# sauger



## luv fishing (Mar 5, 2009)

I'm no expert but from what I've been hearing so far this season sucks. Ive only been out once and that was at pike and got skunked. But is the saucer population down? Because about 3 years ago I didn't have one trip where I didn't catch atleast 15 sauger. And the last few years its been getting rougher


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## Bassky (Oct 7, 2008)

Same here. The last 2 years, fishing has been slower. They may need to put a size limit on sauger.
Bassky


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## luv fishing (Mar 5, 2009)

I agree. Maybe 12in. Because I know its hard to catch saucer over 15?


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

If overfishing is really the problem, I think making March and April fishing catch and release only would go a heck of a long way towards fixing it. I know the fishing is fun then, but taking fish from spawning grounds doesn't do anyone any good.


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## lil goose (Oct 16, 2009)

A size limit on sauger well good luck we have been trying to get a size limit on walleyes for years with no luck!! In my opinion the only thing ohio has to do with the river is law enforcement. Wva. does all the management and stocking of the river, at least up north, so why would ohio care!! I agree on a size limit for both sauger and walleyes with that being said we would need someone to enforce them i have seen over limits for years on the river. In summary you definitly have my vote for size regulations!!


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

Umm.. unless I'm mistaken, there IS a size limit on walleye on the Ohio. 18 inches with a creel limit of 2. 

http://www.wvdnr.gov/fishing/Regs14/Reg_Special_areas.pdf under the walleye section.


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

senoy said:


> Umm.. unless I'm mistaken, there IS a size limit on walleye on the Ohio. 18 inches with a creel limit of 2.
> 
> http://www.wvdnr.gov/fishing/Regs14/Reg_Special_areas.pdf under the walleye section.


If you are fishing from a boat or from the West Va. shore, not from the Ohio shore or it's embayments


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

Hatchetman said:


> If you are fishing from a boat or from the West Va. shore, not from the Ohio shore or it's embayments


Wow, really? That's messed up. I catch and release walleye anyway, but had no idea that the two states couldn't get their regs straight. What's going on with Ohio? Why wouldn't they agree to mutual regulations? WV completely follows Maryland laws on the Potomac. You'd think Ohio would do the same on the Ohio. Kind of a jerk move not to, makes it hard to manage a fishery.


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## ohiogary (Dec 14, 2006)

Yeah, when you are down at Pike Island dam, and you see the ones keeping the dinks, no wonder the fishing is getting slower, fish don't have a chance to grow


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## FishFrenzy89 (May 18, 2009)

ohiogary said:


> Yeah, when you are down at Pike Island dam, and you see the ones keeping the dinks, no wonder the fishing is getting slower, fish don't have a chance to grow


Alot of guys go down there and keep everything they catch no matter what species..


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## C J Hughes (Jan 24, 2006)

We can only hope that after next weeks warm up that more people get out and fish and we get some good reports from the Greenup guys. Remember you need to buy your new Fishing Lic soon.


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## fishercreekrick (Jan 19, 2010)

I don't think fish pop. are the problem.ive seen them over fished every year we have a good run since 1980 boats leaving from the dam with hundreds of fish.these fish always seem to bounce back. last winter we were catching over 100 fish a night at greenup but they where only 6-10 inch. a 12 inch size limit would be great if it was inforced. but when you have fish and wildlife only stopping at the dam 2 or 3 times a year a size limit wont help. I have never been check at greenup on the ohio side.but I get checked a few times a year on the ky side they even go check your car for buckets of fish.maybe we need to focus on how much impact the Asian carp are haveing on the spawning of the fish. last year the ky fish and wildlife were netting 1200-1500# a day from the lock approach at greenup.if it is the Asian carp we may be losing a great fishery.


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## lil goose (Oct 16, 2009)

senoy said:


> Wow, really? That's messed up. I catch and release walleye anyway, but had no idea that the two states couldn't get their regs straight. What's going on with Ohio? Why wouldn't they agree to mutual regulations? WV completely follows Maryland laws on the Potomac. You'd think Ohio would do the same on the Ohio. Kind of a jerk move not to, makes it hard to manage a fishery.


That is exactly the point i have brought up to ohio dnr. Since wva is doing all the stocking why won't ohio at least abide by wva. regulations. Every time i talk to someone from dnr i get " good point we will look into it" well 8 years later and the same ohio reg. 10 walleye or sauger or saugeye in aggregate or single with no size limit. I realize the river will have natural fluctuations in each years spawn but i think we should at least let them spawn.


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## Don't Tell (Mar 25, 2010)

As far as odnr goes u may as well go beat your head against the wall because its their way or no way.


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

I don't think they care much about it down here because they take truckloads of saugers from below Greenup for their Saugeye program. Saugers are abundant but taking 6,8, 10" ones home has to stop.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

A good friend told me that Pa has a 'BIG' sauger stocking program, so I looked it up and didn't see much,,, EXCEPT MUSKI!????
??? wonder if they EAT SAUGER???  lol
Here's the link
http://fbweb.pa.gov/stocking/WWCWStockingDetailsHistorical_RFP.aspx

Anyway, 'WE' usually catch limit after limit of (12"+) sauger in Jan & Feb, & DOZENS of smaller fish were sent back, each trip. Every sign looked promising.
We usually do best when the pool water is REAL HIGH (below the dam), or when we're in the boat, way up in our favorite feeder.
We haven't been able to do neither!
*This year WE can't find a 1,,, YET.*

*Two of us fished an open feeder yesterday,,, super clear, a tad too low, but not even a tap in 3 hrs. *

*I WON'T BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A SAUGER PROBLEM, UNTILL 'HATCHETMAN' SPENDS 2 or 3 HRS, jigging his home-made 'spoon',
AND COMES UP SKUNKED!!! *


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

PA hasn't stocked sauger since 2006. Kentucky started a stocking program on some of its feeder rivers, but not the Ohio. West Virginia has never stocked sauger and is primarily concentrating on its 'native strain' of walleye.


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

Doboy said:


> A good friend told me that Pa has a 'BIG' sauger stocking program, so I looked it up and didn't see much,,, EXCEPT MUSKI!????
> ??? wonder if they EAT SAUGER???  lol
> Here's the link
> http://fbweb.pa.gov/stocking/WWCWStockingDetailsHistorical_RFP.aspx
> ...



I may make a "test" walk up in March Doboy. If I can get some 19-21 ft river stag in March I have a feeder creek that usually is hot at that stage. I'll let you know how I do


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

lil goose said:


> That is exactly the point i have brought up to ohio dnr. Since wva is doing all the stocking why won't ohio at least abide by wva. regulations. Every time i talk to someone from dnr i get " good point we will look into it" well 8 years later and the same ohio reg. 10 walleye or sauger or saugeye in aggregate or single with no size limit. I realize the river will have natural fluctuations in each years spawn but i think we should at least let them spawn.


Those regs for Ohio are made in cooperation with West Va. They are mutually agreed upon so blame West Va. as well, not just Ohio. I have no idea why Ohio doesn't go with the 18" limit on Walleye other than the fact that at 50% of the fisherman down there can't tell the difference between a walleye, saugeye, and a sauger. Trust me, I've talked to hundreds and hundreds of them. I'm not saying that as an insult, it's just that they just don't know what to look for to tell the difference. But I do agree that the two states could do better on the regs but blame West Va. as well as Ohio


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

Hatchetman said:


> Those regs for Ohio are made in cooperation with West Va. They are mutually agreed upon so blame West Va. as well, not just Ohio. I have no idea why Ohio doesn't go with the 18" limit on Walleye other than the fact that at 50% of the fisherman down there can't tell the difference between a walleye, saugeye, and a sauger. Trust me, I've talked to hundreds and hundreds of them. I'm not saying that as an insult, it's just that they just don't know what to look for to tell the difference. But I do agree that the two states could do better on the regs but blame West Va. as well as Ohio


Ignorance is no excuse. If you can't tell the difference between species, then you have to assume that it's the more rigid standard. If you catch a fish that you can't tell if it's a walleye or a sauger and it's less than 18 inches, you'd better throw it back. That said, there's no excuse for not being able to tell a walleye from a sauger they don't look anything alike. I'll admit that saugeye can throw a wrench in things, they can look and behave like either one and I've caught a few that stumped me, but most of the time even they aren't that hard to tell apart.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Hatchetman said:


> I may make a "test" walk up in March Doboy. If I can get some 19-21 ft river stag in March I have a feeder creek that usually is hot at that stage. I'll let you know how I do




*"let you know how I do"*

AH, MAN,,,
You know how much I enjoy, standing elbow-to-elbow next to you,,,,
AND WATCH YOU CATCH 40 or 50 FISH (sauger) to my 3!???

I'd be more than happy to run the 'clicker' for ya, anytime! 
THANKS


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## lil goose (Oct 16, 2009)

Thanks hatchetman i wasn't aware that wva. agreed on the ohio regulations. Several years ago i caught a blue walleye around steubenville at a feeder creek and contacted both ohio and wva. to see if they wanted to chech it out both agreed it was just a blue pigmentation of the wva. river strain walleye but wva. acted irritated that ohio's regulations were not the same as theirs that is why i assumed that ohio just did what they wanted!


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

lil goose said:


> Thanks hatchetman i wasn't aware that wva. agreed on the ohio regulations. Several years ago i caught a blue walleye around steubenville at a feeder creek and contacted both ohio and wva. to see if they wanted to chech it out both agreed it was just a blue pigmentation of the wva. river strain walleye but wva. acted irritated that ohio's regulations were not the same as theirs that is why i assumed that ohio just did what they wanted!


There are probably that many more walleyes farther north up river and they don't (Ohio) care much about the regs. I've been fishing the river at Greenup Dam since the 70's and have never seen anyone catch 10 walleyes down here. I doubt that I catch 10 a year but like Senoy said, if you aren't sure , toss it back..


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