Sauger

[ThrillSeeker]

Does anyone fish for sauger? If so, what water temp and depth is it best to start at? Also, can you see sauger on your depth finder? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Matt Smith]

I was catching them during August in the Cumberland river. They were on a flat in 14' of water. I never saw any on the depthfinder...

[racerkvn]

I love Sauger (Jack) fishin' just as much as Crappie fishin'!! :D They will be in deeper water 14 feet or deeper. It is hard to see them on the finder, as they are usually sittin' right on the bottom. But that may just be me, not knowing anything about fishin'!! :rolleyes:

[Roberta]

We fish for saugeye, not sauger, and they're usually pretty close to the bottom, too. - Roberta

[GRIZZ]

We don't have them in NY, but they behave just like walleyes. We just have walleye and I've been fishing for them quite a bit over the last few weeks, and because the crappie fishing is so bad here now I'll mainly be fishing for them this fall. I've been using a new lure for them this year and have been slammin them on it. Northland Mimic minnow in the silver shiner color. Awsome action for a plastic, you can feel it pulsing like a crankbait. 2,2.5 & 3.5 inch with 1/4 unpainted jigheads for the 3.5 in moving water but I'd use 1/8 in lakes and smaller for the others. Probably not smaller than 1/16.

Works good just retrieving slow and steady, but I catch more jigging. Cast and let it drop to the bottom. Keep an eye on your line because they hit on the fall just like crappies. Once it hits bring it up hard so you feel the bait thumping then slowly let it fall controlling the rate of fall with your rod and a tight line. Watch and feel for a sharp thump on the fall. Its almost like crappie fishing except the fish have teeth and get over 10 lbs - lol.

If you have a Gander Mountain in the area they carry a good selection.

I've gotten 50-60 walleyes on them this fall so far and the real fall fishing hasn't started yet.

http://www.northlandtackle.com/Categ...in.taf?cat=213

[prchjerker]

Sauger like more turbilent and murkier water than walleyes.In the winter and early spring on the Mississippi river we'll catch them below the dam in 30 or 40 feet of water.Spring vally Illinois has to be the sauger capitol of the world with alot of 4 to 5 pound trophies caught evey year.There you'' only find 15 to 18 feet of water normally.There we vertical jig the main channel or the break,or pull lead core or three ways.

[ShilohRed]

Caught a few today..
Sauger like more current and also here on the Tn River around Pickwick dam. They will hang around the dam. And then down river we catch them in 30+ ft of water as the water gets colder.
WE use a 1 or 1 1/4" oz jig tipped with a minnow. And also a stinger hook. AS they hit so light its easy to not even know there bitting.
Here after the water drops to around 45 degrees the fish turn on great. Also they like bad weather take a day with the wind blowing and cloud rain or snow they feed hard then.
I have marked sauger on the depth finder. But I have to run the zoom on 4X or better to get them to show up.
Most times there hanging right on a log or stump or rock. Also the bigger one like to hold off to the side of the school of smaller fish.
Our water temp today was 59 degrees and there just starting. But the colder it gets the better they bite.
Here around late Feb the females show up and we catch them in 12ft of water a lot.

[J White]

Good topic guys :D I haven't done a lot of this, but sure do like it.
Did you ever see that mount of the TN state record Pete? When I was
a kid, it used to hang at the Botel - don't know where it is now. Seems
like it was a little over 7 pounds wonder if we'll ever see fish that
big again? Also wonder if that thing had a little walleye in it or something?
It was caught way back years ago, had to have been 60's or 70's.

[Matt Smith]

I love Sauger (Jack) fishin' just as much as Crappie fishin'!! :D They will be in deeper water 14 feet or deeper. It is hard to see them on the finder, as they are usually sittin' right on the bottom. But that may just be me, not knowing anything about fishin'!! :rolleyes:

I won't accuse you of not knowing how to fish, but I've caught sauger right off the banks during the hottest part of the year. In fact, I pulled a couple off the bank this August. Use a number 9 floating Rapala in shad color and pitch it within inches of the shore and retrieve as fast as possible. Do this on rip rap banks.

Seriously.

Sauger will be where they want to be. You can read all the articles you want about how to catch them, but one thing is for certain: the sauger don't read the same articles.

[ShilohRed]

Good topic guys :D I haven't done a lot of this, but sure do like it.
Did you ever see that mount of the TN state record Pete? When I was
a kid, it used to hang at the Botel - don't know where it is now. Seems
like it was a little over 7 pounds wonder if we'll ever see fish that
big again? Also wonder if that thing had a little walleye in it or something?
It was caught way back years ago, had to have been 60's or 70's.

Jeff it was 1973 The water was still up after the big flood. Feb 19th was the date. And the weight was 7 lb 6 oz. And it was all sauger.
Yes it was at the Botel and I think its still there.
The guy that caught it did not even know it could be record fish. He was just going to eat it. LOL
It was caught in a creek mouth. And the water was 14ft deep there on that day.
The fish were stacked in there like crazy.

You know we we had not started telling him he better weight it as it looked to be record.

Also There was a 8 lb 4 oz that made dinner for an old man. He would not even talk about getting it in the record books. And he weighed it on our scales in the fish market..

There used to be a lot of big ones here. But now days theres a few 5+ caught each year. But not many big ones.

Matt Your right the sauger will be where they would like to be. But let the water cool down and they go deep because that is where the bait is.


Pete