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Fishing league closes season

NEWELL — If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles.

And with that, columnist Doug Larson pretty much sums up the thought process of Harry Emmerling, founder of the Student Fishing League, which held its final event of the season Sunday at the Kennedy Marina attracting young fishermen from as far as Las Vegas and Columbus as well as from local schools.

The East Liverpool resident started the fishing league four years ago and, with the help of his fishing partner Wayne Wells and a host of other volunteers, has watched it double in size as more young people have joined to learn that fishing is more than just throwing a line into the water.

Three events are held each year, with the tri-state championship held Sunday on the Ohio River for junior high, high school and college division fishermen competing. Emmerling said nine junior high students, 18 high school students and four college students participated from Beaver Local, East Liverpool, East Palestine, Oak Glen, Boardman, Columbus, Las Vegas and Youngstown State University.

Throughout the year, the league averaged about 34 members from 10 school districts.

On Sunday, the fishermen tried their luck in the river for more than six hours, with a three fish per person limit.

Title sponsor for the group is Fin, Feather and Fur Outfitters, while sponsor for Sunday’s tournament was the Kennedy Park & Marina, owned by Mike and Terry Shenton.

Mike Shenton said they donated their facility for the day to Emmerling’s group, with his wife saying, “It’s a good thing Harry does with the kids.”

The park and marina has a campground and boat launch used for the tournament, and Emmerling said, “We find boats for kids to fish (from) if we can. The heart of the program is the guys who show up to take these kids out,” adding that Wells has “been with me from the beginning.”

This was the first year the Chuck Smith Memorial Award was to be given to the young fisherman determined to be the most enthusiastic. Smith provided time for the kids on Bibbee’s Lake outside Glenmoor while he was living.

Prior to the weigh-in, Annette Volino of East Liverpool performed the national anthem.

Results of the tournament were not immediately available.

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