# My 7 pound S-eye



## Fishingislife (May 20, 2004)

Last week I went to Alum spillway to fish for some s-eye, had a pretty good day! Caught 2 s-eye.... Was using rapala's husky jerks
Below is my 7 pound s-eye filled with eggs.....


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## Fish4Fun (Apr 6, 2004)

Great job and congrats man cant wait to see the pic.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Congrats on a darn nice fish!  I have been chasing those saugeyes for six years and have yet to break 22".


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## Fish4Fun (Apr 6, 2004)

very nice man great job


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

nice fish for sure  
ones like that don't come every day.


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

Makes standing in the cold well worth the effort!
Congrats!


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## billybob7059 (Mar 27, 2005)

Thats a Great Saugeye!


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

Congratulations on a great Saugeye.


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## EE (Apr 13, 2004)

that's a beauty!


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## fishing_marshall (Jun 12, 2004)

Very nice fish! Same thing here Shortdrift. I've been chasing them for 3 years and never got one over 22in.


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## hillbillybelownewphilly (Nov 16, 2006)

Congrats Fishingislife! Thats a beaut! :B


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## fishingredhawk (Apr 14, 2004)

Nice looking eye!


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## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

Great fish!
One to be proud of!


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## Trucked (Apr 6, 2004)

Now that's what I'm talking about,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


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## jshbuckeye (Feb 27, 2005)

Now thats the hook up. Great job on getting out there and doing it.


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

Saugeyes below Alum?  Great looking fish. If they would only stack up in there!! Heard a small muskie was caught the other day as well!! Keep it Up!!!


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## Brian.Smith (May 18, 2006)

Very nice that one could of ate the one I caught last night.


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## jmenchhofer (Jan 12, 2007)

Nice fish! My cousin and I spent a couple of hours down there tonight, but came up empty handed. It sure felt good to get out there and give it a try, though.


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## BIGHILLBILLY (Jul 29, 2006)

Great looking fish! Man this cold weather needs to end already! I've got that itch!


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## starcraft (Jun 3, 2005)

Nice eye congrats on the catch!!!!  Dont see saugeye caught that size very often.


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## tcba1987 (Jun 22, 2004)

That is a BEAUTIFUL saugeye !!! CONGRATS !!!


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## Bubba bass bigfoot (May 8, 2006)

nice fish congrats on it, but did you have to keep it, just asking. you let s a fish that big go, so it can breed, it could produce fish that grow to be its size. just read my C&R in my Sig. like starcraft said dont see many of those caught anymore.
but nice man.


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## MarbleEYEs (Nov 22, 2006)

i would recommend the same except for the fact that saugeye dont reproduce naturally


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

Great Job!!! That is a very nice fish.


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## duckman (Sep 18, 2004)

fishslim said:


> Who said there was not any Saugeyes below Alum?


 I did so my wife would let me go to Erie on a regular basis.... lol .... 

Very Very nice fish. Just don't let Dave Gowlenski put that in the Sunday Columbus Dirtpatch Sports section even though that is a trophy worthy of it. 

I will never get to go to Erie again.


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## ErieAngler (Apr 15, 2006)

Sweet fish, I still haven't made it down there, but I plan to. Does everyone fish for them there at night this time of year?


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## Bubba bass bigfoot (May 8, 2006)

i have heard they dont reproduce, but then hearing that it was full of eggs i thought other wise.


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## fugarwi7 (Sep 20, 2006)

Bubba bass bigfoot said:


> i have heard they dont reproduce, but then hearing that it was full of eggs i thought other wise.


Could it possibly be a rogue walleye rather than a saugeye? I don't know anything about s-eyes, but is that a possibility? Hard to distinguish the markings from the picture. Do saugeye produce eggs, but not actually spawn?

Regardless, a nice looking fish!


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

fugarwi7 said:


> Do saugeye produce eggs, but not actually spawn?
> 
> Regardless, a nice looking fish!


Exactly, both male and female go through all the motions of spawning (egg/milt development, nesting etc) it's just the Eggs are sterile (for the most part).


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## Pigsticker (Oct 18, 2006)

I heard the biologist say its baffling to them that somehow like 3% of them do actually reproduce. Being a hybrid species they thought it would be impossible.


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## multi species angler (Feb 20, 2006)

According to some on this site there is no shortage of :B like that. If not, why has fisherman like Shortdrift and others went so long without catching one.  More saugeye spawn and reproduce than some people think. There is fear in some, that the true native strain of walleye may be lost one day because of cross breeding.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Saugeyes rarely reproduce. Ask OEPA, ODNR. They=Smart guys. On the note of releasing a 7lb saugeye....Why? They were put in our lakes for our taking to relieve pressure on fish that do actually reproduce naturally IE LMB, SMB, ETC. Use common sense when keeping fish. This catch was well within the realms of a keeper.

Oh, and GOOD FISH!


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## Ultralight (Jun 8, 2005)

I think most people do use common sense when keeping fish. If you want to harvest and eat -great. No common sense in harvesting and killing without eating...



Mushijobah said:


> Saugeyes rarely reproduce. Ask OEPA, ODNR. They=Smart guys. On the note of releasing a 7lb saugeye....Why? They were put in our lakes for our taking to relieve pressure on fish that do actually reproduce naturally IE LMB, SMB, ETC. Use common sense when keeping fish. This catch was well within the realms of a keeper.
> 
> Oh, and GOOD FISH!


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## FSHNHIAME (Dec 16, 2006)

nice fish out of alum spillway i hope to catch one that big out of deercreek i think there are some anglers that do know when to catch and release but i have fished the spillways alot and have seen alot of small fish kept now that doesnt make sense


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

Great looking fish...Congrats!


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

longer then i expected from your last wrant last month 12-17 indian lake! The same old same old from you why is it you can not get off your trying to make people feel like if they are not like you they are worthless. This guy worked hard for what he got took time to share it with others and then had a tasty meal that was his right to do. And yes if you really understood what the saugeye fishery is all about and where the program is at in the lakes around here maybe you would stop. Talked personally with dnr about size and quality of fish in Alum Hoover Indian and other lakes nearby and they are loaded with large fish with many having State records swimming in them right now seen and weighed in shocking and netting programs. I am CERTAIN that his nice 7 pounder did not hurt anything. Reason not getting many below dam like before has to do with not as many fish coming thru since new cover was put in on lakeside big fish don't come thru as easy like before. I know this is a waste time and breathe and i would say in another month or sooner when a big fish shows up you will show up again. Hopefully next time just to compliment the guy not belittle. Oh guys here is a picture of 2 1/2 weeks ago from indian was not able to get camera to unload finally did these came from a honey hole i was able to finally fish have to have permission to get to this spot and owners were there caught 9 nice fish all own rogues. And they all fried up real nice!!!


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

theres no problem taking a 7lb trophy, i think theres more of a problem with people who keep a limit every day to show that they can do it and then fill the freezer with fish they dont eat. as for saugeye spawning the fertility rate is somthing around 15% so spawning isnt why you should release them, yes there is lots of big saugeye in ohio i just think that if more people released them when they were volnerable there would be more big saugeye, you just have to decide if eating them is worth the better shots at big fish.


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## Pigsticker (Oct 18, 2006)

Hey MSA and others like him. I used to be MORE adamant about catch and release than any of you and still am about bass. Until I did a little research and realized that this is the best species to keep of them all because 

1. Saugeye reproduce at a rate of 3% so im not taking any "breeders". I don't know where some of you guys are getting your numbers from.

2. Over 400,000 fingerlings are stocked at each of Ohio's big lakes annually. 

3. The state has obviously shown through their programs that this is there main goal to provide people eating fish (saugeye) instead of gamefish (bass). 
Not to mention that they don't fight worth a crap. They're also one of the best tasting fish available. 

Believe me there are plenty of pics in the galleries that I see of people with stringers of 12 bass between 2-5 lbs that make my skin crawl. Or the piles of 100 carp that the bowfishermen take. I've been very tempted to leave them a comment like asking them why they'd be so selfish. Then I realized it's not my place to do so.

Saugeye on the other hand are in their own seperate catagory. To me saugeye are just born to die. They perform no function once they're put into the lake but to be eaten. Like I mentioned above they're not gamefish that are sought after because of their fighting prowess. They won't reproduce future generations. I feel if fishermen don't take them then they are just being wasted. They'll just eventually die without having served any purpose in life but to maybe be some critters dinner when they're dead of old age carcass comes washing up on the shore somewhere.

IMO the only time its unethical to keep a saugeye is when snagged or under 15". If kept before that they never even get a chance in life.

Back on topic nice saugeyes Slim. Those are some toads. I can't believe how plump some of them are.


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## BigDaddy300 (Nov 1, 2004)

Pigsticker said:


> 3. The state has obviously shown through their programs that this is there main goal to provide people eating fish (saugeye) instead of gamefish (bass).
> Not to mention that they don't fight worth a crap. They're also one of the best tasting fish available.



So what you are saying is that saugeye are not game fish? Since thay are from walleye and sauger, they wouldn't be gamefish either?

Also if they are "born to die" why are you worried about the snagging and keeping fish under the legal size limit or giving them "a chance in life"


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Fishing is a sport. Snagging is not sporting. Saugeye are a put and take resource, just like rainbow trout in some public ponds around the state. If you have a hard time swallowing that, write the DNR and demand they stock walleye.


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## jshbuckeye (Feb 27, 2005)

this was such a good thread a fisherman works hard to get his prize out in the elements within the law and theres always someone that wants to pee on his parade makes me sick quite frankly. Worry about something you are going to actually do something about. Sorry to of posted this here guess it takes away from the original also. Great job on the eyes guys.


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## Pigsticker (Oct 18, 2006)

I'm 100% C&R except a few saugeyes and 1 days worth of walleye from Erie each year. No I don't consider walleye, saugeye or sauger a gamefish. They don't put up any fight to deserve this moniker. I consider them an eating fish. Since I release almost all, IMO a carp, sucker or drum is more of a gamefish than a weak little walleye. At least they fight tooth and nail. If the walleye family didn't taste so darn good they'd be worthless in my book. Think about it, every fish but one in fresh water either taste good or is a scrappy fighter. The only one that doesn't fit in either catagory is IMO the biggest "trash" fish is "old red eye", the rock bass.

Theres more important species to be worried about than saugeye. The state isn't going to let them dry up anytime soon. Now the bass on the other hand need all of our help. Sportsmen need to be vocal about C&R, more state stocking programs, no tournaments during spawn, and more closed seasons statewide like there are on Erie.

It's unethical to keep snagged fish and undersized ones because we're sportsmen not animals. 

How long was that 7lber. It doesn't look nearly as fat as Slims fish. If it was stuffed to the gills like his it might've went another pound.


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## harry1 (Apr 17, 2004)

i heard your fish mentioned on the radio program that big daddy recomended. nice fish young man. i hope she got to disco in the crisco.


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## BigDaddy300 (Nov 1, 2004)

Pigsticker said:


> I'm 100% C&R except a few saugeyes and 1 days worth of walleye from Erie each year. No I don't consider walleye, saugeye or sauger a gamefish. They don't put up any fight to deserve this moniker. I consider them an eating fish. Since I release almost all, IMO a carp, sucker or drum is more of a gamefish than a weak little walleye. At least they fight tooth and nail. If the walleye family didn't taste so darn good they'd be worthless in my book. Think about it, every fish but one in fresh water either taste good or is a scrappy fighter. The only one that doesn't fit in either catagory is IMO the biggest "trash" fish is "old red eye", the rock bass.
> 
> Theres more important species to be worried about than saugeye. The state isn't going to let them dry up anytime soon. Now the bass on the other hand need all of our help. Sportsmen need to be vocal about C&R, more state stocking programs, no tournaments during spawn, and more closed seasons statewide like there are on Erie.


You must not be catching any bigger eyes because I have caught more than my share of them and alot of them give a good fight. I have even had them clear water. You won't get much of a fight with heavy tackle while trolling, just cranking them in, but I cast alot for them and they will fight. Granted they don't fight like a smallie or steelie but fight none the less. Just depends on the fish. I have caught bass that came in like a wet rag. Does this mean they should not be game fish either?

I am also a big C&R angler. I probably release about 95% of the fish I catch, which range from bass to walleye and everything in between. 

Have you ever tried rock bass? They are a very good eating fish. What about largemouth? We use to eat them when I was a kid in Florida. They were good from what I remember.

I don't think you have to worry about the bass. I would agree that maybe there should be less pressure on them during the spawn, but I feel that way about all species. But if the state were to do the things mentioned it would create big populations of bass. This in turn would lead to a more generous limit on them and people would figure out that they tasted good and start keeping more.


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## fugarwi7 (Sep 20, 2006)

Pigsticker...I feel sorry for you...you need to take your bass blinders off and see things from a broader perspective...gamefish are not classified as such just because of the amount of fight they give...if that were the case, carp would have been the top game fish of them all a long time ago, as they fight much harder than almost all other freshwater fish. 

But, to each his own I guess.


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## Big Joshy (Apr 26, 2004)

riverKing said:


> theres no problem taking a 7lb trophy, i think theres more of a problem with people who keep a limit every day to show that they can do it and then fill the freezer with fish they dont eat. as for saugeye spawning the fertility rate is somthing around 15% so spawning isnt why you should release them, yes there is lots of big saugeye in ohio i just think that if more people released them when they were volnerable there would be more big saugeye, you just have to decide if eating them is worth the better shots at big fish.


I think you are right on the money. Ive caught saugeye up to about 26 inches some ive kept some ive let go. More and more I let them go because 
I PERSONONALy want to catch a 10lber some day. Probably wont happen, but if I dont put some fish back that are well on their way, I really wouldnt be trying very hard to acheive that goal.

People can keep whatever they want as far as saugeye go, as long as they dont complain about the size of the fish in the lake later. Like below deer creek, everyone complains about the fish being small, but no one wants to throw back a 10 incher.


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## Pigsticker (Oct 18, 2006)

Believe me i've caught my share of big walleyes. I got 2 eight pounders in 10 mins once on a headboat on Erie. They feel like a wet sock reeling them in. They're the 2nd worst fighting fish that swims in fresh water pound for pound behind rock bass. Yes i've tasted largemouth and they taste grassy. Ever notice they're not on any restaraunt menus? Along with rock bass. Rock bass fall apart and turn to mush when you cook and clean them. There's a reason nobody keeps them dude, you're one of the only ones that ive ever heard of keeping rockies that wasn't starving. As a matter of fact in all the fish camps ive been to in the last 36 years, which is many, ive never seen a red eye make it to the cleaning table. And ive even seen people clean carp, suckers and muskie but never a rockie.

I don't have on bass blinders totally. I just don't think the walleye family fights worth crap pound for pound. Does anyone really feel walleyes are a fighting fish? Id say no. I fish for largies, smallie, stripers, wipers, spots, trout, steelhead, cats, carp, crappies, gills and even muskie a few times. I'm also going to a pike lake in Canada this summer. Again the only redeeming quality the walleye fam have to me is their taste. If a gamefish isn't classified a gamefish because of their fight then what else are they judging them on as to qualify them as a gamefish? A gamefish is one that will jump and actually take a little drag once in a while. If you're a 99.9% C&R fisherman like myself what else is there to go for but species that fight?

As for heavy tackle I only used 6 lb test up until last year for any kind of fishing. Until I tried the braided line and since it cast so well I use the 6lb diameter braid now on some poles. 

I totally agree with the trolling being no challenge. Especially if you've got 4-8 rods in holders. To me thats just plowing for fish. I mean you don't even set the hook! I've trolled some in Canada but holding the rod in hand to feel the fish. I mostly cast inline spinners for eyes on Erie. Just like my boy Tred Barta says "do it the hard way".

But, this thread isn't about C&R or me so lets just leave it at that and quit with the personal attacks.


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## NITRO-RIDER (Jan 26, 2007)

JUST TO ADD MY 2 CENTS, SOME PEOPLE WILL NOT HAVE THEIR MINDS CHANGED, BUT I'VE HAVE KEPT AND EATEN MANY ROCK BASS, MORE SO WHEN GROWING UP, HAD A CREEK RUNNING BEHIND PARENTS PROPERTY IN Pa., WE KEPT THE GILLS, SMALLMOUTH AND LRGMOUTH, AND ROCK BASS, IT WAS PRETTY HARD TO TELL WICH FISH THE MEAT CAME FROM, OTHER THAN SIZE, BY THE TASTE AND TEXTURE, THEY WERE ALL PRETTY MUCH THE SAME, ALL GOOD, THEY PUT UP A NICE FIGHT AS WELL. NOT QUITE AS WELL AS THE SMALLIES, BUT IF U HAD A GOOD SIZED ROCK BASS ON, YOU GOT A NICE BEND IN THE ROD. IS'NT THAT WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. 
MY FISH OF CHOICE IS BASS, BUT I DO TARGET WALLEYES SOME. I'M NOT AN EXPERT, AND I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYONE TO TEACH ME, BUT, I'VE LIMITED OUT ON EARIE MANY TIMES, AND MAYBE IT'S THE PERSONAL SATISFACTION THAT I DID IT ON MY OWN, IN MY BOAT, WITH MY EQUIPMENT, I DID'NT HAVE TO HIRE SOMEONE TO GUIDE ME. I WAS PROUD OF EVERY EYE I CAUGHT. THE HUNT AND THE ABILITY TO CAPTURE THE FISH I'M AFTER, TO ME, REALLY MAKES ME FEEL THAT I'VE ACOMPLISHED SOMETHING, EVEN IF ONLY IN MY MIND, LOL


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

Once again,people have managed to take an innocent thread about a nice catch,and turn it into not only a debate on c&r ,but a personal platform for opinions on best tasting fish,best fighting fish,summer vacations,etc.
Its a shame that a young fisherman cant take pride in a nice catch and post a report,without all the unnecessary drivle.
Maybe some of you dont realize it,but its a fact that many good members have resigned themselves to not posting due to this very thing.they get disenchanted by all the negativity and feeling they have to explain or defend their words or actions.
Someone mentioned in another thread,the idea of a c&r forum,in order to keep these discussions from degrading threads such as this.though I think it is a great idea,I doubt it would deter the hijacking of threads like this.
Though debate and civil discussion on various subject is welcome,common courtesy and consideration for others should be given.


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