In general, short jigs work well in reduced current, while longer jigs shine in stronger flows.” Klages favors the Lindy Jig as well, and says shades of glow blue, pink, and white are hard to beat on the Missouri River system. And I’ve caught a ton of fish on the classic Lindy Fuzz-E-Grub over the years. I also like the balance of the Lindy Jig, with its slightly broader head. “Saugers often like a compact package, so short jigs like the Northland Fire-Ball are super at times. “Bright, bold, and bigger can all be important, but I usually base jig choice on current conditions,” Doug Stange says. Jig selection is critical to sauger success. I’ve seen days when intrepid anglers trolling crankbaits or ‘crawler harnesses scored big numbers of walleyes in depths of 12 to 14 feet, sometimes as shallow as 4 to 7 feet near shore, while scads of saugers schooling in 25 to 30 feet eagerly snapped up standard jigs tipped with shiners. On Lake of the Woods, for example, the early summer bite offers a glimpse into how these differences affect fish location. For starters, sag-bellied saugers are inherently drawn to deeper, darker, and swifter water than walleyes. To consistently catch saugers, particularly super-size spots, anglers must first understand a bit about their behavior. Plus, saugers taste great, giving savvy anglers seeking fine table fare yet another reason to set their sights on these spotted fiends. This ready-to-rumble mindset makes saugers prime targets for fishermen, especially when environmental conditions such as cold fronts put walleyes in a funk.

These spot-finned, piscatorial versions of scrappy bantam roosters and flyweight human prizefighters attack anglers’ lures with a vengeance that puts all but the most aggressive walleyes to shame. Saugers are walleyes’ little cousins, but their attitude more than makes up for it.

Fishing planet unique sauger