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Fanatical for fishing and ball

Today dawned with the kind of anticipation that churns fans’ stomachs yet pulls them irresistibly into the game. Fandom delivers great joy, but not without great cost. The thrills of victory push us to the peak, but sooner or later, we will endure a stumble. It happens. Always does. Nobody is perfect. Not in baseball, football or fishing. Today dawned with me launching the Bass Cat on the Ohio River for the annual “King of the River” bass tournament. I won’t know the outcome until later this afternoon, of course, but I had high hopes for a satisfying victory. As you ...

Wollitz: Rust along the river

Her question was the perfect set-up. “What are those rusty things?” wife Barb asked as she checked my cell phone photos of fish I caught during a recent fishing trip. My answer to her is another explanation of why I so thoroughly appreciate each and every outing on the Ohio River’s New Cumberland Pool. The “rusty things” are the backdrop of almost every photograph I shoot on the Ohio. One can hardly point a camera on the river without a rusty thing prominent in the frame – barges, walls, pilings, docks, conveyors, breakwaters and other steel structures oxidized to the ...

Hiner: Successes from area players highlights first 5 weeks of high school football season

It may be hard to believe for some, but we’re midway through the high school football regular season. There have been some good starts to the season, some disappointments and stellar play. So, why not take a look at some of the biggest surprises that have popped up through the first five weeks of the season? And hopefully there won’t be any jinxes that take effect for future games. BULLDOGS GOT SOME BITE Lakeview has to be one of the biggest surprises in the first half of the season. The Bulldogs came out of the first half with a 4-1 record after going 5-6 last season. Their ...

Wollitz: Fishing on Lake Erie a special experience

We all know that feeling, that special optimism that seeps into our soul as we see the sun rise with yet another promise of good things and happy times. Sunrises not only help define the human experience, they provide the glow to fuel anglers setting out for another day on their favorite lakes. With the first rays reflecting off the smooth surface of Lake Erie, fishing buddy Ted Suffolk and I pushed away from the dock in Ashtabula recently and set off for a day away from the hubbub of all that makes life complicated. Our goal was pretty basic: Have fun. If along the way we ...

Words on Wheels: Lou Blaney Memorial

This Saturday, Sept. 21 will be the rescheduled 16th annual Lou Blaney Memorial one of the biggest races of the 95th season. Lou Blaney was fan favorite and a racing legend having won over 600 feature races and 7 championships. Inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame, Pittsburg Circle Track Hall of Fame, Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame, Twin State Auto Racing Club Hall of Fame, Sharon Speedway Hall of Fame, Lernerville and Tri-City Hall of Fame. He was the Cavalcade of Champions Big ...

No one answer for different fish

Stand around a boat ramp or hang around a bait shop long enough and you’ll no doubt hear the most ubiquitous question in fishing: What are they biting? While it’s a common query, it’s actually the wrong question for those who yearn for the scoop on the best trick to score fish. Ask that question and you might get any of a hundred recommendations. Spoons, worms, crankbaits, spinners, buzzbaits, bladed jigs, stick worms, minnows and who-knows-what are among the plethora of options for inquisitive fishers. Facts are, however, the fish don’t prefer one bait over others. ...