The glory days of Ohio fishing are here and now

February 7, 2022

I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again: The good ol’ days of Ohio fishing are here and now. As our world spins faster and faster, it is tempting to decry current times. Many look back with rose-colored glasses and see better times, better cars, better everything—and that includes better fishing. But I was fishing 50 years ago (and more), so I think I have the perspective to compare then and now. “Now” wins, hands down, here in Northeast Ohio and elsewhere in the Buckeye State. I think fishing is better today than when I started buying annual fishing licenses, ...

COLUMN: With UIC leaving, where does Horizon League go?

February 4, 2022

With Illinois-Chicago’s departure from the Horizon League looming, today’s matchup between Youngstown State and the Flames likely marks the final conference trip into the Windy City. UIC announced Jan. 26 it would be departing the Horizon League, and will join the Missouri Valley Conference effective July 1. The Flames joined the Horizon back in 1994. Their move comes as Murray State and Belmont also join the MVC. YSU men’s basketball coach Jerrod Calhoun said of the decision at a Jan. 27 press conference, “I think they’ve done a good job. I don’t think this is a thing ...

Friendly rivalries exist between anglers

January 30, 2022

Hollywood often swings and misses when it comes to presenting fishing in a context that most anglers would acknowledge is fair and accurate, but on those occasions when the director and actors get it right, it can be a home run. “Grumpy Old Men,” for example, hit it out of the park as Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon – Max Goldman and John Gustafson, respectively, in the flick – portrayed the 50-year rivalry of neighbors who agreed on practically nothing, including who was the better fishermen. Trash talk dominated the dialogue throughout the movie. The tone and tenor of the ...

A ‘Return to Greatness’ should help Valley boxing

January 28, 2022

Legendary boxing promoter Don King said it best Wednesday while standing at the podium of The Grand Resort. Saturday’s boxing feature at the W.D. Packard Music Hall in downtown Warren is a “Return to Greatness” for boxing in the area. For the first time in a long time, the city of Warren will be center stage for the boxing world. Like it should be. Now, seeing that I grew up in Western New York, along with being new to the area, I never got to witness the great events that were held at the Struthers Fieldhouse or the previous showcases held at Packard. But, since moving ...

Anglers should exercise caution when ice fishing

January 16, 2022

A day out on the ice jigging for walleyes, crappies, perch or bluegills is tranquil, exhilarating, fun and, most importantly, dangerous. Ice fishers are itching to get out on Mosquito, Pymatuning, Berlin, Shenango and ponds to take advantage of the early frozen-water season. First ice is often productive, but it also is dangerously unpredictable. Too many anglers learn that the hard way every winter. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources aims to minimize the number of people killed or injured this winter on dangerous ice with the flat-out declaration that no ice is safe. The ...

A little science goes a long way for anglers

January 9, 2022

A little applied science can go a long way for anglers looking to improve their chances of locating and catching their favorite fish. Cleveland Metroparks fish biologist Michael Durkalec knows a thing or two about fish behavior. As a scientist, Durkalec has studied fish in classrooms, textbooks, laboratories and in the field. As an angler, he has amassed considerable practical experience reading sonar, locating bait and game fish, and tempting them to bite his hook. His great knowledge bubbled to the surface recently as he and I discussed his success in limiting out on Lake Erie’s ...