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Countless types of baits exist as tools for anglers

The quintessential picture of fishing is an angler sitting lakeside with a rod, reel and can of nightcrawlers. Anglers and earthworms date back to the earliest days of using poles and lines to harvest fish to feed families and villages. Ancient anglers learned tasty creatures tempted fish to bite their hooks, and earthworms were among the easiest baits to gather and keep handy. For thousands of years, in my simplified view of the early evolution of sustenance fishing, worms were the bait of choice. Convenient. Basic. Productive. Ah, but the human species always leans to ...

Fishing new waters a welcome experience

To borrow a popular claim, if you know, you know. Anglers get it. Fishing a new lake for the first time is one of the great adventures in fishingdom. If you are an avid angler, you know what I mean. Nearly 50 years have passed since I towed home my first boat and began exploring lakes and rivers on my own. Prior to that, I fished aboard Dad’s Starcraft and on foot wherever I could find a fishy-looking riverbank or causeway. I was always thrilled at the prospects of what I might discover as I headed out on new waters. I recall my first visit to Mosquito Lake, the tailrace below ...

Reading is a skill just as important as ever

As the years pile up and experience grows, many folks find opportunities to share tips and guidance for those who are coming up behind them. It’s the way of the world, of course, that adults take on roles as parents, teachers, coaches and more to young people who can jumpstart their own adventures in careers, hobbies and special interests. We take it for granted, but some kids lack mentors. All of us have something to pass along. I’m fortunate to have had opportunities to coach young people interested in fishing, even competing in events that pit their skills against the fish ...

Speed worming a proven bass fishing tactic

Swimming a plastic worm is one of the most simple fishing techniques, but also one of the most effective. Popularly known among bass anglers as speed worm fishing, swimming plastic wigglers produce great catches for anglers regardless of experience or how they approach their favorite waters. It is as simple as fishing can get. The angler simply lobs out a Texas-rigged plastic worm and reels it back with a steady retrieve that makes the lure appear to be swimming. The basic cast-and-reel approach works great in most situations, but the angler can experiment with weights and ...

Whetzel: Bidding farewell to the Valley and to sportswriting

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. In this case, it’s about both my time at the Tribune Chronicle and The Vindicator and my time in journalism as a whole, as Thursday marked my finale at the paper. I arrived in Warren back in 2021 with a reasonable idea of what to expect. After all, my then-girlfriend (and now wife as of last Saturday) grew up across the state line in Mercer County and we had made multiple trips over to various restaurants during our relationship. I knew this was a blue-collar area that took a lot of pride in its identity. I knew it wasn’t ...

Wollitz: Bladed jigs are incredibly useful for anglers

It’s bladed jig season and the largemouth bass are chasing them on the lakes throughout the Youngstown-Warren area. Actually, every month seems to be right for my assortment of bladed jigs, popularly known as Chatterbaits — the brand name that has become synonymous with the lure genre. As Kleenex is to facial tissues, Chatterbait is to bladed jigs. They are jig heads and hooks outfitted with a thin gauge hexagonal metal “blade” that catches water as the angler reels, creating a hard vibrating action. Bladed jigs’ vibration transmits two ways: down to the skirt and ...