# West Branch



## Dave Jones (Jun 13, 2017)

New to West Branch - Couldn't get a grip on fishing the muddy water. Any in-sight or tips would be appreciated. Thanks


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

Try up around the dam , we were up that way Saturday night and the water was clearer.


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## crestliner TS (Jun 8, 2012)

Tip: if you are gonna fish west branch be ready to fish muddy water!


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

The water is always much clearer near the dam on the east end. West of Rock Springs Rd. gets muddy with every rain.


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## westbranchbob (Jan 1, 2011)

If your day time fishing...find the mudline off shore where it transitions into slightly cleaner water... especially if it's near a dropoff


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## eyehunter8063 (Sep 6, 2013)

Fish the MUD!!! that lake the is backwords from all the other lakes around... it seems what we are calling nasty muddy water is only a few feet thick then clears up under.. cant hardly get bit in clear water there... the upper mud layer creating shade ??? idk


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Does odnr stock walleye at West Branch or is the population there just natural production now?


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

bdawg said:


> The water is always much clearer near the dam on the east end. West of Rock Springs Rd. gets muddy with every rain.


Mostly due to the wave action on the severely eroded shorelines from high winds during the violent storms we usually get! The erosion is due to "ahos" who do not respect the "no wake" restriction within 100 yds of shore! This also accounts for all the trees in the water near shore!(Fact!) Worst lake in the State for this.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

kayak1979 said:


> Does odnr stock walleye at West Branch or is the population there just natural production now?


Absolutely, Yes, they've been stocking fingerlings for several years to facilitate the minimal amout of natural reproduction.


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## zcomanche21 (Jul 28, 2016)

Anyone know how Team Bass Xtreme did at West Branch Saturday?


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## undertaker (Jan 20, 2013)

Didn't see many fish caught Saturday.


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

I fished the TBX tournament there Saturday. My partner and I only had 3 fish. Personally for the day I caught 4 rock bass, about a 30 - 33" muskie, and broke off the biggest bass I've ever had on at that lake. 

Best I can figure is my line caught on one of the snaps that secure my travel cover. Easily a 5# fish. 

I didn't stay for the entire weigh in, but most of the bags that I saw coming in were 5 fish limits in the 7 - 9 lb range. My guess is a couple guys had 10 lb or better bags, but I don't know for sure. 

Headed out there for a TBX Elites tournament on Sunday.


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## zcomanche21 (Jul 28, 2016)

Thanks a lot for the reply. I was there, but not in the tourney. I would have weighed in only about 6lbs. One 2 pounder and a few dinks.


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## walleyekiller446 (Oct 24, 2014)

c. j. stone said:


> Absolutely, Yes, they've been stocking fingerlings for several years to facilitate the minimal amout of natural reproduction.


They haven't stocked eyes in years at west branch it's all natural so that info is not correct


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## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

walleyekiller446 said:


> They haven't stocked eyes in years at west branch it's all natural so that info is not correct


Just read an article from 2011... 261,000 Walleye fingerlings were stocked that year... don't know if the program continued after that though.


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## walleyekiller446 (Oct 24, 2014)

buckzye11 said:


> Just read an article from 2011... 261,000 Walleye fingerlings were stocked that year... don't know if the program continued after that though.


Nope that's it they reproduce well there just hard to figure out at west branch fish the weeds


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## louisvillefisherman (Jun 9, 2012)

walleyekiller446 said:


> They haven't stocked eyes in years at west branch it's all natural so that info is not correct


That is not correct. They ABSOLUTELY stock walleye in West Branch. In fact, they stocked it twice in 2017 already and I have the numbers:

May 18, 2017 354,000 Walleye Fingerlings were stocked into Kirwain (West Branch)

and again on

May 24, 2017 142,000 Walleye Fingerlings were stocked into WB as well.

These facts came directly from our friends at ODNR D3. You are just gonna have to take my word for it, or I suppose you could contact them yourself just to verify, but I have this information direct from the source.

And for what it is worth, they stocked Berlin 5 times in 2017 already. Except Berlin gets both Fry and Fingerling. 4.5 million fry were stocked into Berlin in April 2017 (3 occasions) and just under 300,000 fingerling in May on two occasions.

Yes, WB and Berlin have limited natural reproduction of Walleye (Berlin does better than WB in overall reproduction) but for the most part, the overwhelming majority of the eyes in those lakes were provided by our ODNR hatcheries which experienced a bumper crop thus the multiple stockings this year. 

Hope that clears things up.


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## walleyekiller446 (Oct 24, 2014)

I was told different in march on west branch by a odnr person but I'll take your word for it


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## dennyk (Apr 10, 2012)

Where can a person obtain information on lake stockings in Ohio? It used to be easy by just contacting the ODNR but now I have heard that they do not give out that information to the public.


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## louisvillefisherman (Jun 9, 2012)

Contact the ODNR district office that covers the lake in question. The staff at D3 is very friendly and will help you with that question. Each district's maintains thier own records on stocking.


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## dennyk (Apr 10, 2012)

Than


louisvillefisherman said:


> Contact the ODNR district office that covers the lake in question. The staff at D3 is very friendly and will help you with that question. Each district's maintains thier own records on stocking.


Thank you.


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## Walleyedisaster (Jan 28, 2017)

They do not.stock.wb with walleye.. I live on west branch and if.you.know how to.fish the lake they have some really nice walleye few days ago my wife and I pulled a limit and all over 20 inches and biggest going just shy of 8lbs . Flicker shads and prop jigs.


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## Crg2 (Mar 14, 2014)

Walleyedisaster said:


> They do not.stock.wb with walleye.. I live on west branch and if.you.know how to.fish the lake they have some really nice walleye few days ago my wife and I pulled a limit and all over 20 inches and biggest going just shy of 8lbs . Flicker shads and prop jigs.


Deep?


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## crestliner TS (Jun 8, 2012)

Crg2 said:


> Deep?


that's a heck of a catch for WB! You MUST know that lake if you can make catches of walleye like that! You should enter a tourney!


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## louisvillefisherman (Jun 9, 2012)

Walleyedisaster said:


> They do not.stock.wb with walleye..


They absolutely stock WB with walleye and I provided the numbers which I got directly from ODNR themselves personally. 

I respect that you live near WB but they do stock walleye in your home lake.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Hit the westbranch dam this morning at 6am...till 9ish...fished hard with lures for awhile with no takes...then ventured over to north cove and tied on a crappie magnet and got these 2 little guys. Today's trip was more of a get out early and rejuvenate type deal...fish but not really focus on the retrieve back in and kinda look around and take in the reservoir...recharge trip.


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## Walleyedisaster (Jan 28, 2017)

Ok them are perch.. lol


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Lol...ok.


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## ox48 (Jun 23, 2012)

I would like to know more info on where you are catching walleye on west branch. How deep, lures, time of year, and locations. I have been fishing this lake alot and never seen a walleye yet. I know some people dont like to tell you this info but the more people trying the better we can increase production together. At least on Erie everyone works together to get fish in the boat.


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## westbranchbob (Jan 1, 2011)

Nights...shallow water..8 foot or less...weedlines...mudlines...rocky points...anything with a good amount of vibration...I suggest something in the jointed selection of crankbaits


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

All the walleyes I've caught on West Branch were on jigs and crawler in weeds. Whether it was the humps or the weeds in bays, they always came from shallow (<5') and weedy areas.
And they are never there the next time you go even the next day.
I've trolled all over that lake with crankbaits and never caught one.
They are all nice size too. 21-23" and they all go back.

How's that for confusing you? Two guys say cranks and one says cranks don't work...


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

The eyes do hang around the weed beds shallow ,I got one in campground bay bass fishing with a rubber worm once but most have been at night on shallow flats with a crankbait or a swim bait.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

I've always had great success early spring around wind blown points on jig and shiner in less than 7 fow. During the summer I'll go jig and crawler and focus closer to 12 fow and structure. Once the water cools down again end of Sept into Oct I'll cast cranks against points like bass fishing and catch a few here and there but jigging has been more successful than not IMO.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

dragging a crawler harness around weed beds works as well when the heat wave hits but speed is what will matter the most...depends what kind of energy they want to exert.


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## crestliner TS (Jun 8, 2012)

I am no inland Walleye expert for sure but I USED to troll hot n tots outside the beach area around all the humps and depth changes in summer and catch them.


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## Ruminator (Apr 6, 2004)

The largest walleye (20"+) I've caught at WB was on a rattling tube jig in 18-20 ft. 
Go figure...


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## jnorden03 (Apr 23, 2016)

26 inch. My personal best. 530 pm. Edge of weeds on hump. Jig and crawler. Caught last week. Caught another 17 inch that night. Another 15 inch the next day. And a 19 inch a week later. All in the same exact place and time. Not catching them left and right, but at least I'm catching them.


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

My buddy got a 28 incher musky trolling on the west side. Some nice fish in the lake just got know where to poke around I suppose.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

26 incher...that's fish ohio for inland lakes.

Good job.

Don


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## guppygill (May 8, 2004)

ox48, lake erie is a little different than an inland lake, so your gonna have to take everyone's tips here and fish it. If you listen to all the tips you'll eventually pull some outta here.

Walleyedisaster, hope you were joking about the stocking, they stock walleye in there every year.


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## pld bass tard (Sep 20, 2014)

In the late 90s I used to fish W.B. for hybrid stripers. Have they stocked any in recent yrs?


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## westbranchbob (Jan 1, 2011)

Nope


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## Bassbully 52 (Feb 25, 2014)

I caught a real nice walleye up in the river a couple of years ago fishing for bass on a crankbait. I used to get a few here and there but that's the first one I have seen or caught in some time.


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## westbranchbob (Jan 1, 2011)

More there than you think
..you want Walleye...go musky fishing..only size down the lures..lol... actually...you can catch muskie in that lake on anything..lol...I try to avoid them...maybe that's my problem!


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

pld bass tard said:


> In the late 90s I used to fish W.B. for hybrid stripers. Have they stocked any in recent yrs?


I know they used to have true stripers in there back in the 90's My brother caught one that probably went between 25 and 30 lbs. He caught in Bixon Creek on a crankbait while were fishing for largemouth.


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## Crg2 (Mar 14, 2014)

My step dad has the state record striper out of WB


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

Crg2 said:


> My step dad has the state record striper out of WB


My uncle held it for a little while back in the 70's caught it on my dad's boat on 8 lb test, they chased it with the bass boat! It was 25lbs back then, far larger fish were caught soon thereafter still cool.


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## Crg2 (Mar 14, 2014)

He caught his in 92 on a little aluminum boat


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## pld bass tard (Sep 20, 2014)

Bassbme said:


> I know they used to have true stripers in there back in the 90's My brother caught one that probably went between 25 and 30 lbs. He caught in Bixon Creek on a crankbait while were fishing for largemouth.[
> 
> 
> Crg2 said:
> ...


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