Anglers Hooked on Fishing

By Sean Barron

The event was aimed at getting youngsters outside more and developing closer relations with police.

STRUTHERS — Twelve-year-old Geno Fraticelli didn’t feel much like spending his Saturday working around the house.

So what better way to get out of such chores than grabbing some fishing gear and 13-year-old friend David DeCarlo, and heading to the creek to try his luck?

If Geno’s track record is any indication, he probably fared quite well.

“I’ve caught a good 50 fish in the last six years,” Geno said.

For his part, David, who said his grandfather got him started three years ago, reeled in two bass during Saturday’s Hooked on Fishing, An Angler’s Escape event at Yellow Creek Park. Sponsoring the festivities was Mill Creek MetroParks and its police department.

The two Lowellville K-12 School students came to the four-hour event with Geno’s father, Mike.

A few hundred anglers of all ages enjoyed the day’s perfect weather as they cast their lines from either side of the creek, as well as downstream. Youngsters, their parents and others hoped to get bites from an estimated 450 bass, perch, catfish and other kinds that had been stockpiled in the creek and surrounding waterways.

Brimming with excitement after having caught a blue gill was 11-year-old Kaeleigh Blough of Struthers, who was accompanied by her close friend Tiffany Gillen.

“All my friends come here all the time, every year,” Kaeleigh said, adding that she began fishing around age 5.

Also part of the festivities were Kaeleigh’s parents, Thomas and Gena, and younger brother, Kolten, 7. This was an introduction to fishing for Tiffany, who along with Kaeleigh, attends Struthers Middle School. Both girls had a piece of practical advice for beginners, novices and the experienced alike: Be patient.

“You need a lot of patience, but it’s really fun,” Tiffany explained. “It’s really cool; you feel really special.”

Those who caught fish returned them to the water.

Beyond the fish, festivities and fun, though, the event was set up to encourage young people to get outdoors more and develop a closer rapport with police, noted Sgt. Randy Campana of the MetroParks police.

Numerous prizes such as tackle boxes, poles, rods and reels were given to many youngsters, including some who didn’t bring any equipment to the park, Campana said. Also available were educational materials and trading cards containing the names of fish and their various characteristics.

“We try not to leave anyone out,” he added.

In addition to prizes, officers also presented games, giveaways, raffles and friendly competitions. An example was a contest in which children received prizes for casting their lines into hula hoops.

The estimated $700 worth of fish came largely from an Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant, noted Campana, who also praised the volunteers who helped organize and run the Hooked on Fishing event.