Best way to ID sauger

[Dewey Cox]

What tips do you guys have to tell the difference between walleye and sauger?

[flyguyd]

Sauger have a normal eye i believe walleye do not

[catnthehat]

I've always been told that Sauger have the big black spots on the dorsal I am not sure whether or not they have a white top on their tail though like the walleye do - no sauger up where I fish
Cat

[Talking moose]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160522/2435b9f464f02cbad881e56a0fdbae4f.jpg


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[Old Wizard]

Sauger tend to be more cylindrical in shape than Walleye. Saugeye I've caught were shaped like Walleye but still had spots the dorsal fin and blotches on the body.

[Dewey Cox]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160522/2435b9f464f02cbad881e56a0fdbae4f.jpg


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Thanks for that.
Why don't they put that pic in the regs?
The one in the regs shows a kind of spotted dorsal fin on the walleye.
Who prints those regs anyway? ;)

[Dewey Cox]

And also, if you catch a sauger/walleye hybrid, in the red deer river, for example, where you can keep sauger, but not walleye, what do you do?
(Besides erring on the side of caution, and throwing it back)

[Cowtown guy]

And also, if you catch a sauger/walleye hybrid, in the red deer river, for example, where you can keep sauger, but not walleye, what do you do?
(Besides erring on the side of caution, and throwing it back)

How would you prove it is a walleye? Does it have the white tail tip and a black splotch at the base of the dorsal? if so then its a walleye. It doesn't matter what the rest of the fish looks like.
If it has no white tip on the tail and has spots on the dorsal, its a Sauger. That is how F&W will ID the fish.
The better answer though is to ask a F&W officer. They are very accessible and nobody should trust the answers found on a forum.
I'd love to see some pics of saugeyes. I have never seen one. And let's be honest. I love fish pics. I have always just caught walleye and sauger. Often just a few yards apart.

[morgan]

Start stocking them by the millions in previousy productive fisheries.

If the don't wreck the fishing, its a sauger:scared0018:

[Red Bullets]

Aside from things mentioned sauger are more of a coppery colored fish.

[Brandon5555]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160523/1e410ae6a856a44214b7afc10da312f8.jpg caught this guy earlier this week. Noticed it has a bit of white on the tail fin. Might be a hybrid? Before you mouth off that the fish was out of water my net was hung up in a tree behind me still attached to my back.

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[WillyOneStyle]

walleye121828

[Cowtown guy]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160523/1e410ae6a856a44214b7afc10da312f8.jpg caught this guy earlier this week. Noticed it has a bit of white on the tail fin. Might be a hybrid? Before you mouth off that the fish was out of water my net was hung up in a tree behind me still attached to my back.

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I think that would be a perfect picture to show a F&W officer. The body splotches scream Sauger. The white tip on the tail, which is what I have been told by officers to use as ID, is saying walleye. The only way that pic could be better is if he was flaring his dorsal fin to see if it is spotted.

[Talking moose]

I think that would be a perfect picture to show a F&W officer. The body splotches scream Sauger. The white tip on the tail, which is what I have been told by officers to use as ID, is saying walleye. The only way that pic could be better is if he was flaring his dorsal fin to see if it is spotted.


Is that a white spot on the tip or a white line that runs the majority of the tail? It gets confusing. I would be releasing anything that doesn't scream one or the other.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160523/615b3872ec7432110b54e94b0d15696b.jpg



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[Talking moose]

To me the most telling sign is the black blotch at the base of the dorsal.

[huntsfurfish]

if you are not sure, take it in to nearest fish and wildlife office.;):)








Just kidding, dont do that.:)

[Wingedfish]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160523/1e410ae6a856a44214b7afc10da312f8.jpg caught this guy earlier this week. Noticed it has a bit of white on the tail fin. Might be a hybrid? Before you mouth off that the fish was out of water my net was hung up in a tree behind me still attached to my back.

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If I was harvesting fish, I would have no issue keeping this one. It's a sauger. At worst it's a saugeye, but either way, it's not a walleye.

[Talking moose]

If I was harvesting fish, I would have no issue keeping this one. It's a sauger. At worst it's a saugeye, but either way, it's not a walleye.

Yup. Sauger or saugeye at most.

[Sundancefisher]

Sauger have black spots on the dorsal fin. They also often have black blotchy marks on the the body (sometimes look similar to Parr marks).

Walleye have white tip at the bottom of the Caudal fin.

A Saugeye will have the black spots on the dorsal fin and the white tip on the Caudal fin.

X2

[Og Dumi]

Sauger have black spots on the dorsal fin. They also often have black blotchy marks on the the body (sometimes look similar to Parr marks).

Walleye have white tip at the bottom of the Caudal fin.

A Saugeye will have the black spots on the dorsal fin and the white tip on the Caudal fin.

"
Walleye have white tip at the bottom of the Caudal fin. "

Easyiest way imo

[WhitefishLady]

Black spots on dorsal fin on sauger and walleye have the white area at the base of the tail. Possible to get hybrids too. If you dont know for sure best to put it back. Anyone in Calgary check out the bass pro shop tank as they have both fish.

[Brandon5555]

I was just happy too see something different. Fiesty fella

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[ogre]

I found this a while ago, and have been using it to identify each apart (for the most part). I've not noticed the detail about the rough versus smooth cheek before. I guess that is why you will see me stroking the cheeks of these cousins :scared0018:

https://www.idmarch.org/img/a4b20bc2adfcaf2ea7edf24056ddbdef.jpg

And a direct link to the PDF document
http://kdwpt.state.ks.us/content/download/7063/34347/file/Poster%20Fish%20ID%20Perch.pdf