It's finally time to get back on the water to fish

BY JACK WOLLITZ

Vindicator Fishing Columnist

I blew the dust off the BassCat last weekend with a quick trip to Mosquito Creek Reservoir that underscored one of the great truisms of Northeast Ohio outdoor life.

The boat has been ready for weeks thanks to some early season maintenance that required an early withdrawal from winter storage. The ’Cat had been fairly content in the garage as cold settled over the Youngstown region, but it was antsy to pounce as Saturday’s mercury inched past 70 degrees.

By noon I was ready to pull out of the driveway. A bit of glare from the spring sun warmed up the tow up I-680 and Ohio 11. The short drive put me at the state park launch ramp by 12:30 where I backed the trailer into the water and floated the boat off.

The ODNR Division of Wildlife fisheries crew was busy on one lane at the ramp, and after chatting for a few minutes with biologists Dan Wright, Matt Wolfe and Chris Aman, I untied and shoved off.

First trip of the year! Finally, spring. Fishing again after five months on the shelf.

Then it hit me. It was downright chilly. Where was that warm air? What happened to the sunshine? Wait a minute ... is the wind out of the north?

At home, the breeze was light from the south and the temperature was 70.

But up there in Trumbull County, just across the lake from Cortland and a few miles south of Mecca, the wind was pushing whitecaps down the lake and my bare hands were cold as they gripped the steering wheel.

So it was again that I came to appreciate the weather divide that seems to exist along Interstate 80. I’d seen it before – nice weather in Youngstown, but things can get dicey as I motor toward Lake Erie.

Certainly I was pushing my “opening day.” Most seasons begin for me around April 1, so I was a week ahead of a so-called normal start, so it was fair to expect I’d bump into weather.

My day was abbreviated – not by the weather but by design – and two hours after getting to the lake, I put the boat back on the trailer and towed south to home. The thermometer on the dash climbed slowly as the miles clicked past. At my driveway in Poland, it was 72 degrees.

Another fishing trip ... another lesson reinforced. Never take the weather for granted. Always prepare for what the season might toss our way.

Of course, I was not deterred. During my short excursion, I drove the boat to a few coves that were sheltered from the cold wind.

The water temperature on the main lake was 45, but it was 47 to 48 in the coves. A couple of degrees this time of the year can make a big difference in the fishes’ behavior.

I slow-rolled a willowleaf spinnerbait and skipped a jig into willow tangle, imparting little action as it sank out of sight. Slow is important when the water is less than 50 degrees.

I fished well for two hours, but teased no bass or pike into biting. Nevertheless, I went home satisfied with the action.

A couple of hours of casting and pitching are the perfect prescription for breaking cabin fever. A fish or two would have been nice, but they’ll come soon enough.

So I broke the ice, enjoyed a bit of practice time on the water and went home happy that all it cost me was a few bucks in gasoline and a pair of cold hands.

jack.wollitz@innismaggiore.com