Eye? Sauger? Or saugeye?

[northernnyice]

This was from earlier this year, but it just struck me looking at the pic, i dont think this is a walleye, but either a sauger or saugeye? No white spot on tail, blotchy pale side, and a spotted-ish soft dorsal. What do you guys think

[onestring]

Sauger

[ice dawg]

I would say Saugeye since it has a mottled appearance, no white area on the tail and I see no spots on the dorsal fin.

[northernnyice]

I would say Saugeye since it has a mottled appearance, no white area on the tail and I see no spots on the dorsal fin.

Look at the soft dorsal. It doesnt look speckled?

[ice dawg]

My old eyes don't see that on the soft dorsal, but I have never seen a Sauger without fairly large spots on the main dorsal.

[northernnyice]

My old eyes don't see that on the soft dorsal, but I have never seen a Sauger without fairly large spots on the main dorsal.

Gotcha. Your probably right i just thought theres no way that could be a pure walleye.

[bosco2]

What body of water did it come from?

[Hess]

From the pic, it looks like a Sauger to me...!

[ice dawg]

Gotcha. Your probably right i just thought theres no way that could be a pure walleye.

lol, I can't be sure either. Most Saugeye stocked around here have a bit of white on the bottom of the tail and some spots on the main dorsal. We have to agree that whatever it is would taste good. 

[northernnyice]

lol, I can't be sure either. Most Saugeye stocked around here have a bit of white on the bottom of the tail and some spots on the main dorsal. We have to agree that whatever it is would taste good. 

No doubt, but it was a shorty up here.

[Fishin-Mission]

Looks like diner if it were a bit bigger.  I say it is a Walleye as there are no spots on the main dorsal or large dark area on the body.  I had to look at images of Walleye vs Sauger to assist me with ID as I am not up on Sauger.  Looks like a small Walleye from the St Lawrence River around Ogdensburg.

[H2O-32]

Interesting... I wonder what the rules are on hybrids. Suager is protected in NY, no? But a hybrid, what rule would apply? Great that they are showing up. The state was trying to stock them in the Allegheny res. Not sure what became of that.

[northernnyice]

Looks like diner if it were a bit bigger.  I say it is a Walleye as there are no spots on the main dorsal or large dark area on the body.  I had to look at images of Walleye vs Sauger to assist me with ID as I am not up on Sauger.  Looks like a small Walleye from the St Lawrence River around Ogdensburg.

Negative on location.. Also, no white spot whatsoever on the tail indicates to me that it is certainly not a walleye.. but perhaps.

[onestring]

Yeah the no white on tail is y I said sauger and not saugeye or walleye my buddies says eyeball tho

[Hess]

Looking close again, although it is hard to tell from the photo, but it looks to me like there are rows of small black dots on the dorsal fins and definitely no white on the tail, so I'll stay with my initial thought that it is a Sauger (use to catch them fairly regularly in southern Lake Champlain back in the early/mid 70s...)!