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Reports from a variety of sources are that March's lamb-like arrival has made for some excellent late-winter fishing conditions on the lakes near Youngstown and Warren.
Hearty anglers were pushing spring's arrival last week and catching largemouth bass, yellow perch and crappies.
While the fishing is still a long way from the quality we enjoy in April and May, the signs point toward an early transition to predictably mild spring weather and better days on the water.
Crappies and perch are popular throughout the season and highly prized this time of the year by those who hope to catch fish for the dinner table. They often are among the first fish to bite in March, so it is not unexpected that anglers are finding them at Mosquito and other popular local lakes.
The largemouth bite is another story. Anglers expect to catch bass as they move up from winter haunts in deeper water, but that migration typically doesn't start for another few weeks.
Bass are reportedly biting jigs and plastic worms crawled slowly around the deeper edges of weed patches at Mosquito and Portage Lakes near Akron.
Jigs also are working for early-bird anglers along the rocky banks and sunken foundations at Shenango Reservoir north of Sharon, Pa.
The early crappie, perch and bass bite is encouraging. Anglers can get in on the early action at several of our Northeast Ohio lakes.
Mosquito is one of the more productive lakes in March. Anglers can get in on the action off the Ohio 88 causeway, the riprap along the dam and the breakwater jetties at the state park marina.
At Milton, the Mahoning Avenue causeway is a good early-season spot, as are the boat docks that permit public access. Crappies gang up around the dock pilings.
So far, no reports are surfacing about walleyes on the reservoirs, though the Ohio River aficionados are jigging up good fish in the lock and dam tailraces.
Once we get another few days of warm weather, the walleye action will pick up quickly at Mosquito, Pymatuning, Milton and Berlin.
Mosquito has a history of yielding some great walleye catches to early spring anglers who wade the sand bars and flats where the fish migrate in search of potential spawning sites.
Walleyes also move shallow along the Ohio 88 causeway and dam, where anglers pick off nice fish with jigs dressed with twister tails or minnows.
The fishing is only going to get better as we move into March. With stable weather and willing fish, the next several weeks could very well shape up as a fine start to an outstanding fishing season for our corner of Ohio.
Jack Wollitz's book, "The Common Angler," is an immersive look at why anglers are passionate about fishing. Send a note to jackbbaass@gmail.com.