By Bill Semion
Get those ice creepers and snowmobile tracks ready. Pro walleye angler Mark Martin’s 8th annual Ice Fishing Vacation School is again headed to Saginaw Bay.
Kickoff will be a free fishing seminar at 3 p.m. on Feb. 7, at Frank’s Great Outdoors along M-13 north of Linwood.
Along with Martin, of Twin Lake, north of Muskegon and a perennial top contender in North America’s biggest and most prestigious walleye tournament series, presented by AIM (Angler’s Insight Marketing), your other “professors” will be fellow AIM anglers Mark Brumbaugh of Ohio, and Mike Gofron of Wisconsin. Together with about 15 teaching assistants, they will school you in the art of icing walleyes.
They’re all ready to show their students not only a good time on the ice, but how to land those Saginaw Bay toothy giants safely while avoiding the pitfalls, literal and otherwise, that being out on the bay can bring to the inexperienced.
Students will launch from Linwood Beach Marina, where they can park snowmobiles and four-wheelers in an enclosed, secure area each night for easy retrieval each morning of the school.
Headquarters for all meals will be Linwood Corners Restaurant in Linwood, where students can choose on their own at discount prices from an extensive menu, for breakfast and dinner, and pick up sack lunches for their day on the bay. Evenings, students return to discuss what they did throughout the day and learn from each other about how to improve their techniques.
“We can have good conversation and school time right after fishing ends each day,” Martin said. “We’ll have a room all to ourselves so everyone can ask questions and hear how everyone else on did. We’ve found that’s one of the best learning tools there is, those roundtable discussions each night.”
“Most of the students say they improve their techniques each day because of this. If they all had gone by themselves, they’d be twiddling their fingers and second-guessing themselves. But with everyone fishing, everyone learns from everyone else, about who really got them that day.”
And, when the fishing’s great, the pros keep in contact and help steer students to either the right technique, or the right spot.
In addition to the instructors, there will be more help from about 15 assistants to help students in need of rides out or back, or even ice shacks.
For $475 per person, you’ll not only get hand-on lessons from three of North America’s best walleye anglers. You’ll also get a free tackle package, and free live bait with special rates on lodging at the Bay City AmericInn, and discounts on food.
There will be a maximum of 25 students this year, Martin said.
“We want to give people a good small group experience so you get more time with each pro every day. It makes a big difference. You’ll learn a lot more and be more mobile.”
The school bell rings at 7 a.m. and school is out at 5:30 p.m. students will fish in groups each guided by a pro, who will take you to an area that’s already been pre-fished by the pros. After the first day’s seminar, pros also will help you pick the tackle and lures that will produce.
“That way we’ll know when we leave shore Monday morning what direction and how far we’re going to be on fish, because we’ve caught them there the previous day. We’ll be all off the ice just before dark each day, because safety is the utmost importance,” Martin said.
To register, contact Linwood Beach Marina at 989-697-4415 and ask for Darla or Scott. If ice conditions are unsafe, your money will be refunded, or go to www.linwoodbeachmarina.com.
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