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Mahoning River in good shape, but needs work

The river flows past fields of tall corn under shady canopies of hardwood trees that sprouted a hundred or more years ago and past the shadows of the valley’s industrial infrastructure that helped build the backbone of America. Its waters sustain life for a myriad of species, from the eagles that soar the treetops to the deer that tiptoe to sip from its banks to the great game fish that thrive on its abundant populations of minnows, crustaceans and invertebrates. The river is our Mahoning, an increasingly popular destination for anglers, kayakers and other outdoors enthusiasts, ...

Lake Erie is very much alive in 2021

Fifty years is but a blip on the timeline of our planet, but it is more than enough time for one of Earth’s most remarkable comeback stories to come to full flower. Once considered dead, Lake Erie today is very much alive with teeming populations of popular game fish that attract substantial interest from anglers throughout the United States and Canada. Steelhead trout and smallmouth bass, prized by sport anglers for their fighting abilities, have continued to make gains as Erie’s water has become cleaner and baitfish populations have thrived. But walleyes are ...

Mistakes happen in fishing, learn to limit them

Unless your weekend plans include a trip to enjoy fantastic Lake Erie walleye action, most Northeast Ohio anglers face a few more of the tough-fishing dog days of August. The dog days are a time for extra sharp focus by anglers who do chose to hit the water even though the fishing is tough at Mosquito, Berlin, West Branch and Milton. Mistakes can be magnified when bites are few and far between, so smart decisions and flawless execution are all the more essential if an angler is to find success during the late summer doldrums. Flawless execution, huh? If only it were that easy. I ...

Anglers rejoice as normalcy returns

Normal. Everybody wants it. We love normal. The COVID pandemic disrupted our routines in 2020 and taught us to appreciate every gain we make on the return trip to normal. Anglers want normal, too. It’s good when we go to the lake and find everything the way we expect it to be. When things are normal, anglers can expect to fish successfully. The heavy rains that soaked our region in July added a lot of water to our rivers and lakes. Many of our region’s reservoirs were well above their normal summer levels, pushing popular species like bass and crappies up into the newly ...

Early-morning fishing makes for a great reunion

For many, 6:30 in the morning is too early for anything other than coffee and a glance at the headlines. But for two anglers earlier this week, 6:30 was the beginning of a day on a lake and the opportunity to catch up on the 50 years that have passed since they graduated from high school. Fishing truly is the common denominator for millions of Americans. Such is the case with Jim Ellashek and me. Other than being proud Spartan classmates with more than 500 other Boardman High School Class of ’71 graduates, Jim and I are card-carrying members of the unofficial association of people ...

Column: All good things come to an end

I remember the first time I heard the word “guardian.” It was probably around the time I registered for kindergarten, and my dad informed me that he was my “guardian.” He also liked to say the above quote when it was time to end a vacation or go back to school or get me to do other things that I didn’t want to do. Now I feel compelled to accept this “guardian” as the new nickname of the major league baseball team I’ve been rooting for for about 57 years. 57 ... one more game than Joe DiMaggio had consecutive games of hits. Where have you gone Chief Wahoo? A ...