A Second for Sauger
By Nick Simonson
When it comes to fishing, I’m a fan of second fiddles, the underappreciated, those that don’t take the top spot when it relates to what many people target on the water. I revel in the solid smack delivered by a rock bass as it steals a jig meant for a smallmouth, or when a white bass snatches a spoon cast out for a pike. Many times, the action these secondary species provide is enough for me to switch up my offering, and even downsize my rod, to continue pursuing them when they’re abundant and willing to bite. As this summer
has progressed, I’ve become more acquainted with one of these secondary fish that has always kept things interesting. In both recreational crankbait cruises with the family
on the party barge, and in those efforts of my own which are more focused on serious fishing, I’ve caught more saugers in the early goings this openwater season than I’ve taken in the last ten years. These smaller brethren of the walleye, lacking their white-tipped tail and sporting a spotted dorsal fin have come equally to the perch-patterned diving baits
and my trolled crawler harnesses this spring, and as things have warmed, seem to shift from secondary to primary catch in many of my days on the water. That consistent action, again, is something that can’t be turned down along with the fillets, which while slightly slimmer than those of their golden cousins, are just as delicious.
