I’ve been trying to catch a master angler walleye for the past twenty five years. I’ve been close a couple times but, but just haven’t been able to reach that mark. That’s why I’m so excited about the fish my grandson Trent caught with us on Saginaw Bay.
Trent's master angler walleye
Trent, my son James and I were trolling southeast of B buoy in seventeen feet of water. We were on a scouting mission. All summer we’d been catching fish in shallow water close to shore, but wanted to see if we could find fish out deeper.
Like always, we were running Offshore in line planer boards, but this time we left the nightcrawlers on shore. We wanted to cover lots of water so we ran Storm rattle tots on a three way rig with Silver Streak spoons. That’s a combination that had been very effective in the past, and it would prove to be hot on this night too.
The big female hit a “BVD’s” spoon. That’s like the popular “Pink Panties” color…but it uses blue instead of pink.
Silver Streak BVD's spoon
When she hit there was no doubt it was a big fish. Trent did a good job fighting her, and with a little help from his Dad, we got her in the net.
She was twenty nine inches long. That’s the biggest fish we’ve caught on Saginaw Bay in a long time. Because we released her, she qualifies as a Master Angler fish under the Michigan DNR’s program.
It’s quite an accomplishment for a seven year old angler. I don’t think Trent quite realizes how big that fish really is. His Dad and I do though….and we couldn’t be happier.
I still am not sure how we were able to put her back. At that age I would have thrown a fit to take it home, so mom could see. And I may have but cant remember catching a summer fish that big ever.
It’s been a long time since I’ve caught one that big in the summertime…that’s for sure. It was pretty cool that Trent agreed to throw her back. He won’t have a fish on the wall to remember, but he’s got a pretty cool picture.
Now, it’s gonna be tough for him to catch a bigger one.
His mama is a proud one 🙂
Could you post how you had your three way swivel rigged in this article. Thanks Pat
Hi Pat, The easiest way is to use a three way swivel. Tie one side back to your main line, put a hot n tot on one lead and a spoon on the other. Some days the spoon will catch more fish, other times it’s the hot n tot. Either way, it increases your odds of hooking up because you’ve got two baits in the water on the same line. You can also use a swivel and bead on your main line and tie the spoon on a “slider” above the bead. Good luck.