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Cranking Up Saginaw River Walleye

Crankbaits Can Reap Big Walleye Rewards

By Mark Romanack

       As good as the Saginaw River is as a jig fishing destination, it may be better fished with crankbaits. In late April, all of May and June, the crankbait bite on the river is amazing. The advantage of trolling crankbaits is the angler can cover water quickly and encounter hot spots much quicker than drift fishing with jigs.

      Diving style high action cranks get the job done on the Saginaw River. Because the water is murky, the higher action lures do a better job of attracting attention and delivering smashing strikes. Among the most productive lure choices are the Salmo No. 6 Hornet, Storm 3/8 Rattle Tot, Bomber 6A and Worden’s Timber Tiger DC13. No doubt other high action cranks will produce walleye action as well.

      Trolling upstream seems to produce the most action, but there are days that it doesn’t matter which direction an angler trolls. Sometimes the fish are found on flats, but mostly the trolling game requires following the winding river channel.

      The Saginaw River has a dredged channel to allow Great Lakes ships to come and go with their cargo. Trolling along the edges of the shipping channel almost guarantees walleye action. Try to keep the crankbaits ticking bottom at or very close to the lip of the channel.

      An ordinary downrigger rod equipped with a line counter reel is required for this kind of trolling. Some anglers fish simply with their lures straight out the back of the boat, but adding in-line boards like the popular Side-Planer from Off Shore Tackle will produce a wider lure coverage and more bites.