Sauger

COMMON NAMES: Sauger, Jack salmon

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Stizostedion canadense

IDENTIFICATION: Sauger look very similar to walleye and saugeye. The body is cylindrical with dark blotches along the sides. They have sharp canine teeth and large cloudy eyes. They can be distinguished from walleye by the large dark spots on the spiny dorsal fin.

RANGE AND HABITAT: Sauger prefer large, turbid slow moving rivers, and large, cool shallow lakes.

LIFE HISTORY: Sauger spawn in the spring when water temperatures reach the upper 40s. Females lay between 10,000 to 50,000 eggs. The eggs are adhesive and stick to vegetation, sticks, and stones until they hatch in 10 days or more. Sauger prefer to forage for aquatic insects, crayfish, and small fishes during periods of low light (dawn and dusk).

ADULT SIZE: Most sauger range from 9 to 15 inches in length and are less than 1 pound.

FISHING METHODS: Lead head jigs, minnows, or crankbaits fished near the bottom are often productive sauger bait. Tailwaters below dams on the Ohio River and major tributaries are the best areas. Late and early fall are the most productive times of the year.