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 FANTASTIC FISHING : TRY TAWAS BAY by Gary Nelkie, Nordic Sports © 1998 The first tinge of light. Dawn on Northeastern Michigan’s Tawas Bay. Mist hangs low over the water, forming a white veil that hides Lake Huron’s horizon. No matter; with the vibrating action of the large Rapalas trolling behind the boat, there’s more than enough close at hand to hold our attention. A distant loon delivers an enchanting daybreak wake-up call. The gradually strengthening rising sun begins to penetrate the eerie morning mist which mystically cloaks the calm lake waters. As the vapors lift, the eastern reaches of Tawas Point come into view. The unfolding seascape, always tranquil, provides a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of life. Nature’s therapy is working it’s magic as the dog days of August unfold. A jolting strike suddenly telegraphs a presence of a Chinook salmon as a swell breaks the smooth surface of the water. I strike hard three times. “A King”, I croak. I can hear the line slicing the water and see the spray coming off it. The creature on the other end of my line is an aerial fish of stunning beauty and savage strength. Out, in; out, in. Ten minutes later, 35 inches of Chinook salmon finds it’s way into our net. I hold her across my chest as Tom Canty fires off a salvo of photos. Then I gently remove the hook from her hard, toothy jaw and lower her over the side of the boat, while she catches her breath, returning her to the familiar Lake Huron water. She seems fine. “Slap her on the tail,” instructs Tom. I do and she bolts. ---------- The variety of excellence of late summer Tawas Bay sport fishing is unmatched in northeastern Michigan. That is not an empty boast. It is, instead, a claim based on a variety of facts which endow Tawas Bay with a rare quality of angling. The bay is unique in it’s location. It is the place where the cold green waters of northern Lake Huron collide with the warm sapphire waters of Saginaw Bay and force the southbound flow of water into the coast. Tawas Bay is “Gamefish Junction,” the meeting place of all Great Lakes species. Here vacationing anglers catch perch, walleye, and northern pike on one day, and on the next troll for salmon, brown trout, and steelhead. In the Tawas area the term “offshore fishing” refers to the hunt for species in the blue water prairies that roll out just near the vanishing sight of land. This fishing may or may not be within Saginaw Bay, and certainly is beyond the natural boundaries of sheltered Tawas Bay. In most cases, this fishing is done from specialized sport fishing charter boats, manned by a captain and a mate, some of whom pioneered the development of this type of fishing off the northeastern Michigan coast. The great bulk of offshore fishing trips occur between the first of August and the end of September. In that period -- and with some extensions at either end in the case of seasonal weather -- you can expect to encounter Chinook and Coho salmon populations as they school and prepare for upriver fall spawning runs. Tawas Bay’s development as a fall salmon fishery traces back to the day in the mid-1960’s when some now-forgotten local fisherman cranked up and pitched a silver spoon into the surf off the mouth of the Tawas River, and was nearly yanked into the the water by the surging drive of a hooked but departing Coho salmon. Since that time, the Tawas area has ranked as Michigan’s most convenient hot spot for the thrill of catching a giant salmon. The prime season for the popular shoreline surf and pier fishing begins in mid-to-late August with the arrival of strong easterly onshore winds. The first shoreline fish of the fall run ordinarily is taken from the Michigan State Harbor of Refuge Pier in East Tawas. Popularly known as the “State Dock”, the pier provides accessible fishing for anglers of all ages and abilities. Pier fishing is a tradition along Tawas Bay. All of the previously mentioned species of fish are frequently caught from the city piers. Because these structures reach out several hundred feet from the shoreline, they generally supply consistent sport for Great Lakes fish. Pier pilings provide habitat and particularly fine angling for all species of fish, and are the favored location for the coveted yellow perch and aggressive walleye. During the stormy, windy days of mid-November the State Dock attracts large numbers of spawning whitefish and a proportionate crowd of hardy anglers who pursue and persist through the cold, dark nighttime hours for the palatable fish. By mid-December, the first thin layer of ice begins to form and cover the placid water within the sheltered harbor area. By January, the ice fisherman have established their small communty of colorful plywood fish shanties on Tawas Bay, continuing the local heritage of year 'round fishing. ---------- The tires slowly catch the flat, graded road, as we pull the trailered boat out of the gentle lapping water of Tawas Bay. The hoot of an owl, the dripping of water off the hull are the only sounds we hear as we head homeward. We settle into an easy ride onto US-23 through the dark. The night air cools our faces burned by our day on the bay, and the evening smells are sweet. We came in search of large salmon and, as so many times before, the thunderous charge of a lively Chinook made Tawas Bay a place we’ll never forget! | AuSable River Emergence Schedule | AuSable River Trout Fishing Map | AuSable Stream Flow Data | Tawas Bay Fishing | | Return Home | Clothing & Outerwear | Footwear | Kayaking & Canoeing | Hiking & Backpacking | Tawas Bird & Nature Observation | AuSable River Fly Fishing | Cross Country Skiing | Corsair Ski Trail Conditions | Events Schedule | Links | Contact Us | Employment | |
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