April 11, 2018

The 12th annual Post-Gazette Trout Photo contest included all digital trout photos submitted by readers to the Post-Gazette Jan. 1-May 20, 2018. Winners in the Big Fish, Kidstuff and Artsy Shots categories were interviewed for the May 27 feature article.

Click here to read the accompanying story.

Send you fishing photos to fishingreport@post-gazette.com. Send hunting photos to outdoors@post-gazette.com. Include name, age (for kids under 18), hometown, species, waters or county of harvest, optional details and phone number (not for publication).

Big Fish

Winner Mike Hallas

While trolling a Howie Fly with a rigger at 45 feet, Mike Hallas of Jefferson Hills boated a lake trout estimated to weigh 15 pounds in waters out of North East on April 22. He released the fish. “I’d like to see them grow, “ he said. “We’re close to a new state record in Pennsylvania. I say let ‘em grow big.” Ken Hallas photo.

Kidstuff

Winner Ronan Karavlan

Taking advantage of the Stocked Trout Waters Approved for Year-Round Fishing regulations at North Park Lake on April 4, Ronan Karavlan, 8, of McCandless caught a 13-inch rainbow trout on a paste bait mouse tail. Ronan said, “I CAUGHT A FISH!” Scott Karavlan photo.

Artsy Shots

Winner Scott Kozelnik

In this three-shot series, photographed by Scott Kozelnik of Wexford on the morning of April 22, a red-tailed hawk perches above and then lands near his five-trout catch while he’s shooting his still life, “Three Rainbows and a Brown.. “I was looking at his sharp beak, sharp talons,” said Kozelnik. “It was like being at the National Aviary but without the glass between us.” The fish were caught on spinners and plastic trout worms in 3 1/2 hours on Pine Creek in Allison Park.
Scott Kozelnik photo using an iPhone 8.

Scroll down to see the other contest entries.

Erin Kathleen Gales of Charleroi landed a beautiful 19 ¼-inch rainbow at Laurel Hill Creek.
John Gales photos.

Howard Hunt of Butler landed a beautifully marked 23-inch tiger trout taken on a minnow at West Pithole Creek, Venango County, April 30. A tiger is a hybridization of a brown and brook trout. Natural cross-breeding is possible but rare — tiger trout are usually sterile. They’re hatchery-made and a small number are stocked at trophy sizes by the state Fish and Boat Commission. John Malich photo.

After school on May 1, Wyatt Schlorff, 14, of Oil City was casting a Rooster Tail near the dam at Oil Creek State Park when he hooked into his largest trout — a 23-inch, 6-pound 4-ounce rainbow.

David Painter of Irwin caught and released a 27-inch, 10 ¼-pound rainbow trout that took a Joe’s Fly.
Teri Dulak photo.

Robert Michaels of Castle Shannon said he had a “heckuva fight” with a hefty golden rainbow taken on 3-pound test and light tackle at the dam outflow.

Richard Kudranski of New Kensington used a butterworm to lure a beautiful 19-inch rainbow trout that was released after being measured and photographed. Bill Miller photo.

On Mentored Youth Fishing Day in April, Dalton Allshouse, 7, of Pittsburgh took a 20-inch tiger trout with a little help from his dad Todd Allshouse.

Following the landing of his first trout, a 12-inch rainbow, Cullen Page, 11, of Bethel Park brought in two more on Pine Creek near Etna. The first thing he said on the way home was, “When can we go next?”
Tom Page photos

Jacob Currie, 16, of Plum caught several rainbows and a brown trout using butterworms, crawlers, meal worms and maggots at Bull Creek on the first day of the season.
Jeff Currie photo.

Keaton McCasliln, 5, and his dad Brian McCaslin, both of Ross, wrestled in a 20-inch, 5-pound golden rainbow on Pine Creek.
Steve Katona photo.

With a little help from his dad, Wes Graceffo, 5, caught his first trout, a rainbow, on the morning of April 7, Pennsylvania Mentored Youth Fishing Day. In total for the morning, Wes caught 14 rainbows, including the 20 ½-incher pictured above, using orange paste bait at Linden Creek, an unstocked stream below Canonsburg Lake, Washington County.
Joe Graceffo photos.

A 22 ½-inch, 5-pound golden rainbow took the bait and Caitlin Pegher, 11, of Allison Park set the hook on April 7, Mentored Youth Fishing Day.
Emily Bubash photo.

Levi Cardillo of McDonald took this 24-inch rainbow on Mentored Youth Fishing Day.
Patrick Cardillo photo.

Joshua Pisarcik of Venetia picked a 16-inch brook trout off the bottom while nymphing with a 3-weight 6 ½-foot fly rod on Linden Creek, not far below Canonsburg Lake.
Joshua Pisarcik photo.

While casting an orange salmon egg at about noon on opening day, Bryan Hnetinka of West Chester, Chester County, landed a 24-inch 6-pound golden rainbow at Loyalhanna Creek, Westmoreland County.

James Swearingen of Windgap released a nice rainbow trout and a hefty golden rainbow while fishing Standing Stone Creek, Huntingdon County, on opening day of the statewide trout season.
Hank Lavrich photos.

Joe Baker of Canonsburg christened his new boat on the Ontario-New York border by catching two huge Niagara River brown trout — one on the first cast made from the vessel.
Joe Baker photos.

Jeff Coles released a 21 1/1-inch rainbow (top) and 19 1/2-inch tiger trout Jan. 27 above the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only area on Loyalhanna Creek, Westmoreland County. Tigers are sterile hybrids of brown and brook trout almost always created in a hatchery.
Jeff Coles photos.