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The time of year to fill your limit
Our up-and-down spring weather looks to finally be heading into a stable period, and the warming water definitely is putting the fish in the mood to get busy.
Whether your favorite species is in an eating or spawning season, the next few weeks represent one of the best times of the year to fill your limit.
As reported last week, the crappies are up in the shallow water and very willing to bite. Walleyes and bass also have been cooperating. Some anglers have reported catching them together in the same locales at Mosquito and Pymatuning.
Renowned for its spring walleye fishing, Mosquito yielded some nice fish in the recent Walleye Madness tournament despite tough conditions. Similarly, the May 2-3 Mosquito Madness bass tournament produced limit catches for two-thirds of the field over two days, including 26.44 pounds of largemouths for winners Lee Murray and Chuck Main.
Walleye Madness, meanwhile, was a slugfest as well, despite the fact it was contested in post-cold-front conditions with a stiff north wind and choppy water.
Winners Chad Fenstermaker and Thom Brenkert won with a five-walleye limit weighing 11.35 pounds. Brian Davies and P.J. Kerr nailed second with 10.65 pounds, while Sammy Cappelli and Ted Jackson were just ounces behind in third with a limit weighing 10.3 pounds.
Big fish during the event was a 4.2-pound walleye reeled in by the team of Randy Smith and Laura Holt.
Walleye Madness competitors reported walleyes on the move despite the post-front weather. They were in 8 to 14 feet of water, and the winning team trolled an assortment of shad crankbaits.
Some of Mosquito’s bass anglers last weekend filled limits by working shallow wood cover, but many others found quality largemouths in the grass and shallow structure. A variety of methods were productive, including pitching jigs and plastics and casting hard baits.
All in all, the spring fishing is shaping up quite nicely regardless of where you like to fish.
Anglers are chasing the spring run of another species this week: white bass. A little off the trail for the typical Big Three of walleye, bass and crappies, white bass are running in big numbers up to the tailwaters of the region’s reservoirs.
The run was in full swing this week, with anglers picking off hard-fighting white bass in the current below Berlin and Lake Milton. Anglers also were scoring in the Mahoning River as it runs out of Alliance and drains into the upper end of Berlin.
White bass make the run in May into the river current to spawn. They prefer the gravel runs on shallow water, where they set up housekeeping for the next generation.
Small jigs dressed with twister tails or marabou skirts are just about all that anglers need to fool the spiny-finned white bass. Bright colors like white, chartreuse and hot pink are good choices. Start with a 1/8-ounce version and experiment with lighter or heavier if bites don’t come quickly.
Finessing is not necessary, as the fish tend to be pretty aggressive. Toss the jig upstream and twitch it in tight-line retrieve as it bounces back toward your location.
When the run is strong, it’s not uncommon to cash in on continuous action.
Before you leave the house, however, it’s a good idea to sharpen the fillet knife. Spring-run white bass are pretty tasty and you’ll score big points with the neighbors when you come home with enough for a big fish fry.