# Walleye/sauger/saugeye question...



## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

O.k... I know the limit on walleye in the eastern zone (Ohio-west Virginia border) is 2 fish with an 18" minimum... however, by what I can tell, sauger and saugeye DO NOT follow the same restrictions/limits. It looks to me to be 10 fish (any combination) with no minimum size... can someone verify that for me? I've caught some pretty nice sauger this year, and have cleaned a few, but they've all been caught from the Ohio shoreline so I've never really had to be concerned with the W. Va. regulations. I'm planning on chasing them by boat more often this year, and just want to be sure I'm within the law.

(Basically I'm reading that I can have 10 sauger/saugeye of any length... along with 2 walleye at 18"+)

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## multi species angler (Feb 20, 2006)

You can only have 8 sauger and saugeye combined if you have the 2 walleye 18" or above.


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## G3guy (Feb 21, 2013)

If your in a boat you are fishing West Virginia. Must follow their bag limits. http://www.wvdnr.gov/Fishing/Regs18/2018_fishingRegs.pdf It is page 2 for sauger/saugeye and page 8 specifically on walleye. If you are fishing from Ohio bank ( not in a boat) follow what is posted in the Ohio fishing regulations on page 13.


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

G3guy said:


> If your in a boat you are fishing West Virginia. Must follow their bag limits. http://www.wvdnr.gov/Fishing/Regs18/2018_fishingRegs.pdf It is page 2 for sauger/saugeye and page 8 specifically on walleye. If you are fishing from Ohio bank ( not in a boat) follow what is posted in the Ohio fishing regulations on page 13.[/QUOT
> 
> Bad Bub....After doing surveys for five years for the ODNR and WVDNR on the Ohio River from French Creek on the W. Va. side to New Cumberland Dam, it never made sense to me that West Va. would agree to a limit of 10 saugeye, sauger, and walleye combined or ten of any one of the three if you are fishing from the Ohio shore with NO length limits, but if you are in a boat or from the West Va shore you are allowed two walleye 18" or longer along with 8 sauger and saugeye for a total of 10. Why no length limit on the sauger or saugeye? Why two from a boat but ten from the Ohio shore? Sure did meet a whole lot of interesting individuals in those five years though


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## G3guy (Feb 21, 2013)

It’s becasue West Virginia owns the river from waters edge to waters edge. They have the authority when it comes to regulations on the river. But when an Ohio licensed angler is standing in Ohio on the bank they ( West Virginia) have no authority. But in a Boat on the river your in West Virginia


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

G3guy said:


> It’s becasue West Virginia owns the river from waters edge to waters edge. They have the authority when it comes to regulations on the river. But when an Ohio licensed angler is standing in Ohio on the bank they ( West Virginia) have no authority. But in a Boat on the river your in West Virginia


I realize that G3, but it still makes no sense. That's what reciprocity is for, work out a deal that makes sense. Had dozens of fishermen from West Va fish from the Ohio side and keep 12-14 in walleye that they couldn't keep from a boat or their bank. Not a law that makes a lot of dense when they are trying to improve the walleye population....


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

Hatchetman said:


> I realize that G3, but it still makes no sense. That's what reciprocity is for, work out a deal that makes sense. Had dozens of fishermen from West Va fish from the Ohio side and keep 12-14 in walleye that they couldn't keep from a boat or their bank. Not a law that makes a lot of dense when they are trying to improve the walleye population....


Exactly! During the spring, there are more cars from WV than Ohio at Pike Island. I know the lock is on the WV side but I also believe that some of this is to circumvent the catch limits put in place by WV on their shores and out of a boat. Fish from the Ohio side and you can keep 10 walleye/sauger/saugeye, WV side only 2 walleye that are 18"+ and 8 of the others in combo. You figure they could have found some middle ground there.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

I do want to clarify that I have no intentions of taking home 10 fish in a trip... but just want to be sure that if I kept 2 keeper walleyes, then stuck a nice sauger/saugeye, that I wouldn't be breaking the law by keeping it as well. Thanks for everyone's replies! I agree that the two states should be able to get somewhat together on this.

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## tlark19 (Jan 2, 2013)

so what about the guys wading 10' out in the water at pike island dam that have more than 2 walleye on their stringer??? Shouldn't that fall under WV rules??


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

tlark19 said:


> so what about the guys wading 10' out in the water at pike island dam that have more than 2 walleye on their stringer??? Shouldn't that fall under WV rules??


Nope, still same as standing on the bank....


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