In substantially clearer reservoirs like Oahe or Peck, sauger are caught as deep as 60 feet in summer. Some main-reservoir structures, like humps that top out at 50 or 60 feet, hold only sauger. Shear cliffs that drop into 100 feet of water, but have substantial food shelves between 20 feet and shore, harbor only walleyes. If, however, structures have shelves or abutting flats in both the 12- to 20-foot and 30- to 50-foot ranges, both species are present.
"On every major reservoir I've fished where both species are present, slide down the break from a walleye bite to find sauger," Kohler says. "That's if habitat is available for both. On Oahe, when walleyes were biting in 12 feet of water, sauger were biting on flats below at 40 feet."
Professional guide and outfitter Herb Walk of Ranchester, Wyoming, says the pattern holds all summer and fall. "During the 1993 Western Walleye Circuit tournament on Fort Peck, 12 walleyes over 10 pounds were caught in 4 to 6 feet of water on main lake points. On the same points at the same time, shelves in 30 to 35 feet of water held large numbers of 3- to 6- pound sauger."
KEY PRESENTATIONS
Sauger tend to feed right on bottom. "A difference of 3 inches can be a big deal," Stange says. "Sauger pick up a jig off bottom all the time, walleyes only occasionally. You can drag it, roll it, move it in place, but leave it on or just barely above bottom. If it's hovered up even an inch or two more, sometimes sauger won't respond. With one odd exception. They sometimes respond to erratic jigging motions."
Kavajecz used one such motion--called the "pop-hop"--to win a tournament with sauger on the Illinois River. "Put the jig on bottom and drop your rod tip to create slack and build rod speed," Kavajecz says. "Then jerk the rod tip up with your elbow and forearm. Lift the jig only 6 inches, but with a vicious rip. Pause anywhere from a few seconds to a minute, keeping the jig at the top of the hop, then slowly lower it.
"That's the pop-hop. Walleyes react to it, too, as the jig settles back to bottom. But sauger really seem to get upset by that jig sitting up there off bottom. You expect a thwack at every pause," Kavajecz says.
For sauger, Kavajecz uses stingers. "Sauger tend to take a jig farther into their mouths than walleyes, but sometimes they can't get a bigger minnow all the way in or can't sweep a larger jig from bottom. They grab only part of the minnow and with their stronger jaws they bite it in half."
Sometimes the jig "can even leave their zone of vision," Stange added. "Do whatever it takes to attract these aggressive fish. Popping the jig up 2 feet isn't an optimum tactic, but sometimes that's what it takes. When you're trying to attract fish, to make sure they feel and see the presentation, pop it higher than you would for walleyes, but not so hard that you rip off the minnow.
For the most part, winter presentations for sauger are more subtle. "Dragging or rolling a jig is big-time effective for sauger," Al says. "Or a simple lift-drop. Lift the jig 6 inches to a foot and let it fall. Drag it, lift slightly, pause, and lift again."
In rivers, jigs should be moving with the current most of the time. Trolling or drifting slowly with the current is better than backtrolling into the current.
The biggest sauger in any given area tend to position in or near slight to moderate current at the head of structure. If possible, position the boat by anchoring abreast of these key locations. Cast above and beyond them, dragging or popping the jig downstream and across the element, which keeps the jig in the sauger's line of vision for the longest possible time. Where current allows, positioning with a trolling motor while casting works as well or better.
