Early sauger fishing

[eyeseeker]

Went down to Pickwick dam for a few days to try some early sauger fishing. Monday was windy and cold and only fished a couple hours but managed a keeper. Tuesday and Wednesday were much better with 4 and 7 keepers for those two days. Really liked the area and stayed at the campground at the dam. It seems to be a great place to fish and had tons of by catch to keep things interesting.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

4 and 7 keepers this early in the year is a fantastic day!

 

[RUGER]

I would like to do that myself.
Been a very long time since I caught one.

 

[eyeseeker]

We do well all summer long on the Cumberland, but recently started fishing Pickwick and can already see I need to get down there for a couple trips in January and February when they are really up there in numbers

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

We do well all summer long on the Cumberland, but recently started fishing Pickwick and can already see I need to get down there for a couple trips in January and February when they are really up there in numbers

We don't start fishing at the dam until sometime in December usually. Duck and deer season always seem to be in the way. I know they catch a few keepers starting in Nov but it's usually pretty slow until mid Dec it seems. You've got me rethinking my weekend plans!

 

[eyeseeker]

We marked very few fish and I can't say for certain that what we caught wern resident fish that stayed up there all summer. I've been looking into Pickwick landing SP for a camping trip in Jan-Feb after deer season.

 

[JRC1]

Back several years ago we would catch a few sauger every year while crappie fishing Ky lake around Paris Landing. I've never actually targeted sauger. What kind of areas do you look for when sauger fishing and what is the preferred bait?

 

[WTM]

Back several years ago we would catch a few sauger every year while crappie fishing Ky lake around Paris Landing. I've never actually targeted sauger. What kind of areas do you look for when sauger fishing and what is the preferred bait?

thats basically where they end up after the spawning run minus the ones that hang around the dam in the summer. they scatter and lay up in the deep parts of the main lake during summer and make their way back towards the dam in the fall. in the mouth of big sandy river you can catch them in summer usually when they come up to feed.

i fish the spawning run the first two weeks of feb. 1 oz hair jigs tipped with a minnow and a stinger, in certain parts of the river. got to keep it on bottom.

 

[wcw280]

I can't wait for sauger fishing.

 

[Lt.Dan]

Do Sauger taste as good as Walleye?

 

[CATCHDAWG]

Do Sauger taste as good as Walleye?

Sauger, Walleye, Yellow Perch. Basically all the same fish. They are all "true" perch, and all tastes basically the same.

 

[eyeseeker]

Yes basically the same. I like yellow perch the best(especially from cold water) followed by sauger and then walleye. I catch a lot more walleye though. I also enjoy the fact that they are the easiest fish to fillet.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

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I can't wait for sauger fishing.

Nice hauls! Are you catching those in East TN? I only ask because I've never heard of anyone fishing for them east of Nashville that I can remember.

 

[sll]

Nice hauls! Are you catching those in East TN? I only ask because I've never heard of anyone fishing for them east of Nashville that I can remember.

Douglas lake is full of them and Cherokee still has a few but most are hybrid saugeye.

 

[eyeseeker]

Cordell Hull, old hickory, cheatham, even below center hill. I catch all of mine in rivers. i even have a friend that catches them in some holes in the Duck river around Columbia.

 

[Lt.Dan]

Yes basically the same. I like yellow perch the best(especially from cold water) followed by sauger and then walleye. I catch a lot more walleye though. I also enjoy the fact that they are the easiest fish to fillet.

I've never caught a Sauger. But I have caught thousands of Walleye and Yellow Perch. I like the Walleye over the perch. Maybe because the Walleye is a bigger filled. But they are both the best eating IMHO