March here in Northeast Ohio has a reputation as a big teaser, particularly for anglers hankering to get out on their favorite lakes after their winter break.

The forecast over the next two weeks is favorable for those who cannot wait to start fishing for walleyes, crappies, bluegills and other early-season favorites. A warming trend is coming, but anglers know a wintery blast is never out of the question.

March gives and takes when it comes to weather and fishing. But regardless of the weather, Mosquito Lake always is a preferred spot for March fishers. This year will be no exception. Social media are buzzing with posts from people who either are fishing or soon will be.

Mosquito Marina operator Joe Sofchek says he’s open for business, as are other angler favorites Causeway and Lakeside where anglers stop for bait, snacks and hot tips about where the fish are biting.

With the busy season about to break wide open, anglers must remember a very important piece of paper. The fishing license you bought last year expired March 1, and a new 2020 Ohio fishing license is required. Mosquito Marina and the other local bait shops have them for sale.

Anglers also can buy their license online. Go to wildohio.gov and navigate to the license sale page. One advantage to the online purchase is that anglers have the option for automatic annual renewals, so they would never be caught unlicensed on the water.

Our fishing licenses remain a very good investment, perhaps the best $25 a resident angler will spend all year. Fees raised by the sale of fishing and hunting licenses, along with excise taxes on related equipment, are used to pay for management of fish and game populations, habitat, research and more.

Mosquito Lake is a great example of the work accomplished with our license revenue.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife operates a highly successful operation that results in tens of millions of walleye fry that hatch from roe and milt collected from Mosquito walleyes.

Division of Wildlife crews retrieve mature male and female walleyes from nets set around Mosquito and Berlin Reservoir. Eggs and sperm are extracted from the netted walleyes and then combined in buckets. The fish are returned to the lake and their fertilized eggs are transported to the Ohio Division of Wildlife fish hatchery.

Hatched walleye then are stocked in big numbers in Ohio lakes. The biggest beneficiary is Mosquito Lake, which also is the biggest contributor to the effort. Ohio-hatched walleyes also are traded with other states, including Michigan.

Ohio fish managers learned long ago that while Mosquito and other Ohio lakes are capable of supporting good populations of walleyes, their habitat is not particularly conducive to successful reproduction. Walleyes need large areas of clear, shallow running water over gravel beds, and relatively little of that kind of water exists in our region.

Division of Wildlife crews’ efforts are critical in the spawning process and their work would be impossible to fund without license and tax revenue.

March is the month when the assisted spawning work happens. It’s also the month when walleye anglers start fishing in earnest.

Now all you have to do is get to the lake to catch your personal return on your investment.

Jack Wollitz is a writer and angler who has been fishing for walleyes at Mosquito Lake and Berlin Reservoir for decades. He also enjoys emails from readers. Send a note to Jack at jackbbaass@gmail.com.