Which side of the line are SaugEyes being enforced on, i.e. do they have to be 15″???
Does it matter which side of the river you are on??
Curious minds want to know…
December 21, 2011 at 1:18 pm
#1333309
SaugEyes and 15″
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December 21, 2011 at 1:27 pm #1019862
The WI DNR responded with a like opinion: spots on dorsal as the sole determiner…
December 21, 2011 at 1:29 pm #1019864Page 6 2011 MN Reg Synopsis…
Walleye/sauger (saugeye) hybrid fillets are counted as part of a walleye possession limit during
transportation.December 21, 2011 at 1:36 pm #1019867I’m going to say a CO would really want to have to write a ticket for a 14 in saugeye in your live well.
Many less avid fishermen don’t know the difference between a sauger and a walleye much less a saugeye.
But then I’m not a CO either.
December 21, 2011 at 1:52 pm #1019874well, it would seem that he’d have to have a GPS reading to get a conviction.
Guess we have to put this on our list of P4 conundrums…Let’s see, if you catch it on the Wi side, it’s legal until you drift across the line…
December 21, 2011 at 1:55 pm #1019876Given the rate of occuerence on the river, I think we need to see some “arrangement” between MN and WI CO’s to clarify this and to remove any of this “individual call” per CO’s. Of course I think they should have uniform rules all the way across on border water so everyone , including the co’s from both states, have a constant to go by.
December 21, 2011 at 2:15 pm #1019886IW- my Pierce Co CO says no, they do NOT have to be 15″ i.e. “only a WALLEYE is a WALLEYE, if it’s got a spotted dorsal, it’s legal to keep…”
(not that I keep sub 15″ fish, but i had a fishing partner the other day that did want to keep them),
PS- nice pix
December 21, 2011 at 2:21 pm #101989015″ in WI too as long as i’ve been fishing the river
December 21, 2011 at 2:22 pm #1019891I like pictures Illi!
Quote:
Of course I think they should have uniform rules all the way across on border water so everyone , including the co’s from both states, have a constant to go by.
Tom, there is some talk about this inside the MN DNR at least. I believe there’s a directive out there to “simplify” the border water rules.
Hopefully we’ll see it in our life time.
December 21, 2011 at 2:42 pm #1019901Nice pics IW… FWIW, those colors vary a LOT… The Spots on the dorsal are the best ID for most anglers. The white belly combined with spotted dorsal and fewer than 16 dorsal rays tell me its a Saugeye. The white tip tail is not a 100% determiner of a Saugeye, but has been on many I have caught.
December 21, 2011 at 2:51 pm #1019908Not a fan of how the DNR handles things
December 21, 2011 at 2:59 pm #1019913From looking at the pictures, it would seem that saugeyes ARE walleyes by the law, i.e. their dorsals do NOT have spots…
December 21, 2011 at 3:05 pm #1019919Quote:
IW- my Pierce Co CO says no, they do NOT have to be 15″ i.e. “only a WALLEYE is a WALLEYE, if it’s got a spotted dorsal, it’s legal to keep…”
(not that I keep sub 15″ fish, but i had a fishing partner the other day that did want to keep them)
sounds to me like the co is contradicting himself.
first he says you can keep a saugeye under 15, then says it has to have spots on the dorsal to be legal under 15, meaning only saugers are legal under 15???December 21, 2011 at 3:07 pm #1019923I have a GREAT idea then…if in doubt and it is 13″ throw it back…..if you need fish at days end go to the community hole and jig up some saugers to satisfy the limit needs.
December 21, 2011 at 3:07 pm #1019924I think there are alot of different variations of saugeye out there. I have caught fish with spots on the doral fin that had a very distinct white tip on their tails. I assumed them to be saugeye but not sure I guess. I know I have seen fish that looked very much like walleye that had the spotted dorsal fins. I go strictly off the dorsal fin and I have been checked many times and never had a problem with either states game wardens on Pool 4 and I know I have had fish under 15 inches at times. When the boy and I are camping and prefishing a tourney we always keep a meal of under 15 inch sauger for our fish fry. It is definitely a gray area but one I no longer worry about because it has never been an issue.
December 21, 2011 at 3:16 pm #1019930Redneck- I went by your specs with the new partner, i.e. no spots, back in. It’s pretty clear in the boat, even under LEDs…
As I posted above, saugeyes are walleyes under the law in both states, it would seem…December 21, 2011 at 4:12 pm #1019952Ive fished the river my whole life and not 1 warden wi or mn had a problem with a saugeye being 14″ Thats over 40 years worth of of fishin the miss between mn and wi
December 21, 2011 at 4:14 pm #1019954What is a Saugeye ?
December 21, 2011 at 4:35 pm #1019962it’s the hybridization of a walleye and a sauger.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SaugerDecember 21, 2011 at 5:15 pm #1019984Illinois and Iowa waters on the Mighty Miss, just like saugers there is no minimum size limit on Saugeyes and they are not protected by the slot either.
December 21, 2011 at 6:09 pm #1020003Quote:
Page 6 2011 MN Reg Synopsis…
Walleye/sauger (saugeye) hybrid fillets are counted as part of a walleye possession limit during
transportation.
I could be wrong, but im guessing this rule cant be used to enforce size, since its “fillets”, just used to determine possession limit.. And it probably pertains to LOW more than pool 4 since they have different limits for walleye vs sauger
December 21, 2011 at 6:39 pm #1020017ok, i did some research and i found that tony is correct and i have been misinformed.
dnr personnel confirmed the length requirements – at least on the big river between illinois and iowa – apply only to walleye.
guess you cant believe everything you hear from fishermen and what you read on the internet
but i’m not going to start keeping under 15 and over 20 inch saugeyes.December 21, 2011 at 8:48 pm #1020088Last time I read the rules, saugeye are treated the same as a walleye as far as size and bag limits on the Iowa side of the river.
Might have to read it again.
Just went through the 2012 Ia fishing regs and there isn’t even a mention or picture of a saugeye.
Just because it isn’t in the book doesn’t make short saugeyes legal.
I heard of a guy getting checked and a ticket for a short saugeye by our warden a couple weeks ago. But hell, it’s Iowa for kris-sake.December 21, 2011 at 9:33 pm #1020107Thier a heck of a fish to catch too. They feed like a sauger and get as big as a walleye. They stocked them years ago below the Coralville reservior and it was good fishing for around 5 years. I got one around 8 lbs and a few between 5lb and 7lb, I think they should consider stocking them more then they do.
December 21, 2011 at 9:55 pm #1020121Quote:
I have a GREAT idea then…if in doubt and it is 13″ throw it back…..if you need fish at days end go to the community hole and jig up some saugers to satisfy the limit needs.
December 21, 2011 at 10:11 pm #1020126Just got done talking with our CO. He said he didn’t know for sure what year they changed the rule but saugeye are no longer classified with a walleye on the Iowa side of the river. And there is no size limit but bag limits do apply. And he also told me he was not the co who wrote a ticket for a short saugeye and never heard of one being written.
December 21, 2011 at 10:44 pm #1020131I keep it simple. For all 3 I don’t keep anything under 15″.
December 22, 2011 at 10:20 pm #1020556Quote:
Just got done talking with our CO. He said he didn’t know for sure what year they changed the rule but saugeye are no longer classified with a walleye on the Iowa side of the river. And there is no size limit but bag limits do apply. And he also told me he was not the co who wrote a ticket for a short saugeye and never heard of one being written.
Hey Herb, did you get that in writting and then notarized?
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