# Walleye vs Saugeye vs Sauger



## Perchy101 (Apr 14, 2004)

What makes the Saugeye the fish to stock for the state? I know they stock other fish into our waters... But it seems like we are always talking about Saugeyes.... Why? 

- I think i've read this somewhere - Is it because they are the fastest growing fish? Meaning more will be able to survive from the fish stocking? And grow up and be trophy fish faster?

I have no problems fishing for Saugeye (1st year doing it) But, wouldn't it be smart to put a fish into our water ways that doesn't cost as much? Like the Walleye.... 

Why are they stocking Walleye in Hoover/Alum (or are they???) - I don't think they are, cuz i've never seen any of you all talk about it...

I really just want to know... Why not mix them up... One year Walleye, next year Saugeye....


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## topwaterdevil (May 23, 2007)

I think the rationale is that Saugeye are a heartier fish and can survive in lakes where Walleye would not. As far as mixing them up, I think that would mess up the Walleye spawning- not that a lot of spawning takes place on inland lakes. I'm guessing that Saugeye have a better survival rate and the DNR has concluded that there are better catch rates without the competition between species.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

deleted


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## StuckAtHome (Apr 29, 2004)

I believe they stopped stocking walleye years ago, I could be wrong but I know our local lakes don't get any walleye, all saugeye. The fish is easier to raise in fish ponds, it can thrive in waters that walleye won't, its easier to catch and grows fast, and its not sterile but it won't mess up the local fish stocks spawning, after they stop stocking MOST saugeye will grow old and die without any babies, and lastly it makes identifying between saugeye and sauger fun on OGF forums.
Mike


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## tgif4walleyes (Apr 14, 2004)

Walleye survial rates were very poor in both Hoover & Alum. ODNR has been stocking both, including this year, with saugeye


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

Walleye don't take to a lot of lakes,especially the west central lakes in my realm like Indian and Lake Loramie. Shallow,muddy lakes weren't too kind to the walleye.They even like the shallow/muddy Miami river,just below IL.

Saugeye are mean. Get 1 in the boat and they thrash around like a northern pike.

Eating machines and grow quickly.

I see very few floaters-dead ones.

They'll bite all year round including ice fishing.

They taste just as well as walleye,and some say they taste better than walleye.

I'm not sure of the cost of producing saugeye fingerlings,but the economical benefits are huge for the communities of saugeye stocked lakes.

I grew up at IL and it wasn't a very good fishing lake back then. Now after years of saugeye stocking,it is 1 heck of a fishery. I believe the saugeye saved IL.

Some lakes can't keep saugeye. They have the tendency to be drawn over dams,spillways during flooding.


Saugeye stockings are judged by the numbers of shad in a lake.It's the ODNR's way of keeping the shad population in check. They say they hurt the perch and crappie fishing,but I've seen the opposite. Bigger crappie and perch. They do love to puke in my live well,and always see half decomposed shad or crawdads when I drain it.


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## 1catdaddy1 (Jan 29, 2007)

You've got that right.I fish Indian year 'round (ice and all), saugs hardly ever stop eating,sure,bad days and good,but not like hunting down walleye. they are normally very aggressive and very hearty fish as You mentioned.I am one of those who thinks they are as pleasing at the table as walleye,better I don't know,but definitely as good.Indian has been in In-Fisherman magazine before for it's saugeye reputation! good luck and good fishing!


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## Wiper Swiper (May 24, 2005)

I agree with you guys when saying it doesn't take a ton of skill to catch saugeye...especially at Indian. However, I disagree with the stocking levels the State has chosen for many of our impoundments. If they're harmless to native sauger and walleye populations why won't the State place them in lakes draining to Erie???

Saugmon, improved water quality saved Indian (fewer "poopy" septic systems)...not saugeye. Because they compete with bass and crappie for available shad in areas where walleye traditionally don't go (ie. the game preserve)...the jury's still out on their long term impact on native species. Yes, I know there are still TONS of shad in Indian. Yet, there IS a saturation point...I fear we'll never know what that point is until the damage is evident...which is a tad late, IMHO.

Stuck, saugeye will reproduce with either of their pure parents. Native sauger populations in the Ohio river drainage are headed for obscurity...that's the single biggest reason why I have no faith in the Division of Wildlife's management of our resources. They care far more about selling fishing licenses than they do about protecting what's truly wild.


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## Bass assasin (Jul 23, 2007)

StuckAtHome said:


> I believe they stopped stocking walleye years ago, I could be wrong but I know our local lakes don't get any walleye, all saugeye.
> Mike


i think that they is still 20 inland lakes in ohio that walleyes are stocked in,(Berlin, Mosquito, to name a couple that are doing pretty good). I like eating saugeyes, but for some reason i dont like that they are a hybrid and don't reproduce. They don't have a pattern like walleye or bass do, i rarely try to catch them, unless i want some to eat. I kind of wish they would concentrate more on bass or at least something that reproduces.


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## StuckAtHome (Apr 29, 2004)

I did not know that they still stocked walleye, but not to argue but they can reproduce( and they do) but not well enough to keep a sustained fishery, they just don't spawn very well due to two different fishes with two different spawning ways, but again they are not sterile.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Wiper Swiper said:


> Stuck, saugeye will reproduce with either of their pure parents. Native sauger populations in the Ohio river drainage are headed for obscurity...that's the single biggest reason why I have no faith in the Division of Wildlife's management of our resources. They care far more about selling fishing licenses than they do about protecting what's truly wild.



Very good point. It is just too bad.


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## Wiper Swiper (May 24, 2005)

Mushi, what REALLY chaps my bag is when I hear of direct stockings into the GMR or Scioto...boggles the mind.


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## Bigdadblues (Jul 25, 2007)

Wiper Swiper said:


> Mushi, what REALLY chaps my bag is when I hear of direct stockings into the GMR or Scioto...boggles the mind.


really make you mad Amtrim Park gets more stockings than any place in the state.Your state record smallie came from there.after each outdoors show the fish are released there.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

Saugeyes are more tolerant to the shallow muddy lakes. They grow faster due to hybrid vigor, in turn what little offspring they may produce (F2 generation) will be inferior, not having the same growth characterists as the F1 cross. Given the slower growth and extremely low recruitment significant survival of the F2 generation is unlikely. Backcrossing with either of the parent species could potentially cause gene pool degredation but I have not yet seen any data supporting this nor a confirmed F2. Hybridization occurs natually amongst like species and is rarely a problem except in extreme circumstances. Rivers and streams do not seem like a good place to experiment. The risk does seem low in impounded bodies of water due to the low reproduction rate, you can always just stop stocking if problems begin to appear.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Here is some data that might change your mind.

http://in.gov/dnr/fishwild/publications/notes/Ohio&#37;20River Percid Investigation Final Report.pdf


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## Scientific Angler (Jul 12, 2007)

The DNR stock walleye in the Lake Erie drainage basin because they don't want saugeye gene's mixing with walleye gene's in Lake Erie. The saugeye are only stocked in the Ohio River watersheds. 

The reason saugeye do better than walleye in the inland lakes is because the lakes around here are hybrid systems (meaning that they are impounded rivers). So a more riverine fish (sauger), that is more tolerant to turbidity, mixed with a lake fish (walleye) will provide the best fit for our systems. And just to clarify things I'm not saying that walleye can't live in rivers or that sauger can't live in lakes.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

i dont know why the state says that they dont want them mixing with erie eyes considering sauger are native to erie and were the two species mix there are naturally saugeye (yes saugeye can naturally occur) through all this i still dont see the point in putting a hybrid everywhere, they dont control shad (no fish can), they aught to just stock walleye they still survive well enough and they are easier to catch than people give them credit for. i think ohio's dnr just wants to be different so they stock a fish they created and only they seem to like.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

> they aught to just stock walleye they still survive well enough and they are easier to catch than people give them credit for. i think ohio's dnr just wants to be different so they stock a fish they created and only they seem to like.


is is not feasible to stock walleyes in the numbers and places that saugeyes are stocked.they are much more costly to rear,they don't tolerate some of the same conditions as well,they don't grow as fast.
and ohio is far from the only state that stocks saugeyes,or likes them for that matter.i'm not sure of the number,but there are probably at least a dozen or more states that stock them,much for the same reasons ohio does.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

Mushijobah said:


> Here is some data that might change your mind.
> 
> http://in.gov/dnr/fishwild/publications/notes/Ohio River Percid Investigation Final Report.pdf


Very interesting report. I do not feel that saugeyes are suitable for stocking into ecosystems as complex as the great lakes or the Ohio river. I do believe they have their place in somewhat isolated lakes, mainly for those anglers who want some meat for the table. IMO it seems funds are better spent on saugeye than put-and-take trout in waters they cannot survive the summer in.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

riverKing said:


> i dont know why the state says that they dont want them mixing with erie eyes considering sauger are native to erie and were the two species mix there are naturally saugeye (yes saugeye can naturally occur) through all this i still dont see the point in putting a hybrid everywhere, they dont control shad (no fish can), they aught to just stock walleye they still survive well enough and they are easier to catch than people give them credit for. i think ohio's dnr just wants to be different so they stock a fish they created and only they seem to like.



I have proven that gizzard shad can be controlled with a hybrid in my own backyard. How they got in my pond is still uncomfirmed and definitely unitentional on my part, but they began reproducing like crazy, even with a healthy bass population. Last year several clouds of them were distributed throughout my pond. A highly respected biologist recommended stocking hybrid striped bass to control them. No schools have been seen this year. I have seen a few large shad still circling the banks but they are definitely under contol. The nice thing about the wipers is they do not reproduce and fill a different niche in the system. They also grow extremely quickly..but this is a different subject.


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## Wiper Swiper (May 24, 2005)

Hybrid stripers would be a hi-jack, [email protected] 

However...the "offical" line justifying saugeye and wiper stockings IS shad control. I would politely suggest that basing either hybrid's success in controlling gizzard shad populations, per what happens in a farm pond, is a tad...hasty? Didn't Apple Valley stock wipers to control the stunted crappie population? Point is, both hybrids are ravenous, opportunistic feeders that will target what's easy. My stomach content samplings of these fish taken in public water reveal that 75% of the time...yes...they do target the shad. But, at certain times of the year...bluegills and crappies go down just as easy. They ain't gonna work harder if shad become more difficult to catch.

That said...the talk was saugeye. 

They're stuipid, ugly, and I don't like all the threads dedicated to identifying mutant river fish.

Who really has trouble telling a sauger from a walleye???

Bio-engineering may be wonderful chat at the Division of Wildlife water cooler.

Or...it may be as I see it...secondary to charting license sales per district.


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