the ODNR doing good!

I don't know if the sciota could handle a 300# fish that lives 100yr.

 

Nice article. Thanks for sharing.

 

Well off the top of my head I'd rather they spend the money on something that will benifit us more then a fish that only lives 12 years and reach weights of only five to six pounds and really is not going to bring any additional funds back into the flow...

I've always disliked 1/2 hearted attempts to appease naturalist and tree huggers... This will make us look good but do nothing for the overall good of this states outdoors programs but take much needed funds out of another area(s)...

Same as the river otter and snowshoe to me

my 2cents

 

Personally I would rather see them stock these small Sturgeons than to see the state throw so much money into largemouth bass stocking...But I do wish they would have went with the larger Sturgeon

 

I agree that the trout stockings are really not doing the license purchasing fisherman very much good when they stock at times that children cannot make it do to school and such and really all that do make it are 2nd shift workers and retired guys who knew the truck would be there and at what time
I'm sure they could charge say $5.00 to fish these lakes and re-coup some of the money being spent... can't be too hard now that those computers are up and running simply place a stocked trout tag on them too...

 

Where to begin?

Stocking- has to be done because of all the fishing pressure there is. How can we worry about "native" species being replaced in man made impoundments?? How does one replace the "natural species" in a lake that never existed ?? I think there's only one natural lake in OH, other then our border with Erie. Saugeyes are hardly & tasty. They have a following, require boats, specialized tackle, also can be caught by several methods. Casting, trolling, jigging, live bait, artificial. Also there's tournaments and fishing clubs- a whole industry has been created. Have regulations too, not like our beloved catfish. Lakes like Caesar's Creek would only have a few crappies & WB and shad & carp (a non-native species). There would be no saugeyes and muskies. There would be no fish to catch if not for the stocking of hybrid fish. They replace & fill a void that "natural species" can't survive.

 

jim

good response.trout,wipers,saugeyes,along with other species are stocked to enhance and improve fishing opportunities for many people.the fact that some people have preferences for certain species doesn't mean that all the others should just be forgotten.bass,walleye,crappies get supplemental stockings in places where they cannot reproduce in substantial numbers to maintain a quality fishery.the hybrids fill a void,as you said.

as for saugeyes being stocked just to make money from the people who fish for them,i can't quite figure that one out,as before they were bred,nobody fished for them,cause they didn't exist.so there goes that theory out the window they were bred in order to fill that "void".and yes,now they are very popular and more challenging than a lot of other species to fish for.and i,d probably travel to lake erie to fish for them,moreso than i would walleye,if they were stocked there

i even go to a local lake a few times a year for those lowly trout.though i do hit it for a couple big smokers/grillers when they stock the big ones once a year,most of my trips are at times other than the stocking days.it's enjoyable and not quite so easy to string a few at those "other" times.

i think we all need to kinda get on the same page as far as fishing as a common interest instead of promoting our personal agendas and downgrading those of others.

as for the DNR,i think,overall they're doing a good job along these lines,but nobody's perfect.

 

There would be a lot more native fish to catch if they would spend their/our money on more officers. Instead of dumping 3000 trout into a lake.......many lakes across Ohio, why not add some more officers?

There are "hot spots" where they have to know that people are fishing without licenses and keeping fish that they shouldn't.

Spillways and tailwaters.......GREENLAWN????? They could make more money off of Greenlawn in no time, and have a lasting effect on that fishery. Once the word is out that the DNR is patrolling the area either people will buy a license or pay a fine. People that want to avoid hassle won't fish there, which are the people that usually keep the 8" smallie that just swallowed their nightcrawler. It would clean the area up to, or help clean it. These people are usually the same that throw trash on the ground when the can is 5' behind them.

Some how Greenlawn manages to maintain itself as a pretty good hole. I think this is just because it is the last dam for miles and miles on the Scioto and fish keep traveling up stream.

There are many fisheries in Ohio that are in this situation. If they would just patrol them.....instant revenue!!!!

 

Rick

Actually they do breed & are found in nature. Walleyes & saugeyes inhabit the same water & do indeed crossbreed. Why not find the post by Cory where he explains all that or from Erie & link that from the GFO too ?
It's like an old broken record, beating that poor dead horse to a pulp !

Great idea Rick. Catmen, eye guys, bass dudes, fly guys, bowfisherman, trollers, mutlispecies, trout, steelies, panfish, etc, etc.
How can anyone presume to know what fish florish the best in all the reservoirs ? I think they do studies, then experiment with what they (DNR) feel will fare the best & then stock them. Depending on depth, baitfish & angler's preferance. Depending on how they do , they continue of change. I'd like to see hybrid stripes in Caesars Creek Lake, but they put an aggressive musky stocking program in place. I remember when that lake was farm fields.....
Bluecats might make a good stocked fish too. Make it a gamefish, along with all cats too. What about Northen Pike. How about flatheads, or will they eat the crappies?

 

Saved you the time

Here's a great post (click here) so maybe you can "get" the saugeye thing.

 

Here's the better link

This link might open your "eyes" (pun INTENDED!) It's about saugeye reproduction........click here for the thread.
Nothing like a little information to form well educated opinons. I used to put my mouth in gear before engaging my brain, but experiance has taught me that even I can make mistakes !

 

I have read that post and the way I see it, it clearly states that the saugeye don't reproduce ... they might have the ability to in certain conditions to mate .. but it clearly states that they can not maintain their population with out restocking .. So even though they technically can reproduce ... they can not propagate their species to a self sustaining stand point... In other words Window dressing. Stocking 10" trout that die in 5 months .. Widow dressing.. Why not put some natural species in lakes that are in short supply, instead of trying to create fisheries of fish that are not natural to the enviroment ... I say, put Muskies, Pike, Blue cats (they don't reproduce all that well in lakes either but they are endangered in ohio, and are at least natural) and get our lakes rivers and streams back to the balance nature intended then you wouldn't have to rely on artificial speices to fish... The reason for the Hybrid stockings seems to me to be for one reason .... The ODNR don't want non native fish to over run our fisheries ... If you are stocking something that don't belong, and something that can't maintain a fishable population on its own ... That level of thinking can only be explained in one word BUREAUCRACY

My 2 cents

 

They need to stock regular striped bass. Seneca, Ceasar, even Alum could probably handle them. Alum gets pretty deep, reasonable clear in the lower half.......

 

Boy I can remember all the hype about the saugeye stockings and how there were so many misconceptions about the fish then... still is now I see
I will take a step back in my original post and admit I was not thinking as clearly as some of you are and have been...
I don't want anyone to think I was knocking our ODNR and the fine job they have been doing. Guess I always hated those dang trout stockings anyway LOL and now after reading many of the comments here I can agree that what they are doing is sound fundamental management of their resources...
THERE I SAID IT HAPPY NOW???

I can remember when my Uncle moved to a place called Westville Lakes. Man I could catch fish in that lake and I mean of high quality and quanity... Then they stocked TigerMuskie... some kind of hybred that did not reproduce
(hnmmnn wonder now if that was true)
and ate everythign in site!!!! Now that lake has lost its luster and fishing has never been the same since.
So what I am getting at is that 99% of these stockings are really doing great
its that dang 1% that yanks at my cords...

 

I think the ODNR has done an outstanding job with the lakes and rivers. I'm sure that there is always room for improvement. 25 years ago fishing the same waters as today there is a day and night difference in the Quality and Quantity of fish. I believe that the fishing has also improved as lakes and streams water quality has improved. I agree with Mr Fish and Misfit,

25 years ago they stocked Walleye in Hoover. Misfit "says" he caught them, but for me they were few and small, they didn't reproduce and the survival rate was bad, Today Saugeye are stocked in place of the walleyes and thrive in the same body of water.
Just my thoughts.

 

From what I understand walleye tend to prefer stained or murky water, while saugeye really don't prefer.....any water is good water.

 

Changes

Cowan lake had alot of muskies stocked, I've heard they are slowing or stopping that & have re-introduced saugeyes there again. For about 4 years ago they began stocking muskies into Caesar's Creek Lake. There are just a few being reported caught now. I'm glad to see they are open to change.
I'm still hoping to see hybrid stripers stocked at Caesar's. It would be interesting.
I know that they had dismal results with walleye stockings in lakes where saugeye now thrive. I think they found the same thing with stripers & hybrid stripers. The hybrids can withstand warmer water, also from personal experiance, can take the stress of C & R where the stripers over 12# or larger seem to go belly-up.(Ohio River)
They need to build more LAKES !! Fishing lakes.....no personal watercraft ! Yeah, fat chance of that !