Erie County figures prominently into the fish that the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission says were the largest reported caught in Pennsylvania in 2012.
Anglers from Erie County and other northwestern Pennsylvania counties caught the first-, second- or third-largest fish in 11 different species categories last year. Lake Erie figured into more trophy catches than any other water, but Kinzua Dam, Justus Lake, Blue Jay Creek and Conewango Creek also made the list.
Erie’s Robert Einodshofer doubled up; he caught the state’s biggest known rock bass and the No. 3 northern pike, both out of Lake Erie.
Listed are only the leading catches by Erie-area anglers, or by anglers from out of the area who fished in northwestern Pennsylvania waters; the full list is here. The Fish and Boat Commission issues the list each year based on entries to its Angler Award program.
One oddity: The state-record lake trout that Todd Young, of Nazareth, caught on Lake Erie in May 2012 is not included on the list of the year’s biggest lake trout.
Jack McGill tries his luck on the ice near Fry’s Landing on Misery Bay at Presque Isle State Park in Erie on Feb. 5. McGill, 60, of Fairview Township, caught the largest white perch in Pennsylvania in 2012. CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/Erie Times-News
Rock bass: No. 1 Robert Einodshofer, Erie, 1 pound 4 ounces, Lake Erie
Smallmouth bass: No. 2 Andrew Schell, Halifax, 7 pounds 9 ounces, Lake Erie
White bass: No. 1, Kathy Sisk, Warren, 2 pounds 9 ounces, Lake Erie
Bullhead catfish: No. 2, Ryan J. Norr, Guys Mills, 2 pounds 2 ounces, Justus Lake
Channel catfish: No. 2, David T. Bishoff, Erie, 17 pounds 7.5 ounces, Lake Erie
Freshwater drum: No. 1, Edward F. Sieminski, Youngsville, 14 pounds 2 ounces, Kinzua Dam tailwaters
Muskie: No. 1, Robert M. Sprankle, Mentcle, 44 pounds 4 ounces, Kinzua Dam
White perch: No. 1, Jack McGill, Fairview, 1 pound 11.5 ounces, Lake Erie
Yellow perch: No. 1, John B. Alexander, Erie, 2 pounds 8 ounces, Lake Erie
Northern pike: No. 3, Robert L. Einodshofer, Erie, 15 pounds, Lake Erie
Chinook salmon: No. 1, Gary Rohal, Verona, 14 pounds, Lake Erie
Coho salmon: No. 1, Mark D. Johnson, Hawk Run, 11 pounds, Lake Erie
Pink salmon: No. 1, Robert Schoeller, Erie, 4 pounds 8 ounces, Lake Erie
Steelhead: No. 1, Allan M. Povanda, Greensburg, 15 pounds 9 ounces, Lake Erie
Brook trout: No. 2, Scott Baldi, Erie, 4 pounds 2 ounces, Blue Jay Creek
Brown trout: No. 2, Melissa Rogowski, Erie, 14 pounds 5 ounces, Lake Erie
Golden palomino trout: No. 2, Cody Lyons, Bainbridge, 8 pounds 4 ounces, Conewango Creek
Lake trout: No. 1, Emma Pritchard, Rimersburg, 16 pounds 14 ounces, Lake Erie
Walleye: No. 3, Dennis M. Weaver, Nicktown, 11 pounds 12 ounces, Lake Erie
