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Father and son build special relationship through fishing

First fish, biggest fish, fun fish. All of them are special, but even more so when they are experienced with special people. As fishing buddies go, none are more special than dads, the fellows who thankfully introduced most of us anglers to the oohs and aahs of the sport we love. Today we salute our fathers and the values they instilled and the lessons they taught their sons and daughters. I am grateful Bob Wollitz is a fisherman who despite his many years of long hours of overtime at Packard Electric still made time to take his son fishing. Now 94, Dad’s “fishing” ...

All anglers should take advantage of Fish for Free weekend

“If it’s free, it’s for me” is a popular saying among consumers who love the ultimate bargain. And so it is for Ohioans who would like to enjoy a day of fishing, but haven’t invested in a license. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources once again has declared a Fish for Free weekend for June 17 and 18. As in years past, the Father’s Day weekend is intended to showcase Ohio’s fishing resources and introduce new anglers to the opportunity to catch a few. “We encourage everyone to come out and experience the abundant fishing opportunities Ohio has to offer,” said ...

Grassroots racing continues to grow nationwide

While NASCAR is beginning to rebuild some of its lost fan base, a growing attendance in grass roots racing just gets bigger and better. No one has done more for dirt racing than three-time NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart. His race promotions and huge payouts attract racers and fans alike. On June 10, he has the Late Model Dream, a race that pays $129,000 to the winner at his Eldora Speedway in Rossburg. July 13 will be the largest paying Sprint car race in the nation with The Eldora Million paying $1,002,023 to the winner. Then, the 40th annual Kings Royal for Sprint cars paying $175,00 ...

WOLLITZ: Anglers find ways to take advantage of novelty baits

Novelty fishing lures have been around for as long as people have fiddled with artificial bait. Clever crafters applied their imaginations to repurpose everyday items to trick fish into striking. It’s reality as art. Think Andy Warhol as a lure designer. Meant to occupy shelf space more than tackle box compartments, novelty lures nevertheless do catch fish. Plugs shaped and painted like beer cans, bottle cap spinner bodies, kitchen spoons and even replicas of body parts all have fooled fish. This might lead us to judge fish as gullible and witless. Maybe, but the truth is we ...

Many lessons to be learned in fishing and golfing, alike

Success in the two outdoor activities that entertain me several times each week boils down to reliable equipment and simple adjustments. Fishing and golfing might seem to be very different, but I find that each sport requires a combination of skills and good decisions to avoid fishless days and double bogeys. Eye-hand coordination, sharp senses and knowing when to tweak the stroke all go a long way in providing fun and excitement on the lake and on the golf course. This all came into crystal clarity last week while sharing the BassCat with fishing buddy Ted Suffolk and then playing ...

Phantoms make Youngstown a hockey town once again

Friday night at the Covelli Centre was the best atmosphere I’ve seen there in a long time. And I mean a really long time. The Covelli Centre was named for the makers of the ‘Cruze’ and there was a completely different hockey team occupying the rink. That being said, standing in ...