"EFFECTS OF THE INVADERS"

Saginaw Bay has many non-native species that have either been introduced by the DNR for fishing opportunity, or have taken advantage of industrial mistakes along with bad foreign shipping practices and policies.

Smelt, Lampreys, Shad, Alewife, White Bass, White Perch, Ruffee, Gobies, Drum, Steelhead, Brown Trout and all the Salmon species, are all implants. And I guess you would have to be from another planet, not to know about the most famous of our Great Lakes invaders the Zebra Mussel.

This little mollusk caused quit a stir when discovered and was supposed to cause everything from industrial shutdowns to total devastation and possible extinction of many other hard shell and bottom living creatures.

On Saginaw Bay it has indeed had a very "visible" impact. Seeing bottom in 10 feet of water was never possible when I was growing up on the Bay. In fact, just seeing your feet in knee deep water was rare. The phosphorus levels back then, kept the waters always looking like that (coffee with cream) color.

This new water clarity has done quit a few different things, and has forced some changes in the walleye fishing technique game on the Bay.

Clear water equals more light penetration and that equals more WEED Growth. And I mean Lake Okeechobee style weeds that now thrive all over the Saginaw Bay in depths approaching 10 feet.

And when heavy winds blow on the Bay for any length of time, the down wind waters get choked with floating vegetation. This abundance of weeds also has a positive note. The nursery and cover it provides for the fry of all these new arrivals as well as the reared and planted walleye fingerlings, has in this writers opinion done more to help versus hinder.

It's really funny to me when I see and read about a lot of these "Breakthrough" techniques in those (walleye specific) magazines. Oh, they have changed, refined or varied the technique in some form or fashion, but usually it's a spin-off of what we've been using for years.

Case in point. Back in the late 80's I started using an egg sinker harness rig on the Bay. I knew we could catch walleye on harnesses, but how to get the harness down while trolling in water 12 to 18 feet was the problem. I figured a variation to the Bass fisherman's Carolina rig would work. So I slid a big egg sinker on the line first, fallowed by a #6 bead, then tied on a barrel swivel, fallowed by the 4 foot leader and harness. Ran all this down the planner board tether and wall' a, she worked, and worked great.

I would closely compare this rig to the Snap weight and harness rig of today. I could continue with a few more borrowed and refined techniques that have their roots from the old ways and days, but why. Let's talk about what works now.

I guess the best way to catch a quantity of Saginaw Bay walleye is to troll. And nothing beats trolling the Storm Lures Hot-N-Tot. From day one, the Tot, along with its variations (Rattle Tot) has been king for catching walleye on the Bay.

Funny thing is, it seems to have that distinction only on Saginaw Bay. The Wiggle Wart is know and used better on Lake Erie. And the Thunderstick seems to work better on Little Bay DeNoc. I assume the forage type, size and demeanor has everything to do with this variation.

The next best method is harness rigging. And the Bay seems to have its own tackle development technology in that area. Along with the snap weight system talked about earlier, we have the Pa's Lure. An Erie Derie type lure with a diving bill molded in it's face, which takes your offering down fast, to depths only accomplished by tons of line being let out on other offerings. People on ...continued

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