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katfish
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Joined: 19 Jul 2005
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Location: Ohio
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 Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:22 pm Post subject: I think the blue cats have been stocked |
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from Wildlife Matters on Vimeo.
The state’s largest game fish, the blue catfish, is being raised for the first time in Ohio at the Hebron State Fish Hatchery in Licking County. Blue catfish are usually 30 to 40 inches long, but some individuals stretch to 60 inches in length. Weight varies from 20 to 40 pounds, but blue cats up to 100 pounds are also caught. The largest Ohio blue catfish recorded weighed 96 pounds!
In 2008, the blue catfish was downlisted to a species of concern, allowing for rearing and stocking of these fish into Ohio lakes.
Currently, West Virginia is the only state stocking blue catfish in the Ohio River, but the Ohio Division of Wildlife is piloting a new program in an effort to develop blue catfish fisheries in selected waters. Two masses of eggs, about 100,000 blue catfish, were received through a cooperative effort with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The goal of this new project is to release 13,000 of these aggressive, trophy-sized catfish into Dillon Reservoir next fall. By that time, these small fry will be around 10 to 12 inches in length.
Note from Robby:
There were water quality problems so I can not be sure of the number and size of blue cats stocked. I have learned of no news if the program will be continued or if ODNR is waiting to see results.
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M.Magis
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
Posts: 224
Location: SE Ohio
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 7:55 am Post subject: |
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| This will be an interesting experiment. I always wondered why they were never stocked in Ohio. I do have to wonder why they chose Dillon, being a fairly shallow lake. |
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Jason454ci
Joined: 14 Jul 2006
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Location: Zanesville, Ohio
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 1:40 pm Post subject: |
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Hopefully the stocking goes well and they continue to put them in there. Also it would be nice to see it take a good hold and the state will decide to do other bodies of water also. Just not sure what the long term effects will be in a body of water with them in it. I would imagine there is going to be a decline in other species if they do well. Not quite sure why they did choose Dillon other than the abundant shad population. There is definitely much deeper lakes in the state that probably have a significant food source. But with it being so close to home I ain't complaining. Sure is gonna be hard to cut a hole big enough in the ice to get the boat in for some winter fishing in about 15 years when they get big though. 
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katfish
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| Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I do have to wonder why they chose Dillon, being a fairly shallow lake. |
My guess is that it was a political move. Many other lakes have featured fish such as Musky Wipers or Stripers. If this is just an experiment, there is much less chance of fish going over the spillway at other lakes. I would expect these fish to top out around 20 pounds in about 8 years at Dillon.
I would imagine blues would grow larger in C J Brown. Not very many deep lakes in Ohio.
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Jason454ci
Joined: 14 Jul 2006
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Location: Zanesville, Ohio
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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I found a few of these signs around Dillon today. I would say that this is a good indication that they have been stocked.
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catfish_hunter
Joined: 04 Apr 2007
Posts: 269
Location: Baltic, Ohio
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| Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:37 am Post subject: |
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heck yeah! Too bad it will take 20yrs before they are any decent size!
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katfish
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| Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Too bad it will take 20yrs before they are any decent size! |
Chuck
Those blue cats will probably reach their maximum size in that lake in 6 to 8 years.
Strangely I haven't heard of plans to continue hatching/raising blue cats at the hatheries. This means that if the program is successful it may be several years before it is fully implimented.
Almost like proving a milk cow bull before deciding he is fit for brood stock. First you have to prove the bull is fertile then have one of his calfs start producing milk.
I don't think the Licking river produces enough current for the blues to spawn. It is also possible that Ohio may obtain blue cat fingerlings from another hatchery in the future. Arkansas produces blue cat fingerlings for a number of states fish programs.
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Jason454ci
Joined: 14 Jul 2006
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Location: Zanesville, Ohio
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| Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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http://vimeo.com/16427681
Here is a video about the stocking.
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catfish_hunter
Joined: 04 Apr 2007
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Location: Baltic, Ohio
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| Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:04 am Post subject: |
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Pretty cool!!!
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katfish
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| Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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Good update Jason!!
Have you heard if they are continuing hatching/stocking?
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ducky
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
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Location: t county
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| Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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cool, ill just be happy to catch a blue or 2 next year just to say i did.
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Jason454ci
Joined: 14 Jul 2006
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Location: Zanesville, Ohio
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| Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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No I haven't heard or found anything about future stockings. Kind of hard to find any info on this stocking program at all. You would think the state DNR would be putting the word out on this. Let there be a trout stocking though and the put it every where. 
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catfishrollo
Joined: 28 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 12:40 pm Post subject: |
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| I hope they do well in Dillon. Def. be nice to drive 15 minutes to fish for big blues one day rather than 3-8 hours! rollo |
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katfish
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| Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 2:54 pm Post subject: |
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Rollo
Even better yet we hope that any going through the dam stay in the Muskingum and spawn.
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catfishrollo
Joined: 28 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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| katfish wrote: | Rollo
Even better yet we hope that any going through the dam stay in the Muskingum and spawn. |
Yes we do! Fighting them in current, and having to fight them around structure is def. more fun that winching them out of open water in my opinion.. rollo |
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