Sauger/Walleye

[gboyce]

The Sauger and walleye have started their move up to the creek mouths on OH finally. Been getting 4 to 5 each time I have been out lately. And with the warmer weather they have been very aggressive trying to rip the rod right out of my hand.

[jad2t]

I thought they did that in the Spring, not Winter. I'm new to walleye fishing so forgive me. I have been trying to gather information on it but have never actually had a chance to go after them. I'm hoping to get some opportunities after this semester is over so mid December to mid January I'll give it a shot.

[gboyce]

No issue we are all new to fishing certain species at some point:). They start to stage when the water starts to drop its temp and they hang in the creek mouths. They do however spawn in he spring. The Gallatin Steam plant is also a good place to go in the winter for them with the only exception being is you never know what you may hook into out there. I have been jigging for Sauger in the past there and hooked into 20 lb plus rockfish and big Cats. Send me a PM sometime and we can go out if you would like

[ALANRAYG2]

I finally got out on the Tennessee River near Perryville. We fished for sauger from 18 feet to 50+ feet. Not a single hit. Went into a couple creeks during mid day crappie fishing. we had 7 keepers by the time we loaded up for home. The water in the main channel is as clear as I have ever seen it. I could see a bright sauger jig in 6 to 8 feet of water. The current was sluggish at best. we didn't see any boats fishing for them either. That is always a bad sign. I wish I knew more about walleye on Normandy. I might see if I can catch some of them someday.

[bd-]

Sauger fishing in the winter is a blast when the fish are biting, but when you get out there on one of those days when it's cold and wet and miserable and you jig all day without a bite, it will leave you seriously questioning your sanity.

bd

[gboyce]

Nah BD I tell my wife when I sit out there all day not catching anything I am meditating and solving the worlds problems. Needless to say I still fish all the time since I done have any solutions yet :)

[Andy M]

I caught this 19" sauger (maybe a saugeye it was greener than a normal sauger but had spots on the dorsel fin) below OH dam a week ago we've caught several smaller saugers but few keepers. I did happen to catch my first shovel bill catfish between 20-30 lbs this week while I was there too.

[MNfisher]

Nice fish! Looks like there is a white spot on the tail and the spots on the dorsal aren't as strong as they should be....I vote definitely a saugeye.

[Saltwaterwalt]

I mostly bass fish on the main portion of Old Hickory (I live close to Shutes Landing) but want to learn how to fish for these saugers everyone is talking about. Am I spinning my wheels to look for them on the main lake? Should I be fishing above the steam plant, or maybe below the dam. Sauger newbie here, need some sauger expert advice :D

[txnative]

Look for deep water near creek mouths. Around 35-40 ft is good, but check the ends of any sandbars you see, also, especially where they taper off into the main channel. Look near bluffs, also. I would start at the Cairo boat ramp and go upstream.

Another area worth checking out is the mouth of the stones river.

These areas are more for sauger. Walleye tend to stay shallower, so flats near the river channel would be a good starting point, but below dams seem to be more consistent. Good luck.


Chris

[Saltwaterwalt]

Thanks Chris,
I'll check out the mouth of the Stones. I tried out that new ramp into the Stones during summer, nice ramp.
Walt

[agelesssone]

Saltwaterwalt,

Sauger fishing can be an exasperating experience. Hours of jigging with nothing but dinks and shorties or none at all.

Spent 5-6 hours fishing well known spots for sauger yesterday with another experienced angler. Our total catch for the day.....one 6 inch yellow bass.....one 8 inch drum..... and one 6.04 lb walleye. No saugers at all.

Other friends fished four hours in a completely different setting (below a dam while we were hitting creek mouths) and caught a few shorts so I'd say weather has a lot to do with it. The bluebird skies and high pressure days ARE the worst. A friend and I fished with a well known area guide a couple of days after Thanksgiving on another bluebird sky day and for an 8 hour trip, three guys fishing diligently, our take for the day was four keeper saugers and a couple of bass.

So, you may be setting yourself up for some serious heartache if you are going to key on saugers. Later in the season (winter) seems to be the best times to catch them.

Just don't be afraid to change tactics, baits, presentations. Use a weight, bare hook, and minnow. Use a jig with hair, all different colors, bare jig with plastic bodies, (for right now, early into the season, keep the tails short 2-2 1/2 inches, 3-4 later on when they are more inclined to bite), colored jighead with minnow, plain jig with minnow. If you are fishing skinny water like the Gallatin Steam Plant (14-17 FOW), try trolling jointed rapalas (J 7's) upstream from the mouth to the boils, then drift and jig back down to the river.

Like TXnative says, the mouths of creeks entering the river is the best place to start. But, there are old roadbeds near some of the sunken locks that produce too. Lots of time on the water doing lots of different things is key to finding out when, where and what is working. What you catch them on today in the steam plant may not get you a bite tomorrow in the same location. Or there may be nothing but shorties biting you today.

KEY: ALWAYS USE A STINGER HOOK!!! Saugers are notorious for short biting. The majority of your hookups will be on the stinger hook this time of the year. Later, they will smack and inhale the jig but for now they are short biting. The six pound walleye yesterday, she wasn't shy, she ate the whole thing. 1 oz redhead jig, white hair skirt, 2 inch brown twistertail, stinger hook, no minnow. Now you know exactly what she was caught on. But she came after five hours of jigging six areas.

Tough day but rewarding when a fish like this is caught, plus having the company of a friend to yak with while you try to find them and figure out what they want....priceless.

[Travis C.]

I have always thought about targeting both of those good eating fish but man it's intimidating. Seems like it would be like learning to fish all over again as they are completely foreign to me.

On Cordell Hull, I have caught sauger fishing jig/craws for bass along the main channel or in Defeated Creek but the why's or how's at the time I caught were never mentally noted other than where the hell did this come from.... LOL.

Nice fish agelessone. The only other nice sized one I have really seen up close was txnative's a month or so ago.

[Saltwaterwalt]

Appreciate the info ageless...getting skunked fishing is nothing new to me, so I could handle that part...lol.

I just know that the few times I caught walleyes by accident, they were the FINEST eating fish ever to hit my plate. So if saugers are minature versions of them, oh yeah :D

[Fish Whisperer]

Nice fish....


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[agelesssone]

Mike,
That fish came after 5 hours of hard fishing and was the ONLY walleye/sauger caught. Not even any shorties. Tough day but at least it was beautiful weather.

[Fish Whisperer]

That fish sandwich made the trip worth while though... I'm gonna try my luck below Old Hickory again this weekend.




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[agelesssone]

Good luck below the dam.

I think I'm going to wait a couple of days to let the effects of this front wear off. A few days of bright sunshine, high pressure will make the fishing tough, I think.

[hogdawg]

It is proven the nastier and darker the weather, the better the sauger will bite.

[agelesssone]

Overcast, spitting rain, caught one 16 inch sauger in four hours around the 231 bridge. Water temps....47-49. Good flow to the river. Only one bite all that time. Another fisherman same area, caught two saugers in six hours. Hopefully it will pick up soon.

[commdd]

agelessone...thanks for the report!! i have the Sauger fever bad!! i have caught three so far this year from the shore amd they have all been short..can't wait for that day when they are stacked up! regards

[agelesssone]

Everyone says the worse the weather, the better the sauger bite is......so did anyone venture forth today in search of sauger/walleye?
I know I am being lazy and sitting on the sofa after doing the gym thing and eating lunch. I suppose I should go fishing but..........