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Remembering Bob Mullen, a friend and fellow fisherman

The lakes of northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania will serve as my reminders of the life of good man and gifted angler Bob Mullen of Hubbard. Mullen, 92, passed away last week, leaving loving family and friends and a legacy of contributions in the bass fishing community. He had an uncommon passion for fishing and for the people with whom he shared his joy. I met Mullen in 1980 or thereabouts while working on a feature story about bass fishing for Ohio Fisherman magazine. In search of information for my article, I visited the Bass Pro Shops store owned by Don Thompson on ...

Don’t argue and let the Browns’ rookies get a shot at QB

Growing up a Cleveland Browns fan after 1996, the NFL draft was always something to look forward to in April. The winter months as a teen were spent using football knowledge gained from a brief time on the gridiron and insight from draft “experts” to figure out who the Browns should take every year. The never-ending search for a quarterback for the brown and orange was, and still is, the topic of conversation for the team’s fans. But as the years went on, what was once excitement for a potential savior slowly became contempt. There were always debates during the offseason. ...

The art of lure painting

From an art studio and workshop in a Cleveland Heights home are born many of the hottest lure colors ever to dangle from anglers’ fishing lines. Many of the beautiful hues that lure anglers to spend millions of dollars every year are created by angler and artist Frank Scalish. He creates for PRADCO Outdoor Brands, including the popular lines of Bomber, Rebel, Cordell, Heddon, Smithwick, Booyah, Bandit, Norman, Arbogast and others. Scalish is an artisan and craftsman tasked with developing color schemes that tease fish to attack lures and inspire fishers to reach for their ...

Words on Wheels: Racing season has finally arrived

Spring is here, how do I know? The roar of race cars and the smell of race fuel has already happened at Michaels Mercer Raceway, Tri City City Raceway Park in Franklin, Pa., and Lernerville Speedway near Butler Pa. We live in the best area of the country for race tracks. At least 10 tracks within a two-hour drive. Let me list a few for you. ¯ Sharon Speedway in Hartford is the grand old lady of racing operating since 1929. Gates will swing open May 10 with 410 Spring cars, Pro Stocks and Econo Mods. Many special events scheduled starting with The World of Outlaws Sprint cars May ...

The best time to fish is whenever you can get on the water

I am asked often about the best time to go fishing, with the inquirer typically wanting advice about mornings, evenings, rain or shine. The answer, of course, is obvious. You know what I tell them. The best time to go fishing is whenever you can. It’s not a quip. I’m not being a wise guy. I don’t make these things up. The truth is that for the majority of us anglers, the best time to go fishing is when we have the time and inclination to do so. Legend and lore hold that rainy days often have the fish biting, and the long shadows and dim light of sunrise and sunset put the ...

Early signs of fishing life bring back memories of youthful summer dreams

My bicycle ride to my childhood fishing hole spanned only a few minutes, but that was plenty of time to awaken dreams of hooking a big bass and enjoying an epic battle. Looking back over 60 years, I recall I would visualize my dream. It came to life as I coasted down the street toward Yellow Creek where it meandered around the boundary between Poland and Boardman Township. A few pools, wash-outs below riffles, harbored the fish we kids aimed to catch. The visual in my head was like the realistic illustrations in Outdoor Life and other magazines, which I read when I wasn’t busy ...