Fish getting mixed reviews in the press

Whenever a guy goes fishing, the last thing he usually says to his wife is, “Get the frying pan ready, honey.”

The word “honey” is optional.

She may have to take him up on his words this year, especially if he fishes Pymatuning Lake, the 14,650-acre body of water that straddles the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. That’s a lot of water to fish.

The reason for the optimistic attitude is simple: The lake has been given a better than average label as far as successful fishing goes this season.

The lake has always been a hot-bed for fishing enthusiasts and this year promises to be even better. Coupled with new stocking procedures and other implementations, things are really looking up.

But there’s a fly in the ointment, the walleye population will be down again this season. Fishermen can expect to land larger walleye than in past years but the amount will be less. Anglers may have to change their fishing tactics this year in order to land the sharp-toothed, good-eating beauties.

The first-year survival of the walleye has been very poor in five of the past seven years, according to reports.

The survival rate of the young fry has been way down even though more of the small walleye have been stocked. The big down-turn of walleye has been a mystery to both of the agencies that manage the fishery, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and the Ohio Division of Wildlife

According to an article written by Keith Edwards, NW Region Education Coordinator, fishery biologists from the Pa. Fish and Boat Commission and the ODW are attempting to solve the mystery by stepping up the challenge of helping walleye rebound by adjusting stocking strategies,

They cannot figure out what has happened to the walleye stocking program that worked so well prior to 2001. Stilll, they are going to stock 586,000 fingerling, ranging in length from 1 to 2 inches, in May.

Nearly 4 million walleye fry will be stocked earlier in the spring as part of the experiment to access the situation.

There are a number of factors that could lead to the demise of the young walleye including changes in the watershed, climate, prey fish and predators to name a few.

A day after I read the good news about the upswing of fishing expected at Pymatuning Lake this season, I see where state officials have updated the list of fish consumption advisories.

People should not eat fish (caught recreationally) more than once a week. The advisories do not apply to commercially raised fish or fish bought in stores or restaurants.

Getting back to the good-fishing report for 2008 at Pymatuning, excellent fishing for muskellunge, smallmouth bass, black and white crappie, bluegill, sunfish, yellow perch, white bass and channel and silver catfish, is forecast.

Here we go

Two things were missing this year from Super Bowl XLII: Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

The Browns and the Steelers had their share of opportunities to make the Big Dance this season, but things didn’t work out well for two teams that had strong possibilities of going all the way. That doesn’t happen very often.

I realized that the Patriots and the Giants had two fine ballclubs but without the Browns or the Steelers in the finale, it left a lot to be desired. It didn’t seem right and interest was fast fading.

Didn’t seem to care who won and put on that beautiful Super Bowl Championship ring. It was a little like washing your feet with the shoes on. Something was definitely missing.

So Romeo and Mike, you hurt a lot of feelings this season. We’ll have no more of that! We don’t like that “outsider” feeling.

Titans honored

Three Westminster College athletes were named as January recipients of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference weekly awards.

Capturing honors were junior guard Gina Brunetti (Mooney) who was named PAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week; sophomore Emily Dressler (Mount Calvary Christian) who was named PAC Women’s Swimmer/Diving of The Week, and junior Conor Simpson (Gateway) who was named PAC Men’s Swimmer/Diving of the Week.