Trophy King II
The preferred method of fishing for sauger and walleyes here on the Cumberland river system is (the most common, but not the only method) using a hair jig with either a minnow or plastic trailer. Using whatever weight it takes to maintain contact with the bottom, (in heavy flows that can be anywhere up to a 2 oz jig) lift the jig off bottom 6-12 inches, then lower it back to the bottom. Repeat.....a jillion times. I have better luck with a lift up, and slow descent, touch bottom, lift up and hold three to four inches for a count of ten, then repeat. Some days we'll catch a limit of ten or twenty. Other days we'll be lucky to catch dinner. It can definitely be a tough sport, fishing for walleye and sauger. Sauger will normally be in heavier flows and deeper than walleyes. Sauger will definitely hug the bottom. If you are a foot off bottom, you're not too likely to get bit by saugers. There you'll catch your white bass, bluegills and spotted bass. Walleyes will typically hold shallower than sauger.
I was fishing a dropoff into the river in a creek mouth last week and I had caught a couple of sauger in 34 ft of water. While fishing down the dropoff in about 20 ft, I hooked into a nice 6.04 lb walleye( the one pictured).It seems they were holding on the edge of the drop jut out of the current whereas the sauger were holding dead on the bottom at the edge of the dropoff. Fishing around creek mouths seems to be a good place to start looking. In February they'll move into shallower water to spawn, then they'll go into a two week recuperative funk and they'll be hard to catch.
Good luck in your search!
Crappie Wall Hanger II
Yeah I think they were stocked way up the river. 100 and above. I'm sure some have made their way down into the lake, just as I bet some run on up the river as fish tend to do when spawning.
I used to have the press release saved in my favorites but have lost it.
Keeper
I'm gonna call fish and wildlife today to see if they can give any insite on the size and location of these fish. Ill repost what I find out
Keeper
Just got off the phone with the biologist that's over the barren river area. There r walleye in the lower end of the lake in very small numbers some have been as large as 24 to 25 in. Most fish remain in the river with a very scattered pattern. He said most were found in the lower 3/4 of a pool in the river. Couldn't tell me were they were stocked just above the lake. If anyone's happens to catch them please call fish and wildlife with length and location. If u have any fish that u keep they would also like the carcass. Some of the fish have micro chips in them. They think this year and next year will be the a tell tell year to see if the will reproduce well. Good luck
Crappie Wall Hanger II
Its posts like this that give me that ole craving to chase them eyes again.Originally Posted by Jtmeador21
Everything is possible. The impossible just takes longer!
Keeper
i would sure like to get in on them. ive never caught many but if were gonna have some close to home ill be after them. hollar to me some time if u find then maybe we could go
Slabmaster II
I catch most of my walleye in Green River at Locks 5 and 6, we catch them at Nolin in the spring too but it's sporadic at best catching a couple keepers from 20 up to about 25 inches a trip. I can usually find walleye with side imaging sitting on the tips of points that run out to the river channel, seems that's where they spend the daylight hours, then when it starts getting dusky dark they rise up and feed for a short period(that's when i catch them) then they just seem to disappear. on the river i use 1/8oz-1/2oz jigs (weight depending on speed of current)hopping them off the bottom by the locks on the edge of fast current and slack current tipping the jigs with curly tail grubs when there biting good or straight tail worms with a stinger when there nipping. there the same way on the river seems like they will shoot up and feed for a little while then they're gone
Crappie Wall Hanger II
Bucktails are you in a boat at lock 5? I'd like to give it a try in the boat but i'm concerned about the depth of the water. If you fish around the lock how deep is the water? Do you go up to the lock and then throw back down stream?
Everything is possible. The impossible just takes longer!
Keeper
The jigs u guys use are they just like heavier crappies jigs or what. Could I just use a bass jig with no skirt and tread a twister tail on it
Slabmaster II
Yeah, I have a 14'V-bottom that I use at Lock 6, I go all the way to within 50ft or so of the lock when it's safe enough and try to keep my jig right on the current seam where fast meets slack current the walleye and sauger will be right on that edge. I don't take a boat up to lock 5 at all, the boat ramp parking lot is notorious for people stealing, cutting off catylitic converters, batteries etc, lock 5 looks too dangerous in a boat, there is steel tangled up in the rocks at lock 5, always been afraid of punching a hole in my boat. But i've caught walleye on the bank there throwing rattle traps and jigs. At Lock 6 the water depth is 15-20ft (depending on river height) deep out from the locks, and has scattered boulders the walleye sit behind. I use regular round head lead jigs in black, orange, chartreuse, pink, with Kalins 5" grubs. I you get a bite with that and only have teeth marks on the tail you need to go to a straight worm with stinger hook. Another great place is Green Castle down in Richardsville, on Barren river good walleye, crappie, and muskie,
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