Eyes dont have spots on dorsal fins like the pics above. Could be hybrid? With spots amd saddle bags i have a hard time saying its not a sauger or saugeye? Either way i would cut the gills and release in oil ad repeat


Quote:

Hybrid fish will generally have characteristics that are intermediate or a combination between th
e two parent species. So, when I have a fish in the hand I will call it a saugeye if I see characteristics of both species. Here is what I look for. They will have some white on the bottom lobe of the caudal fin (i.e. tail). Walleyes have more white on the tail fin that pure-bred sauger; saugeye will have at least some white. On walleyes, the spiny dorsal fin will NOT have spots. On sauger the spiny dorsal fin will have a series of spots in between the spines, and generally saugeye will have some spots on the spiny dorsal fin. Walleye will have one dark blotch at the bottom and back of the spiny dorsal fin, but no series of spots. Sauger do not have the blotch at the bottom and back of the spiny dorsal fin and most saugeye I have seen do not have that blotch either. Generally sauger will have a more distinct blotchy coloration on the back and sides; when viewed from above they may even look like saddle patches. Walleye generally do NOT have blotches or saddle patches on the back. Again saugeye will have an intermediate coloration, but you will generally notice the blotchy coloration or saddle patches. Lastly I check the cheeks. On most walleyes you will find that the cheeks are smooth, have no scales. Sauger and saugeye will tend to have at least some scales on the cheek and it will feel rough.

Now, having said all of that, let me say this. Walleye and sauger can hybridize in nature and the resulting offspring are fertile and can successfully mate with either parent species or other hybrids. In waters where hybrids occur you can end up with a whole range of fish from both parent species to intergrades between the two. For example, you can end up with fish that are 1/4 sauger and 3/4 walleye or 3/4 walleye and 1/4 sauger, or 1/8 sauger and . . . you get the idea. So in waters where hybrids occur, positive identification based on external characteristics may be nearly impossible. Even pointy-headed fisheries biologists may not be able to identify those fish with 100% accuracy based on external characteristics. Genetic analysis, DNA analysis, may be necessary to make a completely accurate identification.


Daryl Bauer
Lakes and Reservoirs Program Manager
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission

ORIGINAL: Jenna James

You must really like hot dogs from your picture. i love them too. So Kyler, do you fish or do you just like hot dogs?

My favorite part of this site is always the pictures. It used to be alot more fun but some guys need to get a life
and quit being so mean.

better watch out jeNNa

kyler get you pregnate

and he eat babiEs i heard

hopeisthehelp

no it shouldnt but im really not all that surprised. just sayin'

would like to see the tail and dorsal fin better but from what i can see imo its a walleye. just sayin'

DuUds,

Every one of those pic is Blue pike. The d@mned things are everywhere. You can tell by how crispy they get when you fry-em.

Dumases

Yep, Blue Pike. Back in the day before they stocked all them coho, the blues would run up stream all the way to what is now the millcreek mall. Yep, I remember just like it was yesterday, back then I had a brand new international harvester pickup truck and we used to use hot dogs as...kyler, listen up when I'm talkin to you, we used to use hotdogs in a little trap to catch the minnows we used for bait. An old gypsy taught me how to that one night after sacrificing a goat under a full moon--hey that reminds me of the time that I was out on Thomas Road one night...