Pittsburgh, PA

Smallmouth Bass

Micropterus dolomieu

Pound for pound the hardest-fighting freshwater fish in the Northwest. Smallmouth live on rock and eat crawfish imitations year-round.

Brown Trout

Salmo trutta

A wary, largely nocturnal trout introduced from Europe, now established in Great Lakes tributaries and scattered western waters. Browns eat streamers, spinners and dry flies, with the biggest fish feeding after dark.

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

The classic beginner's panfish: abundant, willing and surprisingly strong on light tackle. Bluegill nest in colonies on shallow flats in spring and guard the beds aggressively.

Channel Catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

The most widespread catfish in North America, at home in rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Channel cats find bait by scent and taste, bite readily after dark, and are the backbone of pay-lake and river catfishing.

Redbreast Sunfish

Lepomis auritus

The river runner of the sunfish family — redbreast live in flowing water from Virginia to New Brunswick, flash turquoise and orange over the riffles, and hit tiny lures like fish twice their size.

White Catfish

Ameiurus catus

The bulldog of the tidal rivers — white catfish rule the brackish creeks and estuaries of the Atlantic coast, hit baits day or night, and out-scrap channel cats their size.