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Football needs to stay out of the courtroom

Anybody who has ever attended college has sat through at least one class where they wonder, “Why am I even required to take this?” Personally, it was a 6 p.m. social media class. As the sun set twice a week, the thought broke through the drowsiness, “Why am I, a journalism student in their early 20’s, being taught how to use Twitter and Instagram?” The answer is pretty simple. The college or university dictates the curriculum and you elected to get a degree from that particular school. And good luck trying to take that school to court for educational malpractice, because ...

The hurdles of Hydrilla growth in Mosquito Lake

Is hydrilla a friend or foe? The answer depends on whom you ask. Hydrilla, a non-native species of aquatic plant that has spread to Mosquito Lake, continues to be a bone of contention between bass anglers, recreational boaters and biologists. Bass anglers love hydrilla. Many recreational boaters loathe it. Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife is tasked with managing it. Under a program initiated several years ago, authorities have been treating portions of Mosquito Lake with fluridone, a pelletized herbicide said to be effective in interfering with hydrilla’s ...

Don’t focus on success, learn to live in the moment

Anglers who go to the water with the sole purpose of catching fish are missing some of the best experiences one can have out there. Gauging success strictly on how many fish we catch fails to take into account the rewards that come from simply being out on the lake and paying attention to what’s going on around us. While some of my best fishing days have been those when the bite was red hot, I can say with a straight face that I rarely regret even the slow days. No kidding. I look at fishing with a frame of reference that is broader than some anglers’ expectations. Now ...

Wollitz: Changing temperatures a ‘good sign’ for anglers

Water temperatures throughout Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania are slowly dropping after peaking in the mid-to-upper-80s a few weeks ago, which is a good sign for anglers yearning for the autumn uptick in fish activity. Several days ago, I was seeing lake water temperatures ranging from 74 to 76 degrees, around 10 degrees lower than what I observed in late July. Whether you are chasing largemouth or smallmouth bass, walleyes or crappies, cooling water brings high hopes for anglers. Dips in temperature trigger increased feeding behavior, making it more likely that fish will ...

Some older reels still have a little more fight left in them

It is easy to put the past behind us – often for good reasons – but from time to time I like to reach back and pull up some of the stuff that influenced my passion for fishing. While rummaging around my fishing shop recently, I came across three fishing reels that I treasured as a young angler: a vintage Pfleuger Pelican 1020 spinning reel handed down from Dad, a venerable green Johnson spincast and my pride and joy Mitchell 308. They were the reels of my youth, their twirling bails spinning the foundation for a lifetime of joy on the water. The old 308, a scaled-down version ...

Wollitz: A day of fishing over 30 years in the making

More than 30 years after a Poland Middle School student penned a letter describing his great interest in fishing, we finally made good on a suggestion about getting out on the lake together. Kevin Schaffert’s heartfelt letter to me struck a nerve. That a seventh grader would take the time to so earnestly express his love for fishing made a big impression. I replied with encouragement for his fishing. Kevin, his father, Eric, and I soon bumped into each other in town. A youngster as smitten by fishing as Kevin deserved an invitation to hit the lake. But as often happens, lots of ...