JACK WOLLITZ Summer's fishing action on the rise

Summer has warmed up the action on waters throughout the region as anglers enjoy the first stable weather patterns of the 2003 season.
As the sunny sky and balmy conditions inch up water temperatures at Berlin, Mosquito, Shenango and other local reservoirs, anglers continue to make nice catches of crappies and bass. The walleye action has slowed a bit, but those who know where to find the fish are having good times.
Slab crappies are biting all around Mosquito Creek Reservoir, with most of the fish now associating more with the weed beds than the shallow willows where they spent their spring days.
Nice crappie catches are being reported at Pymatuning and Shenango.
Anglers also are catching nice bunches of panfish up at Presque Isle near Erie, Pa.
Better known for excellent bass fishing, Presque Isle's main bay, about the size of the lower end of Mosquito, is home to excellent populations of crappies, yellow perch and fat rock bass. Fishermen also can retreat into the sheltered waters of Misery, Horseshoe and Marina bays and stay in touch with the panfish.
Muggy summer nights are super for catfishing. Try the causeways over any of the local reservoirs, especially near the bridges and their currents, and rig up with live bait or smelly prepared catfish concoctions.
For a chance at a really big channel or shovelhead cat, plan an evening excursion to the Ohio River around East Liverpool. The river has a good population of catfish in the 10-pound class, with enough 20- and 30-pound shovelheads to make things very interesting.
Those who prefer their fish with big teeth are working West Branch Reservoir hard. Muskies up to 20 pounds are prowling the weed lines and hitting everything from crappie minnows and bass lures to oversized bucktails and swimming plugs.
Local anglers earn X cash
Three local teams earned checks in last Sunday's Presque Isle/Lake Erie round on the popular X Series bass tournament circuit.
Competing against more than 100 two-person teams as Lake Erie rocked and rolled with brisk winds and sporadic rain showers, Dan Mansky and Rick Otterson of Youngstown sacked a limit of three smallmouth bass weighing 13.18 pounds to finish seventh. They pocketed $400.
George and Nick Prvonozac of Warren were 11th with 12.8 pounds, followed by Steve Zarbaugh of Poland and Eric Guinter of North Benton in 12th with 12.7 pounds. Both teams earned $150.
The winning team, which included Canton-area angler Stan Lippian, cashed a $3,000 check, plus an additional $1,070 for the tournament's biggest bass.
Their three smallies weighed 15.59 pounds, the largest of which was a beautiful 6.31-pounder.
Classic on ESPN
Bass tourney fans looking for the CITGO Bassmasters Classic Presented by Busch Beer Aug. 1-3 can expect some changes and extensive TV coverage on ESPN and ESPN2.
The world championship bass tournament returns this year for the third time to New Orleans and the expansive Louisiana Delta. The venue presents challenges for television, and ESPN will have 10 on-the-water cameras seeking the pro anglers as they fan out over the huge area of bayous surrounding the mouth of the Mississippi River, the Intercoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico shoreline.
This year's field of 61 Classic qualifiers represents the largest ever to contend for the world title. Heading the list is 2003 Busch Angler of the Year Jay Yelas of Texas.
Dave LeFebre of Erie, Pa., is among this year's Classic anglers. The field also includes Kevin VanDam, ranked number one on BassFan.com, Mark Davis of Arkansas, Roland Martin and Shaw Grigsby of Florida, and Gary Klein of Texas.
TV coverage includes first round action at 7 p.m. Aug. 1 on ESPN2. On Aug. 2 and 3, coverage switches to ESPN at 6 p.m.
jwwollitz@aol.com