# Pretty Good Day At WB(test)



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

Caught 7 stripers with son. Kept this one for the wall.


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

c. j. stone said:


> Caught 7 stripers with son. Kept this one for the wall.
> View attachment 95631


Of course this was a day in July, 1992! Just posted as a test for moving pics on my IPad mini to a post. Look out now-OGF! The crappie the striper is "taking" is 16.5 inches for comparison. The striper was 43", 26.5 #(largest of the seven!)


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## kevin t (Apr 5, 2014)

You'd think there would still be a few stragglers left that someone would get into once in a while. Too bad.


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## BASSINaDL (Aug 24, 2010)

kevin t said:


> You'd think there would still be a few stragglers left that someone would get into once in a while. Too bad.



Did they quit stocking them? Why is there no reproduction?


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## Bassbully 52 (Feb 25, 2014)

I remember when those were in the lake in good numbers years ago. Watching them school out in the lake looked like 10 kids in a swimming hole flopping around..crazy. I never caught one but a buddy got one in the teens during a bass tourney years ago. It was the only one I ever seen caught.


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

I saw this bunch of kids one morning at the East Boat Ramp of WB all gathered around the dumpster and went over to have a look at what all the fuss was about. 
What I saw were 3 of the biggest freshwater fish I've ever laid eyes on!
The fish were neatly filleted with head attached. That vison is etched into my brain, I still see those fish in my memory as if it were just yesterday, they had to 40lb'ers each!


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

Eliminator said:


> I saw this bunch of kids one morning at the East Boat Ramp of WB all gathered around the dumpster and went over to have a look at what all the fuss was about.
> What I saw were 3 of the biggest freshwater fish I've ever laid eyes on!
> The fish were neatly filleted with head attached. That vison is etched into my brain, I still see those fish in my memory as if it were just yesterday, they had to 40lb'ers each!


Idiot moron who took those fish out. They were probably 20 years old!!! Taking one to mount is one thing, but for an everyday dinner? I think if the state ever puts that kind of resource in the lake again they should be strictly catch and release. 

I found one dead at WB three summers ago that was 40", every bit of 25 pounds.


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## jimthepolack (Mar 24, 2013)

MuskieJim said:


> Idiot moron who took those fish out. They were probably 20 years old!!! Taking one to mount is one thing, but for an everyday dinner? I think if the state ever puts that kind of resource in the lake again they should be strictly catch and release.
> 
> I found one dead at WB three summers ago that was 40", every bit of 25 pounds.


I agree. I've never eaten a striper, but I do know that an old fish (big) doesn't taste as good as a young one. I don't eat big Walleye because of that. Too many guys keep them for "bragging rights". I take a picture and release them. Respect the fish. After all, if weren't for them, we wouldn't have so much fun.


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

Fillet them, cut into chunks about three inches square, add some butter and onion wrap them in aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes at 325 degrees. Very tasty !


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

I forgot one step in cleaning. Be sure to remove the dark red meat and discard or they will taste pretty bad.


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## crestliner TS (Jun 8, 2012)

I caught one in the 15- 18 lb range about 15 yrs ago casting for bass, thats it.. Been fishing there since about 1980


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## eyetroller24 (Feb 1, 2013)

Caught this one 3 yrs ago Jigin walleye with 1/2 jig an half nighty big surprise right over 10 lbs


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

eyetroller24 said:


> Caught this one 3 yrs ago Jigin walleye with 1/2 jig an half nighty big surprise right over 10 lbs
> View attachment 96910


Did you catch that @ west branch...3 yrs ago?


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

jimthepolack said:


> I agree. I've never eaten a striper, but I do know that an old fish (big) doesn't taste as good as a young one. I don't eat big Walleye because of that. Too many guys keep them for "bragging rights". I take a picture and release them. Respect the fish. After all, if weren't for them, we wouldn't have so much fun.


I never ate a "small" striper but several larger ones-all from West Branch! They were one of the tastiest fish that I ever had!(never found one with "red" meat(like white bass), that I had to remove either. The flesh is firm, flakey(similar to red snapper), very mild(no fishey taste), and white as cotton! Excellent baked with lemon, Old Bay, and mayonnaise spread on it prior to baking.


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

BASSINaDL said:


> Did they quit stocking them? Why is there no reproduction?


Yes. They are originally salt water fish who can live in fresh water but typically only reproduce in waters(rivers, inlets, bays) near the coast but apparently, not in more inland lakes-although I have heard of rare exceptions.


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## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

I remember getting the Ohio game and Fish magazine when i was a kid in the 80's... i couldnt belive the size of those WB stripers! Ive never caught one, sure would be nice to have them stocked again.
I have read though that after being caught they have a very high mortallity rate... just from the fight they put up, they become stressed and die after returning them to the lake(more than most fish)... anybody know if this is fact?


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## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

eyetroller24 said:


> Caught this one 3 yrs ago Jigin walleye with 1/2 jig an half nighty big surprise right over 10 lbs
> View attachment 96910


Eyetroller, I'm not an expert but I think that is a wiper you caught.


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## eyetroller24 (Feb 1, 2013)

I though that but the mouth on the thing was huge and never caught a wiper that big showed picture to west branch bait and tackle he told me that it defiantly looked like a striper but other then that it may be a wiper


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

c. j. stone said:


> I never ate a "small" striper but several larger ones-all from West Branch! They were one of the tastiest fish that I ever had!


I hope they were delicious! There's none left in the lake!


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

> There's none left in the lake!


Heard a rumor out there that somehow a few ended up in Rockwell. . .


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

creekcrawler said:


> Heard a rumor out there that somehow a few ended up in Rockwell. . .


I wouldn't doubt it. I know for a fact there are blue catfish and flatheads in west branch. Someone obviously had to put those in there too! 

Out east, there's a golf course that used to be a fish hatchery. My first cast ever in one of the ponds resulted in a 32" northern pike. You never know what people put in these lakes!


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## WALLEYE WALLHANGIN' (May 10, 2008)

Nice!


EyeZ on eyes


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## eyetroller24 (Feb 1, 2013)

Twistedcatfish yea caught it at west branch 3 yrs ago


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## sonar (Mar 20, 2005)

As to "How did those kinds of fish get into this lake"?? Birds are a big element for diversifying species in our lakes & streams.. It's a fact that our Waterfowl have put fish in ponds,lakes,rivers & streams.. But as to "Stripers" & "Wipers",, they were put in W.B. by the State Fisheries/ODNR/DOW... & What a Great job they do!! (That's for Matt & the Girls,,that I was most fortunate to accompany at Mil. last Aug.,,THANKS again Matt!! Electro Shock-Testing) Somehow some still have hung on,,Mother Nature is THE MOST very Powerful force on earth!! & if,,there is a way that Life can endure,,We have seen proof of it every so often.. 5 yrs. ago,,My now passed BRO/FRIEND - GAR,, had a,,we guesstmated,,35-40 lb Striper to the side of my boat.. It broke off when it was spooked by our headlights..We would have taken a pic,,& released,,But I did touch it!! Trying to "Gill it",, Not to be,,it was GONE!! & a the morning before Gars' fish,,My Bud Dave hit one about 30 yds. from where Gar got his,,& the same thing happened to Dave,,touch & gone!! By the way,,it was the Fri.-Sat. of Memorial Day weekend that we after night time Walleyes near Gilbert Rd. Launch area when this occurred.. Geez,,that is this weekend!! Hmmmm?? ----->>>>>sonar<<<<<-----


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

MuskieJim said:


> I hope they were delicious! There's none left in the lake!


If you read the original post, that day we kept one out of seven though there was no limit. Fishing for them a couple times a year over the course of maybe 5-6 years, we never kept every one we caught, manydays didn't catch any. In all that time, we probably kept 4 or 5 to eat. They stopped stocking them in the late 80's because they didn't think the return on them was worth the trouble or expense since most people who caught them didn't talk about it. Even if no one ever kept one to eat, they would now be more than 30 years old and most, probably the majority, of them have died of old age. Many have posted finding them over the years dead, floating and rotting. They were "put and take" fish. We didn't clean them out, they're not there because the State stopped "putting"-plain and simple.


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## Crg2 (Mar 14, 2014)

Step dad has the state record out of west branch it was a monster that was in 91-92


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## BASSINaDL (Aug 24, 2010)

MuskieJim said:


> I wouldn't doubt it. I know for a fact there are blue catfish and flatheads in west branch. Someone obviously had to put those in there too!
> 
> Out east, there's a golf course that used to be a fish hatchery. My first cast ever in one of the ponds resulted in a 32" northern pike. You never know what people put in these lakes!


Are you talking about Thunder Hill?

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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