Koldfront Kraig
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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.
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They call me netboy...have net will travel
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Steve Krapfl
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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. 
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Jason Halfen
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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)
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Jason Halfen ~ IDO Pro Staff
Guided walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in western Wisconsin:
JasonHalfenOutdoors.com
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Kooty
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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.  
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I was born in the 70's, grew up in 80's, made my mistakes in 90's now I'm just trying to make up for lost time.
John
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Scott K
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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.
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Koldfront Kraig
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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.
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They call me netboy...have net will travel
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85Lund
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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.
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Russ,
A life of learning to think like a fish!
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Redneck
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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?
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DocFrigo
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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! 
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Suzuki
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Interesting finding Jason. I've never noticed that but then again I dont kill that many saugers or walleye and rarely if ever at the same time.
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Mike
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Stuart
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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.
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About as useful as a back pocket on a shirt
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Timmy
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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
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I'd rather be in the boat with a drink on the rocks, than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.
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Briank
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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?!! 
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Briank's Trophy Catfishing and Sturgeon Adventures
'09 Photo's<<
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mule170
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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!
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bigpike
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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.....
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KTapper
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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.
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Mike Stephens
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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
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A million Thank You's to all you vets!
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Whatsa
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I think the surgeon general announced that NO fish should be kept and eaten in the Mighty Mississippi…….
Whatsa
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Briank
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Causing cancer in California lavatory rats Whats? 
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Briank's Trophy Catfishing and Sturgeon Adventures
'09 Photo's<<
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Whatsa
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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
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F.Bart
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Fill in the blank. B.K.---- The newly appointed Sturgeon General recommends___________
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Whatsa
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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
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smackem
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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?
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Koldfront Kraig
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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.
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They call me netboy...have net will travel
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Mike Stephens
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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.
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A million Thank You's to all you vets!
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Whatsa
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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
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Francisco de la Rosa IV
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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
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Francisco de la Rosa IV
Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity!
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doogy
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I wouldnt worry so much about the future , havnt you heard world ends 2012 , 
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Koldfront Kraig
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Quote:
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 must of missed something...
So whats wrong with someone keeping a limit of saugers???
Who said anything about taking a limit whenever you can?
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They call me netboy...have net will travel
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smackem
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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.
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Littl Clear
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You just have to hope common sense is applied. But it does make one wonder when you see 19+inchers stuffed into the livewells by people who are there everyday and i mean EVERYDAY!! If i'm not out I see them at the boat ramp,it sometimes seems to be an ego thing. Not impressed.......
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Jack Naylor
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I only keep about 6 Saugers a year, and I'll only bring home two at a time, and only when the little lady asks for a fish dinner.
I'll keep only 16 to 17 inch fish.
Just love catching big Saugers, we just need MORE of them.
Jack
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USA- Home of the Free, Because of the Brave !!
Blue Max Taxidermy 30 Years Experience
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five_in_the_box
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Each year the fisheries office from Lake City gives a state of the walleye/sauger presentation to our walleye club. When you review the data going back several years you quickly understand that Pool 4 is a healthy fishery but you also see just how vulnerable that population is to what mother nature throws at it (i.e. low water effect of spawning). At the current time we have great numbers of walleye and sauger, but this most likely will not always be the case. Since our pool is not stocked it is up to US to manage it. IMO, this not only means putting back the bigger fish, but for the regulars it also means not keeping fish every time out.
As far as the out-of-towner or the once-a-year angler that debate is a little more tricky. I still hate to see our bigger, reproductive fish leaving the system, but if taking a couple bigger fish out of the system makes them appreciate the fishery more and want to return in the near future than I will try to repsect it. That train of thought is based on the dollars they bring to the community and local businesses (EVERTS!). We see the benefits of this in the form of nice public ramps both at Lake City and Red Wing and area businesses that are able to survive a tough economy and provide ice free ramps for us to use all winter long. I encourage the release of the fish over 19", but I will respect their decision to keep those fish if they feel they need to.
BTW, when the DNR is going to present to our club next year I'll try to post the date on here. You're all welcome to attend and it will give you a good perspective on the walleye/sauger population of pool 4.
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Matt Schultz
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KTapper
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Five in the box I agree with you 100%! Everytime I see a big fish put in the livewell I wonder if they are just misinformed or they just don't care and its all about themselves.
I also would love to make it to that presentation.
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smackem
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Like they say "When in Rome" point taken
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Whatsa
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Been Pheasant hunting for a few days....For the record, I'd never slam anyone for keeping a fish, or a limit. The question was asked how big of sauger will you keep. I'm just trying to promote catch and release of large fish during a vulnerable time (Spring and Fall)...... I'd guess most people that fish pool 4 would agree, we have a large population of saugers and a lot of them have reach the 19 inch mark. A large part of that is due to the fact that there are a lot of people that do promote catch and release and that do release those pigs.
Surgeon General advises no eating of large spawning saugers at this time until they have had a chance to spawn sometime in April……
Thanks Whatsa
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Keeping Big Saugers
Re: Keeping Big Saugers
Re: Keeping Big Saugers
Re: Keeping Big Saugers
