# Blue Cats are coming



## Net (Apr 10, 2004)

According to Ray Petering from the ODNR, the state will begin collecting brood stock from the Ohio River this year to start a hatchery program for Blue Cats in inland waters. No bodies of water have been named as recipients yet.


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## Shad Man (Apr 30, 2008)

When are they planning to do the first stocking? Next year? I heard talk of this a few years back but nothing ever materialized. Back then they were looking at some of the larger lakes in central Ohio to control shad. I'm just curious of what Mr. Petering said in more detail.


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## Flathead King 06 (Feb 26, 2006)

Shad Man said:


> Back then they were looking at some of the larger lakes in central Ohio to control shad. I'm just curious of what Mr. Petering said in more detail.


I made a telephone call back when I heard a rumor of the blue cat being stocked in inland lakes to the district 5 head office about 3 months ago... and was told that larger reservoirs and lakes with shad problems would be the first to be on the list... he couldnt tell me when there would be a list and couldnt release any info on lakes already in question... but I did ask if CJ would be one to get them... "CJ Brown is one of the lakes in question due to its large population of gizzard shad.... Just stay tuned to our website for details."

Thats all I know about it...


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

One of my contacts last fall told me they were planning on getting some broodstock from KY this spring, not sure if that will be before the spawn, or after?? anyways, they should be ready to stock by late this summer was the original plan, as far as lakes, Dillon was the only one that was mentioned specifically and when I asked about CJ, never got an answer other then, "a lot of consideration has to be done to not effect an already balanced sport fishery" ( IE Walleyes) so that may hinder weather CJ would get them or not. Just my opinion there. Ill contact my buddy again and see what the latest updates are. He is near the top of the heap with DNR. 

Salmonid


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

what i gathered from ray petering was that the when,where,how,are being considered,but nothing is set in stone.the whole plan is still in the early stages,with lots of work to be done yet.


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

That would be awesome if they did start a program, I am all for it...haha


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## pendog66 (Mar 23, 2005)

through my contact i have heard that its still a year or two away but its most likely gonna happen. And when i asked about CJ, i was told that there is a chance but still not sure because it is such a great channel lake


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

your contact most likely got his info from the same place i did..................dnr fisheries chief ray petering.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

kinda odd, they never stocked them to try and bring them back when they were listed but as soon as they are de-listed its into the lakes?
not that I'm complaining, it'll be a riot to fish for them, and to listen to the bass fisherman...


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

CJ has plenty of them, the bigger ones roam all over that lake, where the Shad are the Blues are right behind them watch the birds and they will tell you where the fish are................Doc


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

My contact only relayed what everyone else has said,  Ill post more as I hear anything else.

Salmonid


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

i know that
which was as they say, the "horse's mouth"
wasn't meant in a malicous way.and didn't mean you or your guy weren't reliable.only mentioned because i'm just one who doesn't always take info from "sources" and "contacts" (secondhand,or in this case,thirdhand info) as gospel.i've heard and read lots of stuff over the years,that was misinformation,even if not intentional.i've cleared up several such things just on this site,by personally going straight to the top when i've been in doubt.
in this case i didn't need to because i heard it at the same time and place as terry (net) did,straight from the horse's mouth.

ps.........i'll be waiting for further word,and hopefully you'll say that hoover is on the list


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## catking (Apr 5, 2004)

Ceasar Creek and East Fork would be prime choices also.Both are very deep,millions of shad, and very little "good fishing" prospects. Blue cats in this type of setting would grow to 50 pounds or more in a matter of 6-8 years.I love fishing for the blues, and took several trips to Santee Cooper in SC just to fish for these giants. Fifty pounders plus were quite common, with the average age of the fish around 7 years.Can't wait to see where Ohio decides to stock them. Lets just hope they get it right , as they have failed quite a bit in the past 2 decades with stocking programs..... THE CATKING !!!


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## Joey209 (Oct 17, 2007)

I wonder how good they would do in Buckeye Lake????? I know it lacks depth but it is so freakin full of shad its ridiculous


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

catking said:


> Ceasar Creek and East Fork would be prime choices also.Both are very deep,millions of shad, and very little "good fishing" prospects. Blue cats in this type of setting would grow to 50 pounds or more in a matter of 6-8 years.I love fishing for the blues, and took several trips to Santee Cooper in SC just to fish for these giants. Fifty pounders plus were quite common, with the average age of the fish around 7 years.Can't wait to see where Ohio decides to stock them. Lets just hope they get it right , as they have failed quite a bit in the past 2 decades with stocking programs..... THE CATKING !!!


I agree that both those lakes would be great choices. However I don't think that their stocking programs have failed over the past years. Saugeye fishing is great at a lot of lakes, and have held on well. The muskie stocking has also worked pretty well, ecspecially at Caesars creek- not so much on Cowan, hopefully they will hold up well at East Fork as well.


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## whiskerfish (Apr 14, 2007)

I would love to see them stocked in Lake Erie!!!!


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

I hope dearly that the dnr is never foolish enough to stock blues in the erie drainege, we do not need another invasive in there.
I am curious if they will stock the blues in the bigger deeper lakes like cj, cc, and EF, it would stand to reason that they would do better there, plus all three have blues in them from bucket biologists freeing trapped pay lake fish, and those fish are definantly healthy. I dont know about dillon, but shallower lakes like many in the upper gmr and elsewhere dont seem fit, they did introduce blues at one point into I believe both buckeye and st. mary's(or was it indian?) but they apparently didnt do well.
that would be intresting if ohio had good growth rates in the lakes, I can imagine in-fisherman with an article about ohio's lake blues!


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

It would be awesome to hear things like that from In-Fisherman. Hopefully things work out both for the fish to be healthy/disease free, and the budget that the DNR gets and they will put some of these fish in the deeper lakes. I dont think Erie would be on the list, all the perch would go bye bye..haha


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## pendog66 (Mar 23, 2005)

fishdealer04 said:


> . I dont think Erie would be on the list, all the perch would go bye bye..haha


the zebra mussels would be gone too, but stocking erie with blues we would never see them again lol


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Erie is a bit large for stocking programs, other than trout.


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## AkronCATS (Nov 5, 2008)

I heard a rumor that MCWD Lakes would be getting blues stocked. This is only a rumor and I have no idea how much truth there is behind it.


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Glad to stopped in to check out the catfishing forums! Didn't know this was in the works and looking forward to hearing more about it.

Personal best blue in Ohio, 24.4# taken from EF.


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