Bassmasters gathering for Classic event

So, you think there’s not much worse than sitting home another weekend, the snowy landscape and ice-covered lakes preventing us northeastern Ohioans the opportunity to fish?

How about if you had to go out there this morning? How about if you had no choice but to suit up, jump into your boat and drive through the 30-degree chill in a driving rain at 70 mph?

That’s what the 50 contenders in this year’s Bassmasters Classic did Friday morning as the world championship tournament got under way at Lake Hartwell near Greenville, S.C. The Classic is the first big event of the professional bass tournament season, much like the Daytona 500 kicks off NASCAR’s year, and this year’s qualifiers are chasing fame, glory and a $500,000 paycheck.

It was cold and rainy as Friday dawned in South Carolina, and while the weather was a far cry better than the white blanket that greeted us, it was by no means the kind of day that puts one in mind of great bass fishing.

Funny thing is the pro anglers hit the bass big time. As this was written — well before the official weigh-in late Friday afternoon — Scott Rook of Arkansas was said to have nearly 20 pounds of bass in his boat and Michigan’s Kevin VanDam was nipping at his heals.

The tournament continues today and concludes Sunday. For those who want to say in touch, watch the TV coverage on ESPN2 starting at 7 a.m. today and tomorrow. Coverage of the final weigh-in will begin at 10 p.m. Sunday.

This year’s Classic field includes Ohio’s Charlie Hartley, a veteran pro who started his bass career as a weekend competitor in events at Berlin, Mosquito and other Ohio reservoirs sanctioned by the Ohio Bass Tournament circuit and the old Red Man trail.

He’s a versatile angler who’s known to scoot readily around boat ramp parking lots across America on his skateboard.

Despite the weather, which was forecast to improve in South Carolina after the miserable day the pros endured Friday, it’s good to see the 2008 season finally start to loom larger on our horizons.

Now, if we could just get the mercury to start climbing here, the world would be a better place.

Trout coming to Mill Creek Park

Ohio Division of Wildlife will stock 80,000 rainbow trout measuring 10 to 13 inches in 45 Ohio lakes starting in mid-March, including our nearby Lake Glacier in Mill Creek Park.

Other nearby waters to get their trout infusion include Summit County’s Silver Creek Lake and Little Turtle Pond, and Punderson Lake in Geauga County.

License time

Anglers are reminded that their 2007 Ohio fishing licenses expire Friday. New licenses will be required starting March 1.

Pennsylvania fishing licenses expire at the end of the year, so anglers in the Keystone State must already have their 2008 licenses to be legal on the water.

jwwollitz@aol.com