike Gnatkowski.

Walleye fishing on many of the Great Lakes seems to be getting better and better. Much of the boom can be credited to phenomenal hatches in recent years. When the stars align and Mother Nature cooperates, walleye numbers can explode. Fortunately, that's exactly the scenario we can look forward to at several Great Lakes ports this season.

SAGINAW BAY
The stage is set for an absolutely banner year on Saginaw Bay in 2009. Super year-classes in 2003, 2004 and 2005 have now grown up and are contributing to the sport fishery. You can find walleyes in the bay from fat 15-inch eaters all the way up to some respectable 6- and 7-pound specimens. The really huge fish seem to be lacking, but as the bigger fish in the system mature. the chances for trophy fish will improve too. In the meantime, there's nothing wrong with a limit of 16- to 20-inchers. In fact, I'd prefer it.

"There are just an incredible number of fish in the bay right now," said pro angler and Bay City resident Bill St. Peter. "I almost felt guilty taking people out last year. Even if you weren't working at it real hard, you'd have your limit in an hour or hour-and-a-half. I'd almost felt like I was cheating the people. But they were happy. The fishing was that good." Last year saw a lot of walleyes in the 7- to 11-inch age-class too, which bodes well for the future. All of these fish are the result of natural reproduction. (Continued)

Catching a limit of walleyes on Saginaw Bay right now isn't rocket science. There are so many fish in the bay that they are everywhere. There are several different types of walleye bites on the bay. Clearer water has allowed weedbeds to flourish in the deeper portions of the bay. Walleyes realize that the weeds harbor food and schools of walleyes take up residence in the weeds.

"Zebra mussels have really cleared up the bay and you've now got weedbeds where you didn't have any a few years ago," said St. Peter. With the aid of a good graph, St. Peter said you can locate weedbeds in 8 to 13 feet of water that will hold walleyes throughout the summer. You can pitch, cast crankbaits or slip-bobber the weeds and pull limits of walleyes averaging 2 to 6 pounds.

Most anglers troll for walleyes on the bay. What you pull is a matter of personal preference.

"In the spring, you can't beat a No. 18 Husky Jerk," St. Peter said. "The fish are hungry after spawning and walleyes are feeding on smelt. Once the water temperature reaches 50 degrees, I switch over to crawler harnesses." Other anglers still pull crankbaits, like traditional Wiggle Warts and Hot-N-Tots, and do well.

Fishing right after ice-out until mid-May can take place in as little as 3 or 4 feet of water. Most of the time, it's a nighttime bite and limits are routine. Anglers affix cyalume sticks to in-line boards to cover water and keep track of their boards. Crawler harnesses seem to work during the daylight hours.

Last May. I joined St. Peter to pre-fish before a PWT tournament that was being held on Saginaw Bay. A strong northeast wind had buffeted the shoreline on the west side of the bay and turned the water to mud. It took a while that day to find cleaner water and put a program together. We still managed to catch some fish. The next day with calmer winds and clearing water, we had a three-man limit by noon.