# New Hoover Catfish regulations



## lacdown (Apr 25, 2007)

FYI as I wasn't aware of the change. Not a big fan of over-complicating things with the slot, but it will continue to become a great catfish fishery... just wondering if the blue cats are gobbling up the saugeye and wish they'd put some wipers in.

Channel Catfish & Blue Catfish
• Hoover Reservoir
None may be taken
between 18 & 28 inches

4 fish split: daily limit
3 fish less than 18 inches, & 1 fish 28 inches or longer


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

lacdown said:


> ... just wondering if the blue cats are gobbling up the saugeye and wish they'd put some wipers in.


Swear DNR said it wasn’t the blues impacting the lackluster saugeye results lately. Regardless they’re using fingerlings for future stockings and abandoning fry. Implication is it could be all the crappie that have flourished in that lake. Known as rabbits of the water world, all the more reason the harvest the heck out of them.


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## Fisherman 3234 (Sep 8, 2008)

Blue Catfish will rarely if ever prey upon Saugeye. They prefer delicious Gizzard Shad instead.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Do they have signs up stating the new regs? If not that’s really unfortunate.


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## lacdown (Apr 25, 2007)

I'm not sure, but you're right AJ. Lot of folks assuming there isn't a major change like myself... just happened to stumble upon it yesterday when confirming the white bass regs for another post.


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

I don't doubt Blue Catfish prefer Shad, but I have literally caught Blue Catfish on anything from worms, minnows and other live bait to cranks/swims while chasing other species. I don't target Blue Catfish but catch plenty of them while I target the top and middle columns of the waters; catch channels while targeting fish on the bottom columns.

Again, it depends on the size of the Blue but it is an opportunistic predator and will eat different species of fish it can catch. Wonder if anyone is keeping track of the Saugeye and Bass numbers compared to prior years. So far, past couple years I heard from ODNR they were down (some probably contributed to the fry program too).


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## lacdown (Apr 25, 2007)

To reyangelo's point, I had a snakehead and a tiger shovelnose in my fish tank when I was younger... both were about 6 inches long. After hearing splashes in the tank one night I woke up to see the snakehead's tail sticking out of the shovelnose's mouth... later puked it up (waste of $10 fish). 

Predatory fish (and most animals) will eat anything they can catch and fit into their mouths.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

reyangelo said:


> I don't doubt Blue Catfish prefer Shad, but I have literally caught Blue Catfish on anything from worms, minnows and other live bait to cranks/swims while chasing other species. I don't target Blue Catfish but catch plenty of them while I target the top and middle columns of the waters; catch channels while targeting fish on the bottom columns.
> 
> Again, it depends on the size of the Blue but it is an opportunistic predator and will eat different species of fish it can catch. Wonder if anyone is keeping track of the Saugeye and Bass numbers compared to prior years. So far, past couple years I heard from ODNR they were down (some probably contributed to the fry program too).


Fishslim touched on this during his crappie seminar. 
Rey,your 100% correct that they will eat anything,bit over all prefer shad (like most game-fish) .
I think there pointing at the very large crappie population for the decline in saugeye numbers. Wich makes sence considering how many crappiez are in that lake!


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Saugeyefisher said:


> Fishslim touched on this during his crappie seminar.
> Rey,your 100% correct that they will eat anything,bit over all prefer shad (like most game-fish) .
> I think there pointing at the very large crappie population for the decline in saugeye numbers. Wich makes sence considering how many crappiez are in that lake!


Would you say it’s “polluted” with them, Bobby?


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

RiparianRanger said:


> Would you say it’s “polluted” with them, Bobby?


Nahh,i like crappie


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