# Size Limit on Walleye-West Branch



## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

I asked the ODNR officer at the Tallmadge show today if the state had imposed a fifteen inch size limit on walleye at WB this year, as I had heard they were going to do. He confirmed they had. Long overdue in my opinion!


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## triton175 (Feb 21, 2006)

I still won't keep any walleye from WB in hopes of building the population. The self-sustaining population there is too small for me to keep any.
That is a good thing that they finally put a size limit on those walleye. Now all we need is for people to obey the law.


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## CRAPPIE LOVER (Feb 11, 2007)

Glad to hear they did put a size limit at WB...As triton175.said I have never kept a walleye from there because of the same reason ..The population is low ..I wish they would restock it again..If the ODNR would try they can make that lake a great fishery in my opinion..JIM....CL....:F


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## chris311 (Oct 24, 2010)

i saw somewhere that in april odnr is going to stock 264,000 fingerling's walleye in west branch not sure if its true but hopefully it is i think i might have saw it on ogf somewhere


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## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

Great to hear they are going to have a limit. Way overdue. The stocking info is true. They wanted to start last year but a bad year at the hatchery prevented it. It's a five year program to see what happens. Roughly 25% of people fishing WB are after eyes. I haven't kept one in years due to the amount of fishing pressure they started to receive several years ago. The catch rate has declined drastically. People need to realize it's not a put and take lake like Mosquito, Berlin, etc. I guess its the ODNR's fault for neglecting the situation for so long. Man would it be great to take a break from the muskie during the day and catch a couple eyes for dinner once in a while.


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## MuskieManOhio (Jun 29, 2008)

i havnt even heard of any walleyes being caught in their really just crappie and muskies mostly lol


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## jiggin'fool (Dec 18, 2005)

I was told by the guys at west branch bait and tackle that they have stocked it on and off the last few years... something about left over fingerlings.... last year by the time they got to westbranch they said it had warmed up too fast... thats why they didn't last year... just what I heard.... all those fingerlings, sounds like the muskie have a new baitfish to go after!


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## stoker2606 (Jan 31, 2011)

Too many muskies in west branch for any thung else to be successful! STOKER 2606


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## Bulldawg (Dec 3, 2007)

stoker2606 said:


> Too many muskies in west branch for any thing else to be successful! STOKER 2606


Thats not even close to being true !


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## jiggin'fool (Dec 18, 2005)

tons of bait fish in that lake! I don't see why walleye and muskie couldn't coexist.... they did with stripers 10 years ago when that lake used to have saugeye, walleye, stripers and muskie... and stripers I believe eat more than muskie, at least as far as baitfish! walleye and saugeye fishing was awesome!


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## westbranchbob (Jan 1, 2011)

according to ORNR website I saw something about them stocking walleye in W.B. this year and possibly following years,also the crappie pop in W.B. is pretty good I don't buuy into too many muskies just a whole lot of lake.If you go during june at night at the right time there is a huge shiner spawn in that lake,make you think twice about how many preadators it could support!


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## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

I got my information from two ODNR officers last Winter and again this past Summer. They were really excited about something being scientifically added to their bones that will make it easy to follow the progress of the program. They have not stocked it on and off over the last few years but believe what ever you want to. 

Some of the best muskie lakes in the world also have great walleye and perch fishing as well as bass. Ninety five percent of an Ohio muskie's diet is Gizzard Shad. The muskie will have absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the eye stocking program.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

If WB B&T told you that, they really don't know what they're talking about and the Div. 3 Fisheries Biologist(Supervisor!) wasn't aware of it(stocking of fingerlings!). He didn't even think/know there were any walleyes left in there abt. a year and half ago when Whaler and I first talked to him abt. imposing the 15" limit. Our persistance got them to do a shocking survey one night and it turned up a few smaller walleye that were there from natural reproduction, and he was totally amazed! This especially since they hadn't stocked walleye since the early 1990's and were getting no feedback from anglers abt. walleye(no feedback/thus "assuming" no return! is the main reason they stopped stocking them, and STRIPERS as well)!! Also, he told us that the lake has "one of the worst" baitfish(of any type) numbers per acre of any lake in the state, based on trawl surveys they had done for several years in the recent past. Of course, all the predators in WB(musky, walleye, sm bass, lm bass, various catfish, NORTHERN PIKE(how many knew they were even in there?), wipers and a precious few remaining OLD stripers-also last stocked around 1990) can(and I'm sure, do) chow down on the large, though severly stunted bluegill population, young crappie, and baby cats(which coincidentally happen to be a favorite of walleye)! If they plan to stock any walleye in the future, I am very surprised, prefering to impose the size limit and let nature take care of the rest(as we were told by the supr. they plan to do).


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## Cull'in (Nov 21, 2005)

c. j. stone said:


> NORTHERN PIKE(how many knew they were even in there?)


Been a healthy population of Northerns west of Rock Springs Rd. for quite a while.

I also know a couple guys that target and catch good 'eyes out there early in the year around the spawn. The males they catch are dropping milt all over the place.


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## RedCanoe59 (Apr 9, 2009)

i am really suprized there is this many reply saying it's about time for a 15 inch minimum for walleyes on West Branch. i've never caught a small walleye in west branch. I looked back through my catch log and the smallest walleye i ever pulled from the branch was 19". Now in all honsesty most of the walleye i catch in west branch i'm targeting crappies, the population density is very low. I don't disagree with the regulation at all, and i'm pumped at the sound the state is going to try to up the walleye population. I don't think that the walleye are going to hurt muskie any, if anything i'm sure the muskies will enjoy some of thoose stocked fish. As for the Northern Pike in West Branch, i'm sure many a 20" hammer handle has satisfied the lakes bigger muskie.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

the walleye are in there and i would guess that there are good numbers also, natural or not. lots of bait fish as well... lots of northerns... lots of muskie...lots of bass ( I think Nip and Cull'n and a few others would agree. not sure what the big stink is all about. I see people fish out there and most look as if they have little idea what they are doing with the exception of the muskie guys, which they could be doing right or wrong and i wouldn't know. seems like a very healthy lake so i'm not sure what the big stink is over... walleyes have to be 15" great! if the rule isn't made, then great! they taste good either way! Is it time to start flippin yet?


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

I've caught plenty of Walleyes less than 15 inches in the past so it's good to help protect them until they can spawn with a 15 inch size limit. Smaller than that and there's not a lot of meat on them anyway.

I and other memebers of the OHMC tried to get the state to set a 36 inch size limit on Muskies over the years so they could make it to spawning size but they wouldn't do it. But, most guys practicing catch and release have negated the need for that.


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## jiggin'fool (Dec 18, 2005)

I caught one 2 years ago that was 9 in...


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## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

Personally dont fish it anymore for eyes but sometimes you wonder how a lake could hold so many fish. Some days you wonder were they went. Sure is a good thing for people to know how important it is to fish stocked lakes for walleye. ALOT more in Berlin. Jim I found some emeralds in there to! The lakes have alot of them in them. Dont think a rod and reel could hurt them either.


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## hopin to cash (Sep 14, 2010)

I believe W.B. is quite different from other Ohio lakes. Seems like it has always been Ohio's "ODNR" experiment lake. They have changed direction (stocking progams) in this lake a few times. Not sure why other than trying to appease public opinion. The bad wrap on fishing success could be directly related to W.B. usage and location. Being the first unlimited horsepower lake South of Cleveland, east of Akron and easy access off 2 major interstates makes it a recreation boaters and jet skiers paradise.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

Jig knows my spot and will take it to the grave with him, right?


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## CRAPPIE LOVER (Feb 11, 2007)

hopin to cash said:


> I believe W.B. is quite different from other Ohio lakes. Seems like it has always been Ohio's "ODNR" experiment lake. They have changed direction (stocking progams) in this lake a few times. Not sure why other than trying to appease public opinion. The bad wrap on fishing success could be directly related to W.B. usage and location. Being the first unlimited horsepower lake South of Cleveland, east of Akron and easy access off 2 major interstates makes it a recreation boaters and jet skiers paradise.


Have to agree about it being very accessable to be a recreation boaters and jet skiers paradise..They have no respect for the fishermen..I would troll the East side more but you would take a beating from the wave action..and this could be the side holding all the Walleyes some are talking about..I fish the West side of RSR due to the fact of the Boaters and jet skies..Have only pulled maybe 1 or 2 Walleyes a year..If some of you guy's are catching numbrts of walleye ..then tell us where you are catching..You don't need to give us your hot spot just a reasonable area ....JIM....CL....


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

I've caught them in several areas east of RSR. I found a 30 incher dead against the shoreline about ten years ago on the West end of the lake with a full sized Shad caught in the gill rakers on one side of its head. That killed it.


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## WiseEyes (Apr 7, 2010)

IMO... my two home lakes, WB and Berlin are two of the best crappie and bass lakes around. The problem with both of the two is that they are large lakes with a lot of water. Lots of people fish these lakes once a spring or summer on a weekend and without a lot of luck that is just not enough time to find the fish. As too the size limit on Walleye at WB it is long over do and the fact that there seems to be a spawning population in the lake would seem to me to make it a no-brainer for the ODNR to stock some fish in there


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## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

You can catch eyes on both sides of the bridge Jim. Maybe a little better on the West side in the Spring and early Summer. Then it depends on the weather.


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## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

Yep walleyes on both sides. Amazing how these fish slide around from one spot to the next. Very sneeky critter. WB more so than the rest.:B Johnboy I try to watch fishing there. ALOT of eyes watching me!


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

jig, i know the feeling


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## Bobinstow90 (Apr 13, 2006)

Glad to hear the state is going to stock again. Would be awesome if WB could get a solid, naturally reproducing population. We hit an occasional eye while crappie fishin.

Regardless of state regs, we use the Erie minimum everywhere for eyes. Would like to see an 18" min on lakes where they are trying to establish a breeding population.

Come on spring!


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## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

I would like to see catch and release only for 3 years and then a 4 per day limit.


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## Bobinstow90 (Apr 13, 2006)

Thats a great idea Mac.

If they are going to stock 'em.....let them get established.


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## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

I agree. Alot of other walleye lakes in Ohio.


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## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

Yeah, it would make some of the locals very unhappy but would help establish a great fishery. Then once they are established the ODNR could just supplement them with stocking every other year or something like that.


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## jiggin'fool (Dec 18, 2005)

probably piss off the bait stores in the area.... lots of guys wouldn't even go there because they couldn't keep em... it's going to piss the locals off anyway just putting the 15 in limit on there... still won't stop most of the guys that keep those 12 inchers anyway!


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## iceberg (Dec 27, 2004)

its about time they put a 15" limit on the eyes at WB. and jim fish the edges of those sunken weed beds on the east side of RSR


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## Trautman (Aug 7, 2007)

They're there. Ive caught them MANY times over the years. Waiting on the div. to be proactive on them...?


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

I'm in total agreement with everyone about the 15" size limit for walleye out there. I don't fish for walleye often, but I have some spots on West Branch that are good to great for walleye. As a few have said, most of the walleye I catch out there are at least 18 inch fish. I will have to rethink the number of fish I keep after reading some of these posts. I knew the state was stocking them in the 90's, I just figured they kept stocking them like they do in the other lakes.... Berlin, Milton, Mosquito.......
It's hard to believe that West Branch is low on bait fish populations considering the number of shad I see in the lake. But then again I can understand why... there are a lot of meat eaters out there. And I can't remember ever catching a fish at West Branch that looked under fed lol It is a tough lake to fish at times, but its a beautiful lake to fish as well.


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## LindyRigger (Apr 13, 2004)

Only fish the east side. Largest eye was 29.5". Points and weed edges usually produce. Weed bed in front of the beach is a nice place to start. We do catch eyes less than 15" there, but more 18-20" fish. Have some days when the party boaters are out in full force, we catch more fish. Without the boaters, the lake would lay down. When the boaters would buzz by, the lake chopped up and the bite was on. We started waiting for the boaters to come by to turn the bite back on. Love WB.
LindyRigger


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## vibe (Jan 12, 2011)

Talked to a guy Sunday walkin back from the spillway.he showed and bragged about his walleye. It was 12in.I said ain't there a size limit he said nope. 12in is tiny come on now fellas.throw the cigars back.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

LindyRigger said:


> Only fish the east side. Largest eye was 29.5". Points and weed edges usually produce. Weed bed in front of the beach is a nice place to start. We do catch eyes less than 15" there, but more 18-20" fish. Have some days when the party boaters are out in full force, we catch more fish. Without the boaters, the lake would lay down. When the boaters would buzz by, the lake chopped up and the bite was on. We started waiting for the boaters to come by to turn the bite back on. Love WB.
> LindyRigger


I've had the same thing happen out there with bass....... when the pleasure boaters are out in force it muddies up the shoreline areas and gets the fish shallow. You just have to keep your eyes peeled for wakes from the S.S Minnow going by..... they can knock you out of your boat if you aren't paying attention. That is also a great summer time pattern for bass as Salt Fork.

As far as which side of the lake I have had my best luck for walleye..... it would be the west side. The old railroad grade.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

vibe said:


> Talked to a guy Sunday walkin back from the spillway.he showed and bragged about his walleye. It was 12in.I said ain't there a size limit he said nope. 12in is tiny come on now fellas.throw the cigars back.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


You should have straightened the dumb AH out. It was too hard to get the limit applied to let stupidity Slide!


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## Bassturd84 (Feb 16, 2012)

I agree about the size quality of the walleyes here, this time last year average fish we were catching was 18+ inches. While my buddy caught a 29" beast as well. May not have the numbers of other lakes, but there are some quality fish in this lake that can be harvested right from shore this time of year. Hopefully the stocking rumor is true, especially since I am not a very good walleye fisherman yet seem to do well here haha.


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