# Saugeye Brawl



## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

Well just gave away my 20$ to the Brawl I don't expect to do great but, thought it would be fun and get me out more. Looking to some of the vets of the saugeye game, what size fish do you think would be worth entering. I like to keep them so don't want to pointlessly release some. Completely understand the idea behind the rule but I think they are too tasty. I figured for three fish limit 10th place will probably go around 71-76 inches and first around 79-83? So only enter anything 22 and over?


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

What’s the saugeye brawl? I’ve never heard of it before.


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

Morrowtucky Mike said:


> What’s the saugeye brawl? I’ve never heard of it before.


Look it up on Fb, "Saugeye Brawl". If you have Instagram look at @fishslim second most recent post, I'm sure he'd tell you about it so he has a bigger pot to win. Basic run down, its a 5 week tournament. Enter fish by length on an app. Your biggest three in inches are added up, so say you catch 3 22 inch saugeye you have 66 inches. 20 dollar entry fee, with prizes and a % of pot for 1-5th place.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

> I'm sure he'd tell you about it so he has a bigger pot to win.


Funny but so true.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

Lewzer said:


> Funny but so true.


Not so true  There are a BUNCH of really good saugeye fisherman in it from all over the state.

I did the first one and it is tons of fun. I’m excited to see some hogs and think the format is fantastic.

If you are on Facebook, look up Cole Menker / Ohio Saugeye Brawl. Set up the FishDonkey App on your phone and search “Fish in a Tournament” and enter Ohio Saugeye Brawl. This is a catch and release tournament (which I think is pretty cool) and you also need a verified measuring board with 1/4” increments. Aaron Wiebe from Uncut Angling did this format for a Walleye tournament this spring from all over the country which was the first time I’d seen anything like it.

Cole (and others) have worked very hard securing awesome sponsors like Big Joshy and Smithwick to name a few, so prizes will be great!


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

so your saying it will take at least 3 Saugeye 24 inches or greater to place. Sounds like fun, but if I caught three 24'" Saugeye they will get filleted. The other problem is I don't think I will catch 3 24" or greater in a 5 week period. I know some lakes are doing better on big fish, but I fish Rocky Fork and Paint Creek and I haven't seen many 24" Saugeye in a few years. Actually since they implemented the length limit. Now about 5 or 6 years ago the fall bite was great and you saw quite a few up to 25-26", but in the last three years your lucky to break 21" with more than one fish. when is this tournament, because come December I can play this game, as that is when I get my hogs from the creeks. In December last year my biggest was 29" (8lb 6oz)and I had several 24-27.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Ya it could take 70+" to win easy. There are alot of quality fish out there. And a lot of quality fisherman fishing for them!
Looks like it goes to 11/17.I'm sitting out this 1st yr. For personal reasons and unable to commit a hole lot of time this fall...
But like Josh says theres a lot of great saugeye fisherman in this state,that are willing to put in there time. It really is a cool thing.


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

Is it a FB thing? I don’t do FB so thought maybe that’s why I never heard of it. I’m new to the fall/winter saug action so I’ll be sitting out also. Think my biggest was only 24-25” last year.


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## Workingman (Jan 21, 2016)

I just hope I catch 3 keepers this fall! Haha! No, wait... I'm serious!


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## Bass Assasin Slaton (May 22, 2011)

I don't worry about the fish size. I worry about catching any fish period. Eventually if you fish hard enough persistence pays off! I fished the first saugeye brawl and did a solid 56.5" that put me in 7th place..which to me was a huge win. that was from the bank only because I don't have a boat.
I do it to have fun and possibly have a chance at winning cool prizes!! the guys running it are amazing and put a lot of hard work and time advertising this event! If you find saugeye you're in a good spot. All I am saying is to have fun! This time around is going to be significantly better because we have a good chance at winning prizes from all the awesome sponsors. To your original estimate of an 80" stringer.. I highly doubt someone will bring in 3, 27+ plus fish. That would be INSANE. so don't think everyone is going to be putting up high numbers like these. This will lower your self-esteem and you need all the confidence you can muster to go out and produce 3 nice saugeye. I do know with how many anglers we have a few 27 inch fish more than likely will show up. TIGHT LINES AND LETS GOOO!!


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

someone said it was catch and release.....sorry guys, but Saugeye are my meat fish. If they are decent size they're getting filleted. If this wasn't catch and release I'd give it a go


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

Southernsaug said:


> someone said it was catch and release.....sorry guys, but Saugeye are my meat fish. If they are decent size they're getting filleted. If this wasn't catch and release I'd give it a go


Dude...it’s your best three fish...how hungry are you?


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Bass Assasin Slaton said:


> To your original estimate of an 80" stringer.. I highly doubt someone will bring in 3, 27+ plus fish. That would be INSANE.


You're talking about Saugeye Legends, here. Not to brag, but I routinely catch at least one or two 26" + Eyes every year during the Tourney time frame. What was it, 3 years back me and a buddy caught 7 or 8 (combined) over 26" in October/November.

The winning stringer will go at least 75".


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

Some nights your best fish is your only fish. Sorry but if it’s a one fish night it’s going back unless I did it serious harm.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

acklac7 said:


> You're talking about Saugeye Legends, here. Not to brag, but I routinely catch at least one or two 26" + Eyes every year during the Tourney time frame. What was it, 3 years back me and a buddy caught 7 or 8 (combined) over 26" in October/November.
> 
> The winning stringer will go at least 75".


I agree! The last two years alone has been crazy for fish over 21" in a lake or two around here,not to mention the river,then all the mwd guys. 
The last one was held thru whatJune? That's more of a numbers time of year at least for me. Come November theres usually alot of bigger fish popping up.


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

Brahmabull71 said:


> Dude...it’s your best three fish...how hungry are you?


That's a valid point, but how do you know when you have one of your three best? I guess you could just decide to enter only those over say 24". I wouldn't have any problem releasing a 3 -5 bigger ones. but I envisioned releasing most of what I caught, wasn't thinking it out. Some falls I get quite a few, other years I may not catch many at all. I like to stuff the freezer in the fall. Spring and summer I just eat fresh caught as I want, because I'm getting them on a regular basis. when fall hits and I know I'm going to have a two to three month off season, I'm putting fish away.


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## jray (Jan 20, 2006)

I think this will come down to what lakes you fish honestly. The central Ohio ones are a bit down right now for big fish imo so my guess is the river or down south. Also if I had my choice I would like to see it go a bit later in the year which would bring the deep lakes into play more. Cool idea and it should be fun for all that fish it. I may get in this year even though I shouldn’t with a baby coming in the beginning of October .


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## ReadHeaded Hunter (Apr 17, 2007)

I'm in! Haven't fished near enough this year so it's not gonna be pretty. Hoping this is some motivation to get my butt moving


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Bass Assasin Slaton said:


> To your original estimate of an 80" stringer.. I highly doubt someone will bring in 3, 27+ plus fish. That would be INSANE. so don't think everyone is going to be putting up high numbers like these. T


I'm gonna go out on a limb an say the brawl brought more big fish then you thought.... if it where to go all the way thru November into december we would have seen more people put up 70"+ stringers.
Just goes to show how great ohio saugeye fishing is. C'Grats to all that finished hi....


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

The brawl was a success run very well. Cole and gang got a large amount of prizes and cash together. Thanks Roadside Minnows for the prize pack I won. I was very disappointed due to major Health issues in family only got out a few times. I was only going to register fish 22"and up. My areas for bigger fish I like were either dried up no water or water temps were to high to get big girls busy. 

I did say over 80" would win it and that guys southeast and northeast would be hard to beat. Large girls swimming in those areas with little pressure on them like central Ohio. 

Had a 24.5" a 23.75"and 22.75" that app messed up and would not take pics that night. Owner of app apologized said some android phones have issue with pic and no flash. He did a couple things and told me to try it and worked gind then. said will have it fixed for next tourney.

Congrats to top 5 and next 5 as well with outstanding quality eyes caught. Yes there are big saugeye still in Ohio just gotta branch out to find those spots. 
Numbers and sizes would have been much higher if we had water. Spillways and lake draw downs that didn't put hard flows in rivers really hurt it. Look forward to next one.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

fishslim said:


> The brawl was a success run very well. Cole and gang got a large amount of prizes and cash together. Thanks Roadside Minnows for the prize pack I won. I was very disappointed due to major Health issues in family only got out a few times. I was only going to register fish 22"and up. My areas for bigger fish I like were either dried up no water or water temps were to high to get big girls busy.
> 
> I did say over 80" would win it and that guys southeast and northeast would be hard to beat. Large girls swimming in those areas with little pressure on them like central Ohio.
> 
> ...


Ya I wish I lived a bit closer to the muskingum watershed lakes. Plus they always seem to fire off around Halloween with big fish. A little earlier typically then around here...


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

So what was the winning total....just curious. I kept track just for fun of my best three this fall, it was 73.25 inches


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)




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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

Thanks for the post. Those are some impressive numbers. I think winning or placing in this is more a function of where you fish than how you fish. In my area I doubt you could put together 3 fish to equal 82 inches in three years. We see a lot of 21-24 inch saugeye, but anything over 25" is hard to come by. In a year you may have 2-4 fish between 25-27". My best three all year totaled 74.5". Now last December I hit a streak of big fish and I got a 29.25" and 8lb 6oz hog (my personal best) and several in the 23-25" category. That was probably my best group ever. Still pretty interesting to see what's out there. I'm not into competitions, but I do like seeing what ppl catch.


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

Here's a couple pictures of that personal best I caught 12/5/2018


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## Bass Assasin Slaton (May 22, 2011)

Saugeyefisher said:


> I'm gonna go out on a limb an say the brawl brought more big fish then you thought.... if it where to go all the way thru November into december we would have seen more people put up 70"+ stringers.
> Just goes to show how great ohio saugeye fishing is. C'Grats to all that finished hi....


This tournament was crazy and the top two spots were caught in one lake.. I didnt think 80" would be possible I was guessing mid to high 70s..but 82...geez


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## whiskerchaser (Mar 13, 2013)

I'm glad to see those numbers outta lakes. Saugeye tend to grow longer in rivers then lakes depending on some factors of course. Hopefully life is little easier next year I will be joining this tournament.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

> This tournament was crazy and the top two spots were caught in one lake..


If top two spots were caught in the same lake then those guys are traveling! One is in SW Ohio and the other East Central Ohio.


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## Lil Crappie (Jun 17, 2013)

Is this where you video your catch being measured, and the release?


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Lil Crappie said:


> Is this where you video your catch being measured, and the release?


Yes something like that....


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## Tinknocker1 (May 13, 2013)

Saugeyefisher said:


> Ya I wish I lived a bit closer to the muskingum watershed lakes. Plus they always seem to fire off around Halloween with big fish. A little earlier typically then around here...


Move a long little buddy nothing to see here hee hee


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