What is the difference between Sauger and Walleye? Best Method to Fillet Walleye and Sauger When I was about 10 years old, my father took the family to Ontario, Canada to a place called Lac de Milles Lacs. You can tell the difference by looking at the dorsal (top) fin. Sauger are the smaller, slow-growing cousin of the revered walleye. Other times times the spots on the dorsal or the blotches on the sides of a sauger aren’t well defined. 4. The best way to Catch a Sauger. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 17: 220-224. The sauger has 17-20 soft-rays in the second dorsal fin versus 19-22 in the walleye. Its vision in murky water is even more acute than walleyes, thanks to a more uniformly developed reflective layer (tapetum lucidum) that gives the … These fish are often confused with their parental species but can typically be distinguished by their markings. Uncategorized, Tags: click on the picture below to enlarge. So it pays to know the difference. On a walleye, they will have dark splotch found in the rear spines of their dorsal. The lower tip of the walleye's tail is white, unlike the all-dark lower lobe of the sauger. They are most commonly found in the northern regions of the United States and into Canada. This differs from a sauger as they will generally have a less consistent pattern with dark blotches or spots appearing across their sides. This fish is often mistaken for a walleye. By Will Brantley. 3. Sauger tails are the same pattern all over. Fishing Tip: Sauger And Walleye . Sauger Identification. Saugeye will have faded blotchy sides, akin to the sauger and a slight white crescent on the bottom of the tail like the walleye’s, only thinner. Confusing right?…There are situations that just one of these characteristics above does not solve this debate. These fish are often confused with their parental species but can typically be distinguished by their markings. After my trip to Lake of the Woods, a lot of people asked me "what's a sauger?" When Sauger and Walleye inhabit the same waters, they sometimes cross breed. Sauger tails are the same pattern all over. The question was often asked how one could distinguish between a walleye and a sauger. I had no clue where I was but it was gorgeous and way back in the woods. Hello all fishing lovers, Today's post is "The best way to Catch a Sauger". Beauty on a Cotton Candy Death Jig And each of these species’ defining characteristics vary in prominence depending on where they are. Walleyes don’t have as pronounced dark markings. The dorsal fin (spiny fin on top of the fish) on a sauger has black spots. Size: Walleye are larger than Sauger.