Sauger

3-4 inch curly-tailed grubs in pearl, orange and black, chartreuse, or orange and lime green, often tipped with minnows. Hair jigs like Northland Fire-Ball jigs and Lindy Jigs in glow blue, pink, and white are highly effective. Blade baits work well - use gold on overcast days and silver/blue on clear days.

Sauger fishing in Kentucky peaks during the coldest months, with December through February offering the best action. Peak concentrations occur during the holiday season and extend through late March. The Ohio River provides exceptional sauger fishing from September through spring.

Vertical jigging with 1/4 to 1 ounce jigheads (up to 2 ounces in heavy current) is the most productive technique. For trolling, use Lindy rigs with pink #4 hooks and minnows, or troll small minnow-style lures at 1.5 mph. Presentation is critical - lures must regularly contact bottom to generate strikes.

As aggressive predators, sauger feed on a variety of prey including channel catfish, freshwater drum, gizzard shad, mayfly larvae, and various small fish. Their diet varies by size and season, with smaller sauger focusing more on benthic invertebrates and larger fish becoming predominantly piscivorous.

In Kentucky, sauger occur in most large rivers statewide, including the main channels of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and their major tributaries, as well as the Kentucky River system where they are annually stocked.