JACK WOLLITZ Putting angling into perspective

Perspectives change as the seasons move through the calendar. What we choose to do today, for instance, might be totally out of the question in September.
Fishermen who like to stretch their season a few more trips sometimes lose perspective. They will put their collars up to ward off a chill breeze in November, but might cancel plans in July if it's raining.
So what's a little cold weather? Especially if the fish are biting.
They remain active
Walleyes, crappies, steelhead and bass remain active throughout the area, and those who venture out will find plenty of elbow room as many anglers have put their equipment away for the winter.
Ron Learn of Hubbard and I decided last Saturday to make one more visit to the Ohio River to test our luck with smallmouth bass. We drove through the dim dawn with high hopes of catching at least a few of the old river's smallies.
We pulled up to the ramp in Chester, W.Va., and saw choppy water under the gray sky. But as we launched his big red Gambler bass boat we dismissed the shivering conditions as the price one must pay to go bass fishing in the Ohio Valley in November.
At Mosquito Creek Reservoir, meanwhile, a few hard-core walleye anglers pushed their boats Saturday through the choppy water to the flats and points where big fish were feeding.
And along the banks of Lake Erie tributaries, anglers parked their trucks and rigged their rods for the spectacular steelhead heading upriver in their annual winter runs.
Back at the Ohio River, Learn ignited his big Evinrude and we eased off to our first hole. I thanked him for resisting the temptation to put the hammer down and run the 225-hp outboard up to its red line. It was nice enough to go fishing, but not for a 75 mph boat ride.
En route, we passed only a few other pairs of anglers in boats still not winterized.
At our first spot, Learn quickly cranked up a 3-pound smallmouth and within a few minutes added a sub-keeper spotted bass.
Our trip already was a success.
Went upriver
We moved upriver five miles and fished a spot where the bottom broke steeply from five feet to eight and then 12. It proved to be a good choice, as it yielded six smallies up to three pounds and a pair of 14-inch spotted bass. I also landed an 18-inch sauger -- beautifully colored in the cold water -- and Learn hooked something too big to turn.
The fish all hit plastic tube baits, and it was evident that we'd found a pattern along the sharp breaklines on the river bottom. The fish were feeding on the river's super abundant shad.
Continuing up the Ohio past the power plants at Shippingport, Pa., we located a place similar to our previous hole and hooked up with a trio of chunky 15-inch spotted bass and four nice smallies.
The day wore on and we pecked out a few more bass, grateful that we'd decided to take one more stab at the Ohio River. Our tally was 20 keeper bass and the sauger.
All in all, a great day in November.
Up at Mosquito, the walleye experts also put fish in the boat. Walleyes up to 20 inches have been active the past couple of weeks, biting for anglers casting and drifting with jigs tipped with minnows.
The better spots at Mosquito are on the south end, where long points jut out and along the edges of stump flats.
A number of nice crappies also are being caught, many in the same places where the walleyes live.
The steelhead has picked up steam now that the water is getting colder and the stream levels are rising with autumn runoff.
In Ohio, fishermen are catching steelies in the Chagrin, Grand and Rocky rivers, as well as Conneaut and a few other smaller creeks. Pennsylvania's Walnut and Elk creeks also are producing nice fish. November steelhead are averaging 10 pounds, with some running much larger.
Fishing should stay good through Thanksgiving for most of this area's popular species, although the bass action will tail off dramatically once the water temps drop into the low 40s.
Fishing still is worth the effort, however, as long as you turn your collar up against the chill.
jwwollitz@aol.com