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The angle of the shadows and the splash of colors of the trees aligned perfectly last week as my cue to tow the Bass Cat to my favorite autumn lake.
Since the day long ago when I first fished its waters, Shenango Lake has been on my short list of best local fishing holes spring, summer and fall. The lake really cranks my reel in October.
Formed by Pymatuning Creek running out of northeastern Trumbull County's lowlands and Shenango River running out of Pymatuning Reservoir, Shenango was impounded by a dam in Sharpsville, Pa., in the 1960s for water management by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The shoreline is relatively undeveloped, resulting in abundant stands of hardwoods all around the lake. They are perfect habitat for squirrels, deer and turkeys. The trees also make for happy hunting grounds for largemouth bass.
Storms, erosion and plain old age serve to topple maples and oaks all along Shenango's shoreline, creating prime cover for largemouths and setting up perfectly for one of my favorite fishing tactics.
When Jim Breedlove suggested last week that we check out Shenango, my brain immediately flipped to my history with pitching Texas-rigged plastics to the nooks and crannies of the hardwoods that have fallen from the banks out over the lake's sand and clay flats.
Autumn's falling water temperature brings Shenango's prolific shad to the shallow water. Bass follow the baitfish to the banks and use the trunks and branches of the fallen trees as ambush lairs. Anglers like Jim and me make the cycle complete as we work the water-logged wood in search of hungry bass.
Jim is one half of the Breedlove brothers fishing combo. He and brother John grew up in Girard with fishing as a favorite sport. They are versatile anglers who are accomplished in finding and catching just about any species they decide to pursue. Jim was a mover and shaker of the former Western Reserve Walleye Association, while John is hailed as one of Ohio's best steelhead trollers. (Fishing isn't their only common denominator; they work for the same steel company and once shared ownership of a late model stock car and took turns driving in local dirt track races.)
Both Breedloves are excellent bass sticks, as well, and both have joined me this year for days of casting and catching largemouths.
With so many mutual interests, it's not surprising that they do enjoy a bit of a rivalry. At my prodding, Jim modestly answered that he's the better angler, though acknowledged John does scold him sometimes when things go awry.
Our day at Shenango was a test in our lifelong quests to figure out the day's fishing pattern and convert bites to catches. Whether it is steelhead in Lake Erie's harbors, walleyes at Mosquito or Berlin, or bass in the lakes around Youngstown and Warren, the Breedloves are like all the anglers I know: They love their fishing and the opportunity to bicker and trash talk about tactical decisions, near misses and lost fish.
We did manage to flip up some hefty bass last week, making for a successful day. We also lost a few that had their way in the tussles so inevitable in the tangles of branches where the fish were hiding, but neither Jim nor I dwelled on the blown chances.
The sun was warm, the breeze was just right and enough bass cooperated to make our venture well worth our time and effort.
We finished on a positive note and as we prepared to head our separate ways home, Jim motioned for my attention to one more comment on our day's results.
"Great day," he said. "And never once did I have to hear any scolding."
Jack Wollitz has fished with numerous anglers over the years as he gathers stories to share with readers of the Tribune Chronicle and Vindicator. Contact him at jackbbaass@gmail.com