Walleyes and Sauger

[Crow Terminator]

Do any of you fish for walleyes or sauger pretty regularly? Dad and I are wanting to catch some and are trying to learn more about them. The general thing we're hearing is to go when it's cold and gloomy but usually comes from people that don't fish for them much. I think they probably feed more than on cold days and people just liken them to crappie in which some still think the only time you can catch crappie is in the spring.

One guy we knew in the past that is dead now, used to catch them below the dams with crankbaits. We've tried that the last several trips but haven't connected to a walleye or sauger yet. In fact, we've only caught drum, catfish, crappie, and bass. I've been reading a lot but don't seem like many people in TN target them for fishing. It might be the population ain't that great here. I don't know. It's more of a bucket list thing than anything. If anybody has any tips or suggestions, I'd appreciate it.

 

[SilverFox]

I see people fishing below the dam here for them. They tell me they move up river to spawn. I don't know if it's true, it's just what I've been told. They throw a jig head with a grub or swimbait in bright colors like orange, red and yellow. In the river section of the lake, i see them throwing the same but also see them bumping the bottom with a hair jig... again in bright colors. This is always in cooler weather. In the summer i see them trolling with a worm rig... it's some kind of spinner with a live worm on it.

I've caught several here on several different baits. My biggest came on a rattletrap in January or February. It was a little over 5 pounds. The majority of my catches have been in cooler weather and with cranakbaits. I have caught a couple while fishing deep for bass in the summer. A couple on a deep crank around 20 feet. One came on a swimbait in about 35 foot of water. I would be lost if i had to target them.

 

[sll]

They are mostly a migratory fish......meaning that the bulk of them move around to other sections of the lake based on the conditions faced during seasonal changes. They will run upstream to spawn when the water temps start getting into the low 50's in late winter/early spring. Good time to catch them in skinny water on jig/minnow combows and trolling small crankbaits and jerkbaits.

After their initial spawning run the masses will start migrating back down towards the lake to follow the shad spawn and cooler waters at thermocline temps/depths in the summer. Trolling bottom bouncers rigged with cat's paw spinner rigs tipped with night crawlers is about the best way to catch them during this time.

They can be caught "accidentally" on a number of lures........spinnerbaits,jigging spoons, topwater, crankbaits, swimbaits,soft plastics, etc....but for the most part they prefer slow moving baits that hover in their face. If your lakes have alewive shad in them they can be caught readily on topwater or deep running jerkbaits when the alewives are actively spawning near the surface. Night-time is primetime for this.

 

[Crow Terminator]

So I take it that they school up in big numbers? That might make it a little easier to find. The crankbait trolling thing is okay but I think perhaps we've been trolling too big of cranks for them. From what I have gathered, they like more minnow/jerkbait style lures vs the big DD14s or Fat Free Shads when it comes to crankbaits.

Thanks SLL for the info. I bought some jigs and soft plastics at Bass Pro the other weekend that were marketed towards Walleye and Sauger. Maybe dad and I can catch one before too long.

 

[Biggun4214]

In hot weather check creeks. Vertical jigging heavy bright colored jigs tipped with minnows while drifting works well in the winter and early spring. Fish below dams at night during the summer. Rapalas work well if there is some generation going on. Lots of old time fishermen will tell you the worse the weather the better the fishing for winter sauger.

 

[sll]

Yes, where you find one there will be others. The crankbait trolling tactic is basically in a current situation (shallow river water) that works best in late fall till early spring. You definitely will have better luck with smaller, minnow imitating baits like a Bandit, Shad Rap, Husky Jerk, etc...

They like to be near current in eddy spots. Your jigs/soft plastics you mentioned will come into play more as the water gets cooler. Try runnig up as far as you can in the currect and drifting down. Don't worry about casting for them like this as you just want to vertical jig directly under the boat as the water will be relatively shallow. Once you start getting bites in certain areas you can concentrate your jigging in those tighter areas as they will likely be bunched up together. You can also anchor and cast to them at that time as you have then found an area where they are concentrated in.

 

[7wsm]

normans deep lil N in gizzard shad or rootbeer color works well it runs 9-12 ft. we troll about 20ft from the bank you catch drum/ smallies/ large mouth. also with this same set up in april and may we go to cordellhull and do the same thing.another good place is clifton tn

 

[7wsm]

check out tnfishing.com many people post their fishing trips on there.they are very helpful on what to use and where to fishand what the fish are doing

Do any of you fish for walleyes or sauger pretty regularly? Dad and I are wanting to catch some and are trying to learn more about them. The general thing we're hearing is to go when it's cold and gloomy but usually comes from people that don't fish for them much. I think they probably feed more than on cold days and people just liken them to crappie in which some still think the only time you can catch crappie is in the spring.

One guy we knew in the past that is dead now, used to catch them below the dams with crankbaits. We've tried that the last several trips but haven't connected to a walleye or sauger yet. In fact, we've only caught drum, catfish, crappie, and bass. I've been reading a lot but don't seem like many people in TN target them for fishing. It might be the population ain't that great here. I don't know. It's more of a bucket list thing than anything. If anybody has any tips or suggestions, I'd appreciate it.

 

[7wsm]

http://saugercentral.freeforums.org/

Do any of you fish for walleyes or sauger pretty regularly? Dad and I are wanting to catch some and are trying to learn more about them. The general thing we're hearing is to go when it's cold and gloomy but usually comes from people that don't fish for them much. I think they probably feed more than on cold days and people just liken them to crappie in which some still think the only time you can catch crappie is in the spring.

One guy we knew in the past that is dead now, used to catch them below the dams with crankbaits. We've tried that the last several trips but haven't connected to a walleye or sauger yet. In fact, we've only caught drum, catfish, crappie, and bass. I've been reading a lot but don't seem like many people in TN target them for fishing. It might be the population ain't that great here. I don't know. It's more of a bucket list thing than anything. If anybody has any tips or suggestions, I'd appreciate it.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

I don't know anything about catching them on cranks or on any body of water other than what I fish, but if you ever decide to head west and fish the TN River in the general vicinity of Hardin County January-early April I'd be glad to show you the ropes and help get you on fish. We catch all ours using a 1 1-4 oz jig tipped with a minnow.

 

[catman529]

I have caught them occasionally trolling cranks below dams on the river, not so much directly below the dam but anywhere within a couple miles of the dams

 

[stik]

upper tellico is good and you can wear them out below ft. loudon in the winter