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Pymatuning Reservoir a walleye fishing factory for anglers

Straddling the border between Ohio and Pennsylvania, Pymatuning Reservoir has long been a favorite of Buckeyes and Keystoners who fish for walleyes, bass, crappies and muskies. Pymatuning has a well-deserved reputation as a fish factory, but its 20-horsepower outboard motor limit serves as a deterrent for many anglers who would love to fish there. Those of us with outboards pushing out more ponies than the limit often opt to fish elsewhere. For a variety of reasons, it had been a couple of years since I had fished at Pymatuning. So it was without hesitation that I said yes when ...

Water quality for fishing good, but need for vigilance remains

As a fisherman, I certainly do have many opportunities to gauge the quality of the waterways here in Northeast Ohio and I care a great deal about actions that can affect them. So it was with great concern that I watched the aftermath of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine in February. It was but the latest event that threatened the waters on which we rely for drinking, commerce and, yes, fishing. While East Palestine continues to weather the aftermath of the derailment and subsequent burn-off and clean-up, the waterways draining from the disaster site seem to be ...

Spring’s arrival signals beginning of fishing season

Signs of spring are always welcome, even after a relatively mild winter and especially for people who look forward to breaking out their fishing gear. I’ve always said the season’s early fishing trips are the best of the year regardless of whether any fish actually show up to play. Any day on the water in April is a plus on most people’s fishing calendar. Nature delivers amazing rewards for those of us who take advantage of glorious days in April when the sun is shining, the water is warming and the breeze is fresh. I have many years of April fishing experience to remind me why ...

Achieving the freshwater grand slam

Specialists are the rule rather than the exception today on our local reservoirs, even though the lakes offer good fishing for the three most popular species here in Northeast Ohio. Check the boats at Mosquito Lake as their skippers get ready for a day on the water. You will see lots of bass boats with decks strewn with rods rigged for largemouth. You will see many boats with bait buckets and spinning rods sporting jigs. You also will see a number of rigs set up for casting tiny jig-and-minnow combos hanging under adjustable floats. One thing you’ll rarely see, however, is the ...

Baseball’s rule changes a great step forward

You certainly could have described me as skeptical when Major League Baseball announced it would implement a pitch clock, among other rule changes, heading into this 2023 season. Right up until Opening Day, I was curious — if not unconvinced — about the effects it would have on making ...

Improve angling skills at fishing school

It’s one thing to walk the banks of a two-acre farm pond with expectations of catching a big largemouth bass, but quite another to break down a 7,000-acre lake with miles of fishy cover scattered from the shoreline out to the depths. For an experienced angler, deciding on a fishing location at a large lake is not too much more complicated than picking a spot at that small pond on your friend’s country property. But for many newbies, the variables presented by a massive body of water and the dozens of options in lures, lines, locations, rods and reels can make solving the bass ...