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Young angler finds joy in writing and fishing

Young Dominic Schiavoni is combining his love of fishing with a knack for writing and blazing a path for a two-career life that might make any of us envious.

The son of Joe and Margaret Schiavoni recently penned a book entitled “The King of Lake Milton” even before starting the second grade at West Boulevard Elementary School in Boardman at the age of 7.

His book is the saga of his pursuit, along with buddy Jake, of the variety of fish that swim in Milton – including the mighty muskie. The apex predator in Milton, muskies figure prominently in “The King of Lake Milton.”

Dominic and Jake encounter a muskie early in the book. As often happens even to expert muskie anglers, the fish escaped. “He (Jake) was reeling it in when it made a big run and snapped the line.”

The big ones don’t always come unhooked. Dominic developed his storyline by detailing successful catches of bass, walleyes, perch, and crappie.

Fishing is in Dominic’s DNA. Father Joe and “Papa” Lou Schiavoni are avid anglers themselves though Joe invested a lot of time serving as our district’s state senator from 2008 to 2018.

Joe pursued the Democratic nomination for Ohio governor in 2018 and today works with his father and partners in their law practice. He also serves as a judge in Mahoning County courts.

“We started noticing his interest in fishing when he was 3 or 4 years old. We live near Mill Creek Metropark and a stream flows near our home with lots of chubs (the perfect entry fish for budding anglers).”

Ever watching for clues on the water, Dominic added, “I’ve seen a few suckers there, too.”

He talks about his fishing interests with the maturity of a veteran angler. “Anybody can go fishing, but not everyone is an angler.”

So true.

With a book already on his resume, does he prefer fishing or writing? “Oh, fishing, fishing, fishing. Most kids don’t like fishing, but not me!”

In fact, Dominic is planning to work two jobs when he grows up. “In the fall and spring, I want to be a veterinarian. In the winter and summer, I want to be a charter captain in Islamorada in the Florida Keys.”

In the meantime, he’s scoring successes. His biggest freshwater catch is a 37-inch Milton muskie, while his biggest fish from the salt is a 50-inch blacktip shark. Big game is big time for Dominic as his favorite TV show is “Wicked Tuna.”

Fishing is a Schiavoni family affair.

He often is accompanied on local trips and Lake Erie charters by Joe, Papa Lou, mom Margaret, and brother Louie. “Fishing was a great way to get through COVID when we didn’t have a lot of other options,” Joe said.

His love of reading helped inspire him to write “The King of Lake Milton.” He let his fanciful imagination run free. The story about the fateful hookup with the long-sought king begins on page 36 as Jake and Dominic cast from their kayaks:

“Just after I said that, the muskie came and I hooked it really good and we still had a 30-minute paddle to shore. So I would get to reel it in. It made a nice run and almost broke the reel. I was still reeling it in when … crash! It had took me off the boat and made a huge run and I was skiing! It was pretty fun, but when I saw that I needed to let the drag loose. … I was at shore and I was still reeling and I just got the muskie in. We took a couple pics and I will never forget this day.”

The end.

But really, just the beginning.

Jack Wollitz’s book, “The Common Angler,” explores the fun stuff that makes fishing a passion for so many people. He appreciates emails from readers. Send a note to jackbbaass@gmail.com.

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