Sauger On The Ohio River

By Ed Harp

Winter has come to the Ohio River Valley. For hardcore anglers, that means it is sauger time.

A kissing cousin to walleye and perch, sauger are as good to eat as any fish harvested from the river. The flesh is white and flaky. The taste is mild. The time to

catch them is now.

Begin searching for sauger and saugeye, (crossbreeds between sauger and walleye), at any creek mouth along the pool. You need a boat to successfully fish for

them. Anchor the boat out over the drop in front of the creek where it enters the river. You should be over water that is at least 20 feet deep.

The best sauger lures are jigs and small blade baits. Use hair jigs or those with plastic trailers. Most successful anglers like bright colors -- the brighter the better. Allow

the bait to freefall all the way to the bottom. Begin jigging up and down with the lure, working it up through the water column until you find the magic depth. Start

with jigging strokes that are slow and smooth. If that is not productive increase the speed of the upstroke until it becomes a jerk of at least two feet.

You can also try live minnows if you can find them at this time of the year. Tight-line them.

The preferred tight line configuration is to tie the hook to the line and add a couple of split shot a foot or so above that. Use as little weight as possible. The less

weight, the more natural the minnow movement.

Again, start on the bottom and move the bait up in the water column until you find the strike zone. Do not jig live bait -- just lift it up a foot or so at a time. Most

anglers just crank the line in a turn or two at a time. After you find the magic depth switch to a slip bobber if you wish.

Use the lightest equipment possible -- four- or six-pound test line on very lightweight spinning tackle is fine. Most of your fish will be less than 14 inches in length.

There is also a decent population of these fish below the dams in the tailrace waters. If you fish there you will need heavier lures to combat the current. You will also lose a number of lures in the snags and rocks. Depending upon your budget, this can be expensive.

Sauger and saugeye have very sharp teeth. As a consequence some anglers use wire leaders. Most, however, prefer to tie directly to the lure or hook with monofilament line. They do lose a few fish but feel it is better to have the natural action that monofilament allows. These anglers feel it is better to lose a few fish than to not catch any at all.

If you fish for sauger this winter wear lots of clothing, in layers. Usually a pair of long-johns, heavy pants, and a snowmobile suit will suffice. Remember, in cold

weather you can always remove clothing you have on. You cannot add clothing you do not have.

Carry several pairs of gloves so you can change them as conditions dictate or if they become wet. The cheap jersey type works well and are affordable at less than $1 a pair.

Never, ever, remove your life jacket -- not for any reason! Put it on before you launch the boat and take it off after you have trailered the boat and your rig is in the

parking lot. Should you fall into the river your clothing will weigh you down when it becomes wet. Also, given the cold temperatures of the water you are fishing your survival time in the water is measured in minutes, not hours.

If you are fishing in the waters below the dams do not even think about falling overboard. The combination of cold water and strong current is lethal. Most anglers

strongly recommend fishing from shore in this area at this time of year. It may be more difficult to catch fish but it is far safer.

Do not let the cool weather keep you off the river. There are still plenty of fish to catch.