So whats the biggest sauger you guys would keep?
Its been a year since I started fishing the river and I’m amazed by how big they are!
Typically we have been throwing back anything over 19 inches.
Just like walleyes, I think the 14-18 inchers taste the best.
That and I feel a little guilty keeping the bigger girls.
I usually will keep up to 18 inchers. Most times, though, I go by the look of the fish. If it’s 19 and skinny I’d be more prone to keep it than an 18 that looks like she swollowed a bowling ball. Just my two cents. 
Those bigger fish with the sagging bellies are chock full of eggs. Put them back and let them do their thing.
The more slender fish are males. Those are the ones to keep, if you’re in the mood for sauger.
The other thing with a larger sauger is that the fillet is very fatty. Your knife just about drips with white gunk from the fillets from those larger fish. No such problems with the smaller ones, however.
20-inchers make for pretty pictures but lousy meals, imho.
(editorial note: I still think it take a fair amount of tartar sauce to make a sauger taste like a walleye…but that’s just me)
Really Jason?? Wow. I’ve never been able to tell the difference eating them side by side(18″ fish). Maybe my taste buds aren’t discriminating enough. Which probably explains the hanger shrinkage I experience every year. 
Funny you mention this…my wife always says the sauger taste different than the walleyes.
So I used the old wives trick (no pun intended) – I soak them in milk for a while. Seems to help her eat the sauger better.
Me…maybe a slight difference.
Quote:
Those bigger fish with the sagging bellies are chock full of eggs. Put them back and let them do their thing.
The more slender fish are males. Those are the ones to keep, if you’re in the mood for sauger.
The other thing with a larger sauger is that the fillet is very fatty. Your knife just about drips with white gunk from the fillets from those larger fish. No such problems with the smaller ones, however.
(editorial note: I still think it take a fair amount of tartar sauce to make a sauger taste like a walleye…but that’s just me)
I wonder if the taste has something to do with the river?
Been eating Lake of the Woods sauger for a while now and cant tell the difference between them and walleye.
I like to let nearly everything go. I maybe keep 5 15-16 inch fish a year. My wife doesn’t eat fish and I think she convinced my son it is a vegetable! It makes me feel guilty to event think about keeping a fish near 20 inches. Pic and back she goes.
When the boy and I are staying down at Evert’s we keep a meal of 14 to 15 inch Saugers. They cook up really good. I know when we take the left over down to the bait shop there are no complaints. What ya say BK—those 15 inchers taste OK the other day?
What a problem to have.
Sometimes it is hard to catch little saugers-like most species, the smaller ones seem to taste better.
Redneck,
no problem with the taste of the fish you brought over! 
Some people scream bloody murder if you keep a walleye over 22inches or so,but think nothing of killing and eating a 3 to 4 lb sauger. 
I don’t get there thinking on this.
IMHO –
A bunch of 14-16″ eyes or saugers out of the river are not very good on the table. I can get enough fillets out of the lakes up north that I won’t take a meal from down there – regardless of the size.
Tim
Redneck, I look forward to spring and fall. That’s basicly the only time I can count on at least one meal of walleye/saugers! >>>TASTEEE!<<<
Thanks Jr!!
It sucks being the only one in a family of three that eats fish.
Tarter sauce?!! 
15-17″ seem to be the best eating. Anything larger than 18″ goes back so she can make little ones for next year. I believe selective harvest is an investment in the future!
The Chippewa River here in town has the 14-18″ slot with a 5 fish limit, keeping one over the slot. I love this rule because 13 1/2″ walleye is about as delicous and healthy as you can get in this world. I cant recall the last time I had one over 18″. Now if I could convince the musky’s to think the same way…..
I seem to be about the same as everyone else. 14-18 for me. Anything over 20″ should be let get imo. I saw a beautiful 22″ sauger go in a livewell on saturday. Its their choice but I don’t agree with it.
Imo Nothing over 19, Unless they won’t revive. It really depends on the fishery, if I was catchin all 14- 15 inchers i’d let them all go to grow. As far as taste, both are very hard to distiguish, no tartar please, still better than any prime rib in my book. Like said in previous post I might ,MIGHT keep a skinny 20 inch
I think the surgeon general announced that NO fish should be kept and eaten in the Mighty Mississippi…….
Whatsa
Causing cancer in California lavatory rats Whats? 
That’s correct BK!!!!!
All fish should be immediately photographed and then returned to the water. There should be absolutely no attempt to eat these fish. Studies show that these fish glow under certain light condition, caused from nuclear waste spilled in to the river.
Symptoms from eating these fish are blood shot eyes and diarrhea, possible cause from the over consumption of adult beverages, that usually accompany a fish fry, but experts have now determined that it is caused from river saugers and walleyes.
The surgeon general is strongly urging all fisherman to practice CPR (Catch Photo and release) especially during the fall and spring runs when the contaminated fish are concentrating in key locations.
ENJOY in moderation PLEASE!!!!!
Whatsa
Fill in the blank. B.K.—- The newly appointed Sturgeon General recommends___________
New update From Surgeon General
The Surgeon General is recommending, do not eat any female saugers or walleye. ( They have the most contamination ) limit your intake to small males. 14″-17″ they pose the least threat. If you decide to have a fish fry at Everts resort, you should contact me, so I can perform a taste/smell test. I’ve spent years studing these fish and can usaully tell by the smell if they are contaminated and need to be incinerated. In such cases I’ll take the contaminated fish off your hand and destroy properly.
Whatsa
You guys must get a lot of fish. The closest pool for me is 3 1/2 hours. We don’t get to fish the Miss much so when we do we “would like” to bring home a limit…..and still never have. Came close once. So far this year we have made it to pool 9 once. Never been up your way maybe this year. So if I were to take out one 19″ fish I would catch hell?
Quote:
You guys must get a lot of fish. The closest pool for me is 3 1/2 hours. We don’t get to fish the Miss much so when we do we “would like” to bring home a limit…..and still never have. Came close once. So far this year we have made it to pool 9 once. Never been up your way maybe this year. So if I were to take out one 19″ fish I would catch hell?
I wouldn’t bust your onions.
You travel all that way, why not take a limit home if you can.
I guess you will never get it then 
It’s called; do you love this sport? 
Take those limits whenever you can. Now you leave squat for your children 
Just my o2.
I’m a firm believer of tossing the 19 and up back, especially females in the spring; they are the bread and butter of our future. Plenty of 14-17 inchers for the fry pan. Just my opinion.
Whatsa
Quote:
You guys must get a lot of fish. The closest pool for me is 3 1/2 hours. We don’t get to fish the Miss much so when we do we “would like” to bring home a limit…..and still never have. Came close once. So far this year we have made it to pool 9 once. Never been up your way maybe this year. So if I were to take out one 19″ fish I would catch hell?
I would try to avoid it , but it is only one and you are NOT breaking any laws.
FDR
I wouldnt worry so much about the future , havnt you heard world ends 2012 , 
Quote:
I guess you will never get it then
I must of missed something…
So whats wrong with someone keeping a limit of saugers???
Who said anything about taking a limit whenever you can?
Now that I think about it, I don’t remember ever catching a sauger over 17″. I’m 50 and in my lifetime I bet my wife and I together haven’t eaten more then 20 saugers. So no need to worry about us putting a dent in the population. We have a few meals a year and most are panfish from ice fishing.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
