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Exploring greenery at the lake
I solved the riddle of the disappearing greenery Sunday at Mosquito Creek Reservoir.
It is a lost-and-found story of epic proportions: What happened to all that green that formerly was my lawn? I found my grass – and a lot of others’ as well – in the waters all around the perimeter of the 8-mile-long lake north of Warren.
Our dry summer took its toll on my yard, but apparently it had no ill effect on the aquatic greenery at Mosquito. The waters from the bank out to 7 and 8 feet are lush – even choked – with a variety of plant species.
This is good for the fish, but it sure does make the fishing different.
Mosquito Creek Reservoir has become a resort of sorts for fish of a variety of species. It’s a first-class address for those in the bass, walleye, pike, perch and crappie families. Mosquito, simply put, has prime real estate and great schools (of fish).
All of this is due to the abundance of aquatic vegetation that has taken root. But more than merely getting established, the plant growth has thrived and survived through cold and hot, high water and low.
Year in and year out, the fish can occupy their preferred locations in the expansive weed flats from the dam at the southern end to the off-limits-to-people northern refuge waters.
Over the past decade, Mosquito largemouth bass have grown fatter and more numerous. They are the chief beneficiaries of the weeds. But walleyes also have established populations in the coontail and milfoil.
The Mosquito food chain is highly dependent on the plant life. It harbors great populations of yellow perch, shad and minnows. Shrimp and crawfish also are abundant in the massive flats of green.
Big fish eat little fish, so with such an abundance of food, the bass, crappies, walleyes and pike certainly lack nothing when it comes to sustenance.
Nor do they lack in hunting grounds and hiding places.
The flip side of the green goodness is that, with all those thousands of acres of weedy flats and miles of verdant shallow shoreline, where does a fisher fish?
Those who work Mosquito regularly and who follow the fish from week to week have relatively little problem staying in touch with their favorite species. But for the occasional visitor – or the angler who has not been to Mosquito in 30 days – the challenge of finding catchable populations can be daunting.
So it is that some anglers have great days at Mosquito and others see it as the Dead Sea.
All who fish here in our corner of the world, however, can rest assured that Mosquito does a pretty good job of breeding and sustaining vigorous populations of several species.
The vegetation gets knocked back during winter, so the shallows where anglers congregate in the spring for walleyes, crappies and bass are accessible and loaded.
In that regard, Mosquito is a great place for early-season anglers looking to shake off the winter dust. Mosquito absorbs springtime pressure and reduces fishing’s impact on nearby waters. That provides opportunity for crappies, walleyes and bass at Berlin, Milton, West Branch and Shenango to do their spring things while anglers are casting and trolling Mosquito.
So there I was at Mosquito on Sunday, fishing in awe of the vast vegetation that had grown since my previous visit.
My lawn too parched to require much mowing, I had plenty of time to explore the grass at the sprawling lake – and appreciate the great role it plays in making Youngstown fishing better with each passing year.