Sauger and Walleye

[Battery]

Do they taste the same? They look a lot alike, i am yet to catch one but i was just thinking if they taste the same.

[tchow]

Both belonging to the Stizostedion family. One being Vitreum (Walleye) and the other Canadense ( Sauger). Technically cousins and once filleted, you not be able to tell the difference
No size restrictions for Sauger but there is for Walleye. Beware of lakes that contain both species as Cross-Breeding can occur. Male Sauger with a female Walleye. Hybrid recognized in Regs but where Harvest is applicable, it would be sized under parent species, Walleye.
Here's a pic of a Saugeye:

Dorsal fin on Walleye does not have spots whereas the Saugeye do. Lower lobe of tail may not predominate spot as the Walleye do.

[DuckBrat]

Nice Sauger! Is that the S. Saskatchewan?

[DuckBrat]

If that's an Alberta fish than it has to be close to the record. I've caught a few in the N. Sask river but never anything close to that. If you want to target Sauger look for them on the faster current edges of holes and scours. Low light (cloud) is great.

[Big Red 250]

Do they taste the same or close to it? I follow a couple of Mb fishing sites and over there guy's complain when they catch sauger. Alot of guy's throw them back. I've wondered about that.

[bobalong]

Here are a couple of small sauger from the NSR last summer. You can see the prodominent black markings on the side and dorsal fin. No white spot on the tail

[SouthAltaHunter]

I have caught Sauger in the South Sask river, but wondering if there is any in the reservoirs or are they only in the rivers. Kinda doubt it as I have never heard of any in the southern resevoirs.

[tchow]

That pic was sent to a Biologist as I also thought it would be a record as Sauger normally don't get that big. It was classified as a Saugeye. Too bad that AB doesn't recognize it as a separate species but a Hybrid. In the States, the record is a little better than 7 lbs.
It was from my one of my favorite haunts, the Red Deer river. I released the fish hoping that Genetic line would carry on
As for taste, I've never noticed any difference in taste or texture. Smaller fish will always taste better than the bigger as the river systems they are found in have Mercury levels. Less concentrations of toxins in smaller fish.

There's a few Southern Reserviors down Lethbridge way that do have both species. Although I have not personally fished there yet but I was told that St. Mary's Reservoir has both species. Can't remember exactly which river, but there is a canal system from a River that feeds into some of these Reservoirs down South. If you can obtain a map from EID or WID, they have alot of useful info.
For example, there is Rainbows caught in Chestermere, MacGregor, Travers, and Little Bow Reservoir. All of these have one thing in common. They are all fed from the Bow River in Calgary.....
Whenever you have Reservoirs that are being fed from a river system, expect to find the same species of fish in that watershed..

[allenford]

that is interesting, thanks for sharing