ANGLING TIPS Jack Wollitz

As we prepare to flip the page to a new year, here's my fishing report card on the region's waters for 2003.
Lake Erie gets an A+. The star in terms of sheer production once again, the big lake yielded great fishing for smallmouth bass, yellow perch and, of course, walleyes.
The Ohio River earns a B. Had it been consistent, the river could have received an A. Smallmouth fishing was good in early summer, but productivity dipped after Labor Day. Sauger fishing improved in the fall, but not enough to deserve a superior mark.
Mosquito and Pymatuning walleyes get B's. As always, there were lots of fish. Big walleyes, however, seem to be a bonus rather than a reliable pattern on both reservoirs. The crappie fishing, meanwhile, ranked as good as in the past, so give them both A's.
Berlin rates as a B-. Bass and walleye fishing was fair. Perhaps due to fishing pressure, Berlin rarely rises above "average & quot;. We can scratch up a few fish, but rarely are we pleasantly surprised.
Lake Milton earns an A in my book, but I'd bet many anglers would disagree. I found big largemouths there; in fact, the five heaviest bass I caught in '03 all came from Milton. Others, meanwhile, struggled to find keepers there, so my A lake might very well be a D in your book.
West Branch is my D water, but that's for the bass fishing. Muskie anglers chalked up West Branch as an A or B lake again this year.
Shenango continued as an A performer. The early summer action for bass and panfish was excellent and anglers were able to stay in touch with the fish throughout the season's high water.
Time to put the red pen away and study for the 2004 season. My goal is to chart a curve that puts all of my fishing water at the top of the class in the coming year.
jwwollitz@aol.com