# Stocking of Saugeye in GMR



## riverfisherman1962 (Apr 4, 2005)

Years ago saugeyes were regularly stocked in the GMR near Troy but it was discontinued. I thought it produced an excellent fishery. Now you may catch one occasionally and any that are left probably are a result of stocking in Indian lake or perhaps lake Loramie. I vaguely remember hearing about a concern that the ODNR had about putting too many saugeyes directly into the river. They were concerned that saugeye may not be sterile and could potentially breed with naturally occuring sauger in the lower GMR. Is there any truth to this or am I remembering incorrectly? Anyway, I really miss the great saugeye fishing that the GMR used to offer.


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## getinjiggy (May 24, 2004)

Ive heard this stocking thing before. I can normally hit the river near Troy and come home with at least 4 on any given day. Ive taken a few pike as well. Glenn


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## harrison08 (Oct 4, 2004)

I am not sure where i heard it but, i heard that they had stopped stocking saugeye in the GMR because most of them got "flushed" down into the ohio river. They did not stay in the areas where they were intended. So the DNR said that it was a waste to stock upstream, just to have them go down river quicker than anticipated. Again, I am not positive about this. But, I do remember hearinf it somehwere.



Harrison08


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## newbreed (May 4, 2004)

I heard the same thing ...... many did stay in the intended area but they found the higher concentrations just moved way downstream after the troy and sidney stockings ...... I have to assume that the current populations are left over from that stocking period and some from washing down from Indian/Loramie lakes as riverfisherman posted .....

But it was real good fishing there for a few years ....... seems to have fallen off a bit, but there are still many to be caught if you fish for them .... and the Troy Dam still seems to be the best spot in our area with a few other isolated spots producing from time to time .......


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## GMR_Guy (Apr 10, 2004)

As much as some people might like the saugeye, I think that stocking them could endanger the GMR's walleye and sauger population.


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## riverfisherman1962 (Apr 4, 2005)

I emailed Doug Maloney of ODNR about this issue and this was his response:

In regards to saugeye, our goal is stock saugeyes in areas where we can improve fishing without negatively impacting other important fishery resources. We are concerned about the genetic integrity of the Ohio River sauger, an extremely important part of the sport fish community on the Ohio River. To that end, we have discontinued direct river stockings in both the Great Miami River. However, we believe that it is reasonable to improve fishing by stocking saugeyes at Indian, Caesar Creek, Paint Creek, Deer Creek, and other lakes in the Ohio River watershed. Yes, some fish escape from these lakes and have the potential to move downstream. However, we believe that direct river stockings increase the likelihood of downstream movements to an unacceptable level. Over the last 5 years, we contracted with The Ohio State University to conduct research into the rearing of completely sterile saugeyes. After all, if you could guarantee that a hatchery produced saugeye was sterile, then we would be safe to stock fish directly into the Great Miami. However, the research did not produce any viable methods for producing large numbers of saugeyes that were 100% sterile.


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## WalleyeFreak (Sep 29, 2008)

I heard from a friend that out of all the saugeye stocked across the state that at least 40% are fertile. It could be just another fish story though. I am leaning to believe it though with the amount of saugeye that they stocked in Seneca Lake in 2000. I just don't see how the fishing gets better and more in numbers if they aren't reproducing.


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## CatBassCrap (Apr 25, 2008)

I'm anxious to hear what wiper swiper has to say on this subject.


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## Wiper Swiper (May 24, 2005)

...errr...saugeyes suck???

Old thread, but important educational subject that all Buckeye anglers should have some exposure to from both sides.

Saugeye are a bio-engineered vehicle designed to sell fishing licenses to the detriment of native lotic species. One only needs to understand that the ODW will not stock them North of the Ohio "continental divide" (the Erie drainage) for verification of that fact.


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## jimnrg (Aug 6, 2008)

I've not caught a saugeye yet but if what I've heard is true they're not much in the fight department. I fish for the fun of the fight so in my reckoning they are just competing with the bass for food and slowing their growth rate not to mention munching on their babies. DEATH TO SAUGEYES!!!


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## WalIkng (Nov 28, 2007)

I for one enjoy catching saugeyes in the river and target them much of the time. Granted a big smallmouth will put up a much better fight than a big Saugeye, I still think they are fun to catch.


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

Saugeye really don't fight much, however they are quite tasty!!! I catch them up at Deer Creek and they produce a very nice meal...


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## Roscoe (Jul 22, 2007)

Wait until you get ahold of a 10lb.+ at C.C. then tell me they don't fight.The big ones scrap like a Musky.


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## newbreed (May 4, 2004)

Wow, this is an old thread brought back from the dead. Has one of my posts in it from 2005. 95 and 97 is when they were stocked directly into the river. A bunch in Troy and a smaller batch in Sidney.


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

Get into one bigger than 21" and they fight fine, just no jumping and the bite is more of an inhale than a hit.


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

Roscoe said:


> Wait until you get ahold of a 10lb.+ at C.C. then tell me they don't fight.The big ones scrap like a Musky.


Well I haven't caught a 10 pounder, but my biggest a nice fat 27 incher, did not fight very hard and neither have the several in the 20+ inch range I have caught.


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## River Anglin (Feb 18, 2008)

Okay, I'll weigh in. I like saugeyes. In my neck of the woods, we have smallmouth, small catfish, a few largemouths and lots of suckers. Panfish exist, but they are usually small. Recently, we've discovered some small pike and that is good for the future, but before this, the saugeyes have filled a void. We don't have walleyes like you'd find in Lake Erie or its tributaries. Our crappie population is very limited and there are no white bass, stripers, saugers, or gars.

Saugeyes are our walleyes. I don't really get into catfish and carp, so the only fish I have to target are smallmouth. I love smallmouth and they are certainly my favorite species, but I can't take them home to eat and frankly, I get bored with them. Saugeyes are a nice change of pace and I beg to differ on the fight. Pound for pound, nothing fights like a smallmouth, unless you're fishing in Florida and hook into a snook. That's an unfair comparison for the saugeye. They fight. The bite can be difficult to detect, but once you have them hooked, they don't just roll over and play dead. The bigger they are, the better the fight. The teeth they come equipped with can break your line, so that is an added challenge. 

I certainly have not noticed a decrease in other gamefish populations since the introduction of saugeyes in the river. On the contrary, I think the smallmouth population and their sizes have increased. I have noticed a considerable drop in the crappie population, but who can say that is due to saugeye introduction? All other species have remained the same or thrived since then. Now we are even seeing a new young population of pike. That was once a rare find around here and young ones were unheard of.

I, for one, very much enjoyed the saugeyes in the late 1990's and I'm glad to know that they can still be found if one looks in the right places.

That's my uneducated opinion


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

Why would someone in Troy (me) care about the fishery in the Ohio river? I think that the saugeye in the Gmr has increased interest in fishing and brings alot of people to Troy to catch them. Troy has great river access and on any given night there will be people out fishing, alot of them kids. I also think that the majority are targeting saugeye, then smallmouth. So whats the problem with throwing in 100k fry every other year, spend some of our DNR money in Miami county. Its not like we have public hunting areas to support, we get no trout releases, no pheasant releases, our only form of public sporting recreation is the GMR. Show a little love.


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## yakfish (Mar 13, 2005)

I think the saugeye population is growing. I have fished the GMR for about 10 years and back when I started fishing there I never caught a suageye. I have caught quite a few over the last 2 years though. more than I have over the previous 8 years. and for those who say they don't fight, you need to go up to troy and catch you one and then report back. they don't fight a well as a small mouth but they are on average bigger than most smallmouths that I catch in the GMR. and they can deffinently strip line. I caught a 29 incher up in troy a few mounths ago and let me telll you that was quite a battle!


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## Wiper Swiper (May 24, 2005)

<< Sigh >>

So, squid...I'm assuming this is a trap.

...another covert, double super secret plot designed to make the Swiper lose his military bearing and committ message board suicide to the cheers and jeers of his distractors...

Or, it could be the Beam thinking...

When you write-- *"Why would someone in Troy (me) care about the fishery in the Ohio river?" *

Yer pitching one of them fancy rhetorical questions...eh???

...'cause if yer serious...I'm close to being lubricated enough to call you a booger.

Who cares about anything? It's the '90's fer cripes sake...throw caution to the wind, live for the moment, if it feels good...it is good!

Critical thought's over-rated...

Let's do this...turn the whole damn state into one BIG paylake! We'll stock them franken fish from shore to shore...leave no eddy void. Every cast will yield a hit, and every deep fryer will bubble with the fruits of our "labor".

It'll be galddamn fishing Ethiopia...

Sauger are over-rated...riverine walleye are over-rated...and saugeye fight like Mike Tyson off his meds...

sheesh...

I'll quit fishing when I cease to care about what happens downstream. I'm hoping the folks upstream of me have the same attitude.

Fish on...


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

Not a trap questions wiper, Just wanting some of my DNR money spent in Miami County. Just like someone that fishes Erie wants Dnr to support their fishery. I'm sure you would like DNR to spend some of that $ on Kiser improvements. Since the 90's there have been thousands of saugeye caught in the GMR north of the Ohio river that alone would have me saying it is a successful stocking program.


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