As the water warms, fish move out to slightly deeper water and get much more aggressive. Subtle structure in the bay begins to attract fish. June can be a transition period when walleyes can be found just about everywhere in the bay, and they can be caught just about anyway you want to fish for them.

Below: Crankbaits and stick baits are hot when fished behind in-line planers. Photo by Mike Gnatkowski.

Trollers do well when concentrating on the 15- to 20-foot depths off the shipping channel and the Saganing and Pinconning reefs. Eastside hotspots include the area known as "The Slot" off the east islands and Thomas and Callahan reefs. It's not until August when the walleyes vacate the inner bay and head for the islands, east to Port Austin or north to Thunder Bay.

To sample Saginaw Bay's phenomenal fishery first-hand, contact Bill St. Peter at (989) 686-0629. Information on local bait shops, hotels and amenities is available by contacting the Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at (888) 229-8696 or online at www.tourbaycity.org.

THUNDER BAY
In many ways, Thunder Bay is an extension of Saginaw Bay. Many walleyes undoubtedly make the short trip up the Lake Huron shoreline to bide their time in Thunder Bay. With the outstanding walleye habitat the bay affords, the population has been expanding. Once the top brown trout destination in Michigan, walleyes have all but stolen the show in the Alpena.

"The results of our last spring gill net survey showed Thunder Bay walleye numbers were pretty close to Saginaw Bay," said fisheries research biologist Jim Johnson. "Thunder Bay probably has two-thirds the number of walleyes that Saginaw Bay has in it, but they're bigger. If you looked at it in biomass terms, Thunder Bay might have more walleyes in terms of pounds per acre than Saginaw Bay."

Johnson said the walleyes in Thunder Bay are from Saginaw Bay originally. He said the bigger walleyes, which are usually females, are more inclined to migrate. "The bigger females are very nomadic," said Johnson. "They go where the food is. That's how they get so big. They are constantly in search of food. The smaller males have one thing on their minds and they tend to hang around the spawning areas." Johnson related an example of just how far and how quickly the bigger walleyes migrate. He told of a large female walleye that they tagged at the Dow Dam in Midland that was recovered 10 days later in Thunder Bay.

There used to be some real pigs in Thunder Bay, but the size of the walleyes there has declined somewhat due to a change in their forage.

"There was a time when 10-pound walleyes were not a big deal in Thunder Bay. Now they're not quite as big," he said. "The walleyes are feeding on gobies now and smelt in deeper water. In fact, walleyes are populating the entire lake in water less than 70 feet. Thunder Bay continues to be a real hotspot though."

Johnson said a shift in walleyes' forage might require a shift in angling tactics in order to continually be successful during the summer months.

"Unlike the 1980s," said Johnson, "walleyes are not getting as much food. They use to be mid-level feeders. Now they're eating gobies that are right on the bottom out in the 70-foot range." Johnson said anglers may have to employ salmon tactics using downriggers, divers and lead core to tempt walleyes these days. Paying attention to temperature and where the thermocline is located in the summer is now key.