The State of Ohio, cradle of presidents, birthplace of aviation, home of Neil Armstrong, John Glenn and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is lacking in one important respect. It has no fish.

        Actually it has plenty of fish if you know where to cast your hook. What I mean is that it has no official fish; no scaly denizen of the deep with a state piscatory imprimatur. The wiley walleye, cunning cat, pretty perch and mighty muskellunge don't stand out. They are all just a chowder.

        The failure of the general assembly to raise one fish above all the rest sticks in the throats of Ohio anglers like the bone of a spot fried up in butter and bread crumbs. The competing merits of various species have been debated for years, but you might as well ask the legislators to choose between shiners and night crawlers.

        The latest chapter in this controversy occurred Wednesday, when, at the urging of a group of schoolchildren from eastern Ohio, a legislative committee recommended the smallmouth bass get the top honor. But House Speaker Larry Householder refused to bite. That very afternoon, the speaker told reporters in Columbus that he doesn't want to bring the issue to the floor for a full vote.

        The reason? Apparently he has concerns about the walleyed pike lobby from up around Lake Erie. Now, the smallmouth is found in every one of Ohio's 88 counties, but when it comes to fightin' fish, the walleye has few equals. Jennifer Detwiler, director of communications for Mr. Householder, said it isn't that the speaker will never let the issue come up for a vote, but for the time being he has other — uh, things — to fry.

        Being an official state critter is mostly an honorary position. It might get you on a license plate. That happened to the state bird (cardinal). But Rep. Chris Redfern (D-Catawba Island) already has legislation pending to plate the walleye. The speaker is holding that one up too, according to Ms. Detwiler.

        Ohio has lots of official state symbols. In addition to the cardinal, we have a state flower (red carnation); a state wildflower — which is a dressed-up weed (white trillium); state beverage (tomato juice); state gemstone (flint); state insect (ladybug); state reptile to thrive on the state rodents (black racer snake); state animal (white-tailed deer); and, of course the state tree (buckeye), which also gives Ohio its official nickname.

        There is a state song Beautiful Ohio, which should not be confused with the state rock song, Hang on Sloopy, which was first performed in Dayton, according to Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell's Web site.

        My personal favorite, although it has lost ground now that Ohio has mandatory term limits, is the state fossil (trilobite), which swam in these waters 440 million years ago.

        Surely if we can honor an extinct marine creature, we can do the same for one that is still with us. The pike and bass each have many laudatory characteristics that you would think the legislature would find appealing. Pike, though long and bony, have sharp teeth, fearsome dispositions but a surprisingly sweet and delicate flavor. Bass have tremendous stamina and leaping abilities, are found everywhere and rise to almost any bait.

        If Mr. Householder and his cronies can't sort it out between the smallmouth and the walleye (we could never label people this way), I recommend as a compromise the common carp. Though often derided as a lowly bottom-feeder, the carp is related to the gaudy goldfish and the regal koi. The carp also is a reknowned survivor. Members of the species have been known to live for 40 years sucking along in the sludge of our polluted waterways.

        If a carp can thrive in the Ohio River it ought to be able to live through the muddied waters of Ohio politics.

        Ohio is known for the airplane and the rubber tire; for rock and roll and space exploration; for genius that has produced inventions from the phonograph to the traffic light. We have all manner of official flora and fauna. The state has put its mark on the air and the land. We shouldn't shortchange the sea. It's time for the legislature to fish or cut bait.

        Contact David Wells at 768-8310; fax: 768-8610; e-mail: dwells@enquirer.com. Cincinnati.Com keyword: Wells.

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