# Ohio Hybrid Bass stocking info from ODNR



## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

I got a response from ODNR, I cleaned it up:

2006 Ohio River Hybrid Striped Bass Stocking

Here are the numbers of hybrid striped bass stocked by the Ohio Division of Wildlife in the two Ohio River pools you mentioned from 2000-2005:

2000 Meldahl Pool 56,000 

2001 Meldahl Pool 229,000

2001 Markland Pool 209,000

2002 Meldahl Pool 232,000

2003 Meldahl Pool 72,000

2005 Meldahl Pool 78,000



Below is the complete information for 2006 hybrid striper stockings:

2006 Ohio River Hybrid Striped Bass Stocking, Check out the # per acre for Meldal pool, twice the average!


Pool New Cumberland
West Virginia 0
Ohio 27,104
Kentucky 0
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 27,104
Surface Area 4,150
No. per Acre 6.5

Pool Pike Island
West Virginia 15,920
Ohio 20,125
Kentucky 0
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 36,045
Surface Area 5,450
No. per Acre 6.6

Pool Hannibal
West Virginia 15,834
Ohio 29,871
Kentucky 0
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 45,705
Surface Area 7,650
No. per Acre 6.0

Pool Willow Island
West Virginia 15,107
Ohio 29,871
Kentucky 0
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 44,978
Surface Area 6,400
No. per Acre 7.0

Pool Belleville
West Virginia 0
Ohio 60,030
Kentucky 0
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 60,030
Surface Area 8,900
No. per Acre 6.7

Pool Racine
West Virginia 0
Ohio 40,016
Kentucky 0
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 40,016
Surface Area 5,300
No. per Acre 7.6

Pool R.C. Byrd
West Virginia 0
Ohio 41,370
Kentucky 0
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 41,370
Surface Area 12,600
No. per Acre 3.3

Pool Greenup
West Virginia 0
Ohio 95,312
Kentucky 0
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 95,312
Surface Area 11,200
No. per Acre 8.5

Pool Meldahl
West Virginia 0
Ohio 40,530
Kentucky 44,257
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 84,787
Surface Area 6,705
No. per Acre 12.6

Pool Markland
West Virginia 0
Ohio 0
Kentucky 112,170
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 112,170
Surface Area 14,759
No. per Acre 7.6

Pool McAlpine
West Virginia 0
Ohio 0
Kentucky 60,227
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 60,227
Surface Area 8,139
No. per Acre 7.4

Pool Cannelton
West Virginia 0
Ohio 0
Kentucky 88,572
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 88,572
Surface Area 11,810
No. per Acre 7.5

Pool Newburgh
West Virginia 0
Ohio 0
Kentucky 69,922
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 69,922
Surface Area 11,099
No. per Acre 6.3

Pool J.T. Myers
West Virginia 0
Ohio 0
Kentucky 33,274
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 33,274
Surface Area 6,932
No. per Acre 4.8

Pool Smithland
West Virginia 0
Ohio 0
Kentucky 70,893
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 70,893
Surface Area 14,179
No. per Acre 5.0

Total
West Virginia 46,861
Ohio 384,229
Kentucky 479,315
Illinois 0
Number Stocked Total 910,405
Surface Area 135,273
No. per Acre 6.7

I&#8217;m not 100&#37; sure, but I thought the state of Kentucky was continuing to stock purebred stripers into the river. No state agency stocks sauger or saugeyes into the Ohio River.

Hybrid striped bass stocking numbers for East Fork Lake are as follows:

2000 1.1 million fry

2001 1.25 million fry

2002 1.16 million fry

2003 1.1 million fry and 100,000 fingerlings

2004 1.2 million fry

2005 1.1 million fry

2006 1.1 million fry and 120,000 fingerlings



You are not the first fisherman who has reported poorer hybrid striper catches at East Fork Lake over the last year or two. However, changes in population adundance and fluctuating angler success are the norm for Ohio&#8217;s major game species. Even in those fisheries that are maintained by stocking consistent numbers annually (e.g. saugeyes, muskie, walleye), we see big differences between years in survival and recruitment of young fish into the population. If by chance the fish from two or three year&#8217;s stockings in a row experience below average survival, then we anglers experience the effects 2-5 years later in reduced catch rates. 



In 2006 at East Fork and a few other Ohio lakes, we began an evaluation to compare survival and costs of stocking fry vs. fingerling hybrid stripers. We plan to continue the evaluation this year. Historically, we have stocked mainly fry at East Fork and fingerlings at other lakes. Hopefully, we can make better informed decisions about how to produce the best hybrid striper populations statewide for the least cost.



At this time, the Ohio Division of Wildlife is not considering expanding the water areas where we stock purebred striped bass. We must obtain all purebred striped bass from sources outside of Ohio, and as such the supply is very limited. Therefore, our approach is to stock one or two areas with purebred stripers just so that we can a source of male striped bass in our backyard. Then, we can take an abundant supply of female white bass from Ohio and produce large numbers of hybrid stripers for statewide stocking purposes. 

-----Original Message-----

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] 

Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2007 10:22 AM

To: Wildinfo

Subject: Comments from users



Jeff Plummer at [email protected]



I live in the Cincinnati OH area.

Can you provide info on stocking and management efforts for Ohio River, Markland and Meldahl pools (specifically hybrid striped bass, striped bass, saugeye/sauger) and East Fork Lake, same species?

East Fork Lake (Wm Harsha Lake) seems to be on the downswing regarding hybrid bass. 

Also, East Fork Lake, what needs to happen to turn it, or other impoundments into pure strain Striped Bass lakes?

Thanks,

Jeff Plummer





Referring page: http://www.ohiodnr.com/communications/


----------



## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

kentucky still stocks the ohio with pure stripers but i believe the numbers are about half of what they put in per acre so between ohio and ky putting in 12.6 in mehldal it would be about 3 striper per acre plus i doubt they have as high a recruitment as hybrids so there is probably 10 times the amout of hybrids to stripers. what bugs me is that i can catch 500-600 hybrids in a year and only see 2 stripers, whats up with that?

great post lmrjeff


----------



## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

riverking,
I think what may happen w/stripes vs wipers, the wipers are more aggressive and get to the bait first. Whether you're fishing or just the bait schools.
Which would mean greater rates of growth and survival for the wipers vs the stripers from fry and fingerlings.
Just a very uneducated guess.
I also wonder, where is Indiana data, does the state of Indiana help stock and maintain the Ohio river pools on their border?
They have a great state lake program for wipers and pure stripers.
LMJ


----------



## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

i have no idea what indiana stocks in the ohio. i know some guides out on brookville so i'll ask them next time i'm there and see if they have an idea. i dont see why they wouldnt stock it.


----------



## cadyshac (Dec 9, 2005)

I remember back in the fall reading how many hybrids KY stocked in the Ohio. They raise all of the fish at the hatchery at Cave Run. They did so well raising the young fish that they were able to stock approximately 3 times what they had planned in all the pools of the Ohio that they stock. This was for 2006, I will try to find the numbers when I have time.
Cady


----------



## cadyshac (Dec 9, 2005)

Here is the article I was refering to, good news for those afflicted with stripitis!
Hatchery Surplus Produces Stocking
Bonanza for Ohio River 
Press Release
July 6, 2006 Contact: Lee McClellan
(800) 852-0942 ext. 330


Frankfort, KY - Minor Clark Fish Hatchery just downstream of Cave Run Lake Dam produced excess numbers of hybrid striped bass this year. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources stocked these excess fish in the Ohio and Kentucky Rivers and should provide excellent fishing in the coming years on the two rivers.

Our hatcheries did a tremendous job producing hybrid striped bass this year, said Gerry Buynak, assistant director of fisheries for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. Fisheries officials requested 150,000 hybrid striped bass for stocking in the Ohio River. The hatchery produced over 479,000.

The Ohio River looks fantastic this spring, said Doug Henley, Ohio River fisheries biologist for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. We had such a great year spawning last year on the river for all species, but especially forage fish such as emerald shiners and shad. We should have another year like that this year. We had three feet of visibility earlier this spring, which is phenomenal for the Ohio River.

The fisheries division of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife originally planned to stock 30,000 hybrid striped bass in the Markland pool of the Ohio River, but the surplus allowed them to stock 112,000. They planned to stock 12,000 hybrid striped bass in the McApline pool of the river, but stocked 60,000. 

Fisheries officials slated 24,000 hybrid striped bass for stocking in the Cannelton pool of the Ohio River, but stocked 88,500. The Uniontown pool of the river received twice as many hybrid striped bass as originally planned and the Smithland pool was to receive 15,000, but got 71,000.

The hatchery produced so many hybrid striped bass that biologists were able to stock two extra pools of the Kentucky River. This is the first year we stocked that many pools of the Kentucky River with hybrid striped bass, Buynak explained. We originally planned to stock pools four through nine, but we had extra fish so we also stocked pools two and three.

The Kentucky River would have received 20,000 hybrid striped bass, but fisheries biologists and technicians stocked 34,000.

It was a very good year, Buynak said. If these rivers continue to look this good and our survival is good, watch out. The fishing should be phenomenal in a few years for hybrids on both of these rivers.


----------



## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

Stripitis, I might not be in denial after all..........


----------



## boonecreek (Dec 28, 2006)

that really made my day. how big are the fish they stock.


----------



## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

Doesn't the Meldahl pool mean the part of the river "pooled" by Meldahl dam, meaning the water above the dam? I thought I read that somewhere...maybe on here. Can anybody confirm or correct me?


CW



LittleMiamiJeff said:


> ...
> 2006 Ohio River Hybrid Striped Bass Stocking, Check out the # per acre for Meldal pool, twice the average!
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## dwwv4 (Nov 12, 2006)

cw,,, you would be right in your thinking.... markland dam, to meldahl tail waters.. is the markland pool..


----------



## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

Hmmm, then I guess I should start fishing a little more above the dam  I live east of Meldahl, but frequently drive to Meldahl and west towards Cincy.


CW


----------



## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

creekwalker said:


> Hmmm, then I guess I should start fishing a little more above the dam  I live east of Meldahl, but frequently drive to Meldahl and west towards Cincy.
> 
> 
> CW


Terry, would you have to go upstream to the nearest dam, is it Greenup? Gallipolis?
LMJ


----------



## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

Greenup is the next one up from me. I used to fish it when I was growing up in Ironton. It's always been a pretty good fishing dam and the fishing platform with the gates on the OH side and locks on KY side are nice too!

One more nice feature of the Greenup dam is the bridge. If they're biting on the other side, you can hop on the dam/bridge and go over, as opposed to Meldahl where it's a 20-40 minute trip to the other side depending on whether or not you take the ferry 

Yeah...maybe I should make a trip there in the near future.

I think it might also be worthwhile to hit a few of the tribs in the Meldahl pool. I just need to get out a map and find out where they are...besides Aberdeen.

CW


----------



## cadyshac (Dec 9, 2005)

I have read a few articles in the last year that name the Meldahl pool as the best bet on the Ohio for wipers. One of the creek mouths in particular is always mentioned, I wan't to say it is white oak but I may be wrong. I never fish that pool as it is too far for me to drive. I have thought about a road trip if the river ever gets right.
Cady


----------



## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

Cadyshac,
Give me a shout if you make a trip this way, maybe we can hook up. I've done well at Straight Creek for white bass and wipers, but that's been a while ago. There's not much bank access at either Straight Creek or White Oak (private propert and a marina). I've fished White Oak from the yak, but haven't had any luck there the few times I've been. Both places I've only fished the mouth, maybe farther up stream would do well.

CW


----------

