DISTRICT

Anglers are reminded that fall trout stockings are slated to begin Oct. 1 across the state. In this region, Deer Creek, Lower Deer Lake, Pine Creek, Montour Run, Buffalo Creek, Neshannock Creek, Slippery Rock Creek, Cascade Quarry, Dutch Fork and Millers Run are to be stocked Wednesday. Little Sandy Creek, Oil Creek and Loyalhanna Creek are scheduled to get fish Thursday; Dunlap Creek Lake, Virgin Run Dam and Canonsburg Dam get them Friday. A complete schedule is posted at www.fishandboat.com.

Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay and tributaries: Andy Getsy and Chad Shutty of Altoona won the Keystone Bass Buddy Circuit Classic in Presque Isle Bay Saturday with a six-fish limit totaling 20 pounds. Andy Getsy also weighed the lunker, a 5¹/₄-pound largemouth. A total of 42 qualifying teams caught 132 bass, all largemouths except for one smallmouth, totaling 321 1/2 pounds. Fish averaged about 2¹/₂ pounds. Water in the tributaries remains very low, and steelhead are collecting at the mouths and in the lower reaches up to Route 5.

Allegheny River/Allegheny Reservoir (Warren County): An angler caught a 12-pound, 33-inch walleye on a black-and-gold jointed Rapala from the river shore Tuesday. The river also yielded a 48-inch muskie on a clown-pattern X-Rap Rapala. Northern pike and bass were also hitting in both the river and the lake, and white bass were active in the lake.

Lake Wilhelm (Mercer County): Cheryl Ferguson of Greenville boated a 23-inch, 6-pound largemouth bass trolling a Hot n Tot Wednesday. Dylan Myers of Grove City caught a 19-inch, 3 1/2-pound largemouth, and his brother Ryan caught a 15-inch 1 3/4-pound largemouth, both on Hot n Tots. Skip Fiegert and Tom Lancaster caught four bass 13 to 16 1/2 inches on Hot n Tots. Big numbers of largemouth bass, 15 and 16 inches, also were hitting on buzzbaits, rubber frogs and other topwater lures around weeds along the shoreline. Quality bluegills were taking redworms and waxworms by the dam and in the outflow.

Pymatuning Reservoir (Mercer County): Crappies were reported in recent days. Boaters were doing better than shore anglers, although few limits were taken. Anglers were marking plenty of fish, but not catching numbers.

Lake Arthur (Butler County): Fishing pressure picked up last weekend, with anglers catching numbers of largemouth bass, hybrid striped bass, channel catfish and some walleyes and crappies. The Miller family of Butler limited out on hybrid stripers, with Ronan Miller, 7, catching the biggest two at 28 and 29 inches. The wipers and walleyes were both hitting in 10 to 12 feet over the old roadbeds, with walleyes taking night crawlers, worm harnesses and floating jigheads. Walleyes were ranging up to 22 inches with a 28-incher reported last week. Wipers were biting shiners and alewives. Crappies were becoming more active in 6 to 10 feet on brush piles, Sizes ranged from 9 to 12 inches, and a few 2-pounders were reported.

Allegheny River: A mixed bag of smallmouth bass, hybrid striped bass, large flathead and channel catfish, and a few walleyes were hitting in low conditions from the mouth of Pine Creek to Highland Park and around Lock 3 in recent days. The Venture Outdoors Downtown TriAnglers caught mostly catfish off the North Shore Wednesday, including Tom Lippert's 27-inch and 23-inch channel cats.

Monongahela River: Anglers were catching catfish and smallmouth bass and saugers in small to average sizes.

Ohio River: The night bite was good on small walleyes and saugers at Little Sewickley Creek and on the bigger catfish. Chartiers Creek in Heidelberg was yielding numbers of saugers, as well as freshwater drum, walleyes and bass. Skipjack herring and a few walleyes were hitting at the back channel dam. A few big bluegills were reported. James DeChellis of Coraopolis released a 10-pound flathead Monday night. The final Chester Newell Sportsmen's Club 2008 Ohio River Catfish Tournament runs from tomorrow at 7 p.m. until Sunday at 7 a.m., from Wheeling, W.Va., to Pittsburgh. For more, call 304-387-3982.

Youghiogheny Reservoir (Fayette County): Joe Horwath of Uniontown caught the 4 1/2-pound lunker in the Yough Walleye Association tournament Sunday. The bite was super-slow in low water temperatures.

Youghiogheny River: Anglers continued to catch smallmouth bass in recent days.

Spring Creek (Centre County): Flow was low Wednesday, and tricos were still hatching mornings, along with less consistent tan, olive and dun-color caddis (16-18), small Blue-Winged Olives (22-24), and Blue Quills in the afternoons. Ants and beetles were a good bet. Productive flies included Green Weenies, Pheasant Tails, Hare's Ears, scuds and cressbugs. For more, visit www.tcoflyfishing.com.

Raystown Lake (Huntingdon County): A couple of 5-pound lake trout were boated Wednesday in 69-degree water, a sign that cooling temperatures could improve the bite on striped bass.

Report your catch to fishingreport@post-gazette.com. Include angler's name, age (if he or she is a child), place of residence, species, size, body of water, date of catch and phone number (not for publication). Publish your digital at Post Your Catch, www.post-gazette.com/sports/huntingfishing.