Is it Location, Presentation, or what??

[Down to Earth]

I must admit I'm still pretty green when it comes to this whole river fishing thing, but I have at least developed a good working pattern for Alma dam in November.

My question though, is why is there such a discrepency between the walleye and sauger numbers in my catch. I've been over there 3 times in the past 2 years and I maybe have caught 3 or 4 walleyes compared to the butt load of saugers. Granted I'm not a hard core walleye guy, so catching saugers instead is no big of a deal to me, but its more out of curiosity that I'm asking.

Is it because I'm fishing so close to the dam and the faster current that I'm fishing a location prefered by the saugers and not the walleye? Is Alma just more of a sauger joint than Red Wing? I've been fishing debuque rigs with a jig/ringworm and colored hook/minnow combination. Does that make a difference?

Thanks for the insight.

Andy

[Jim W]

You'll ifnd just as many if not more Sauger at the Redwing Dam. In fact average size will more than likely improve.

From my experience the Dubuque rig isn't as productive in HEAVY current with walleye. The sandpike from my experience are like the shaker 8 inch smallies that take the bait before the big girls get a chance.

Try spending more time casting in the am and dusk periods for walleye, during the day working the wingdams and current seams.

Not "gospel", but has helped this mediocre river fisherman with a place to start.

Good luck. Nice to read your out fishing more these days.

Jim

[CrappieJohn]

The overlap of preferred water will put the two fish togther in some areas quite commonly. Seasonal influences and the amount of light also govern where the two will be found water-wise. Sauger tend to like water with current and water which is deeper. Walleyes are creatures of the deep when the lights are on brightly, but will come up to , and stay on, shallow water when things dim down. This is why what Jim has offered has a great deal of credence on the river.