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Seasonal Tips for Saugeyes, Walleyesby Kevin Patton
The seasonal cycles of saugeyes and walleyes and the techniques used to catch them on Lake Evergreen and Bloomington Lake were discussed by fishing guide Paul Center at the February 19 meeting of the Faithful Fishermen club. Center noted that saugeyes are the result of breeding a male sauger and a female walleye. Saugeyes like current and tolerate murkier water conditions than walleyes, which thrive in deep, cold, clear water with rocks and weedlines. Walleyes are present in Bloomington Lake, while saugeyes have been stocked in Lake Evergreen since 1992. Ice Out and Early Spring At Evergreen Lake during March, Center uses more vertical presentations and smaller baits, down to as small as 1/32-ounce tube jigs, until the water temperatures reach the mid-50's. He also catches crappies on the tubes because they will be in the same areas as the saugeyes. "You can catch these fish in March," says Center, "but I usually start boat fishing for them during the first week of April when the water temperatures are in the high 40's and low 50's." During April and May he pitches his tube baits or Fuzzy Grubs into six to 12-feet, near open water edges next to points, ledges, or sea walls. Center prefers to rig his tube baits on a minnow-head rather than a round-head jig. He looks for bait fish on his electronics rather than saugeyes during this time of year. Center describes his retrieve as a "swim, pump, and reel" and says to put a minnow on the bait if you choose, but doesn't feel that it is necessary. While he doesn't put a lot of emphasis on lure color, his color choices are chartreuse, chartreuse and black, blue and white, and black and white. "If this presentation doesn't work, cast a Road Runner or Reeves Spin-O with a blade to put vibration and flash out there," says Center. He maintains that the Reeves is easier to work slowly and fish deeper than the Road Runner. He uses marabou tail baits when water temperatures are below 50 degrees, plastic turbo or tube tails when the temperature is above 50 degrees (during much of March and April), and curly tails during the summer. Experience tells Center that anglers will get catch good numbers of fish this time of year, between 14-18 inches long, rather than big fish. Bigger fish become more active during the middle to late part of May, according to Center. Spring and Early Summer "During May and June, things change dramatically when you start to have 60-degree water temperatures," say Center. He uses 1/4-ounce Rattletraps, which also catch bass, in about any color for Bloomington Lake walleyes. He believes the vibration attracts the fish rather than the color and says that May is the best month for numbers of Bloomington walleyes. "Concentrate on secondary points in 10-15 feet of water, near edges of the main basin of the lake," says Center. He added that three to four days of stable weather will improve the fishing. At Evergreen, he uses tube jigs and Road Runners in chartreuse or yellow and now fishes them with a more vertical presentation for saugeyes. He sometimes tips the jigs with a wax worm or nightcrawler, but warns that yellow bass in Evergreen and bluegills in Bloomington may not leave your baits alone. During May, crankbaits also start to work on Evergreen. Center prefers the longer style of crankbaits, such as Storm Thundersticks and Rapala Rattlin Fat Raps that are about 2 inches long. He uses natural colors in clear water and firetiger in murkier water. There is a feeding spree during the end of May, when Center uses jigs fished vertically and tips them with leeches rather than nightcrawlers in order to reduce the bluegill bites.
Summer "During summer," Center say, "you have to cover more water, trolling more with deep-diving Thundersticks or a worm harness on a Lindy Rig. The fish are tight to the bottom sometimes during summer." He suggests using two types of worm harnesses. One is a spinner worm harness, while the other has a spinner and a float that raises the bait one to two feet off the bottom. He recommends using a two to three-foot leader in front of the hook. Center starts fishing in 10-12 feet of water and works deeper, since he likes to fish within two feet of the summer thermocline that is usually located 10-11 feet deep. Saugeyes school by size in Evergreen during summer, so Center stops to cast a jig if he finds a concentration of bigger fish in one area. Fall During Fall, Center finds that Bloomington walleyes are still relating to points in 10-20 feet of water, while Evergreen saugeyes move up and down in depth more often, forcing anglers to fish all depths. Center uses a vertical jigging presentation in areas where he sees bait fish or bottom contour changes on his depth finder. He fishes deeper during Fall, usually between 20 and 30 feet, and has found 25 feet to be the most productive depth after the fall turnover. One area that produces saugeyes at Evergreen for Center is near the east end of the dam, where he uses a jig in 28-30 feet of water and tips it with a bigger sucker minnow rather than a shiner. This technique catches bigger fish at Evergreen during late summer or fall, but the number of fish are fewer than during summer. "Be sure to move your boat in order to change the angle of your presentation," Center adds. Equipment for Saugeyes and Walleyes Center prefers a light spinning reel and a 6 to 6 1/2-foot light or medium action spinning rod, depending upon the size of bait he is fishing. He spools 4-pound red Cajun line onto his reel, switching to 6-pound line for bigger baits. "The light line allows the bait to be presented more naturally," says Center. Sometimes he switches to 10-pound Spyderwire or Fireline when vertically jigging on the bottom so he can better feel the contour and bottom structure. Center feels that using red hooks on the front of baits like Rattletraps occasionally catches more fish, but he avoids using swivels or other terminal tackle on jigs or crankbaits. Conclusion Center ended his seminar by emphasizing the need to fish different depths, use varied retrieve speeds, and present a variety of baits to consistently catch saugeyes and walleyes. Paul Center is the owner of Angling Adventures and Customs Rods, specializing in guided fishing trips and custom rod building. His web site is located at: The Faithful Fishermen club meets at the Lexington Community Church for "fishing, fellowship, and door prizes." Their meetings are free and open to the public. For information visit: For information about Bloomington Lake, visit: For information about Evergreen Lake, visit: |
