ANGLING TIPS Jack Wollitz

If fishing is nothing else, it should at the very least be fun.
Life deals enough trials and tribulations without having to worry about troubles on the water. Problems that can ruin a fishing day can be minimized by proper preparation. With everything in good working order - from boat and motor to rods and reels - anglers can concentrate on enjoying themselves out on the water.
One of the goals I set last spring was to make sure I had fun every time I went fishing. Things worked out great. Looking back, it could hardly have been a better year.
One highlight was the smallmouth bass my wife Barb hooked in May on the Ohio River. After a relatively slow afternoon, the smallie that blasted her spinnerbait was just what the doctor ordered during Barb's first fishing trip after breaking her elbow.
Smallmouths have a way of putting smiles on anglers' faces, and I was grinning from ear to ear on a warm afternoon in June at Lake Erie's Presque Isle Bay. I'd found a spot where I could pitch Texas-rigged tubes and lizards into holes in the weeds and every few minutes wrestle a 3- to 4-pounder out of the vegetation.
The wee hours' dew failed to dampen my spirits during a night-fishing trip in July at Conneaut Lake near Meadville, Pa. The three-pound largemouth that struck just after dark was the first of many nice bass that hit before the sun rose the next morning.
And what's more fun than having friends in the boat? Even if the fish aren't biting, it's good to share laughs, which I did last season thanks to Steve Zarbaugh, Ron Learn, Jason Abbott, Dan Pecchia, Bill Bresnahan and Don Cagigas.
Last season provided good times aplenty, including trips too numerous to mention here. And now I can't wait for 2004's fishing fun to begin.
jwwollitz@aol.com