Saturday is Fish for Free Day, the ideal opportunity for novices to get their feet wet. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and other groups, such as Venture Outdoors and Bassmasters-affiliated clubs, will be offering free angling activties, too. Some will even provide the equipment. You get another shot at the same fun June 5 on the year's only other Fish for Free Day.

Catch of the Week
Harry Bialecki, Sr of Pittsburgh landed a 15-pound, 32-inch channel cat with 20-inch girth Sunday at Lake Arthur.

Weekly report
Erie: The exceptional bass bite continues, with fish averaging 3 and 4 pounds. Anglers are beginning to pick up walleye trolling small plugs, especially in the morning before boat traffic heats up. Pittsburgh Downrigger Robert Clark of Allison Park boated five walleye, up to 5 1/2 pounds, in the western basin last weekend. Walleye are still being landed at the mouths of the creeks at night. The perch bite is heating up with nice numbers and many jumbos being taken in 30 to 40 feet. Anglers are getting some perch and rock bass off the north and south piers.

Kinzua Dam, Warren County: The lake and the river are high. Until levels rose the dam was yielding walleye, small northern pike and perch, and the river was good for walleye and trout (mostly browns) and releases of smallmouth bass, many around 18 inches.

Pymatuning, Crawford County: Good numbers of walleye up to 22 inches are reported, mostly in the weedbeds on crawlers. The shallows also are yielding crappie, bluegill and perch.

Lake Wilhelm, Mercer County: Panfishing has slowed some, but walleye have picked up. Last week, Larry Feidler of Darlington landed three walleye, 19, 23 and 25 inches, on worm harnesses; Bob Ireland of Cortland, Ohio, a 4 1/2-pound, 22-incher on a purple hot 'n' tot and Vera Yost and husband Clarence of Robinson, 29 walleye, including five legal size, the biggest of which was 3 pounds, 20 1/2 inches, on hot 'n' tots. Bass are being released.

Lake Arthur, Butler County: Hybrid striper action on shiners was heating up big-time on the submerged road beds Saturday night. Trophy size channel catfish are being taken. Crappie are starting to slow.

Ohio, Allegheny, Monongahela rivers: The main stem of each river is high and muddy but shore anglers are having some success, especially at the mouths of the creeks. The mouth of Montour Creek on the Ohio has been putting out smallmouth bass and walleye. Catfish are being taken along the North Shore of the Allegheny by PNC Park. Fishing the Monongahela side of the Point yesterday, the Venture Outdoors Downtown TriAnglers landed crappie, sauger, rock bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, perch and flathead catfish. Highlights included Tom Lippert of Spring Garden's three channel cats and a 12-inch freshwater drum and Gibsonia's John McAnney catching an 18 1/2-inch smallmouth buffalo.

Youghiogheny Dam, Somerset County: Perch and crappie are biting. Boaters are reminded about the no wake zone around the Route 40 Bridge construction.

Highpoint Lake, Somerset County: Catches of bluegill, crappie and pike are reported.

Cross Creek Lake, Washington County: Crappie are slowing down. The largemouth bite has picked up with nice releases reported. Walleye are coming on leeches drifted on the bottom on the creek channel. A dandy bluegill bite is reported.

Raystown Lake, Cambria County: Lake trout are being boated up to nine pounds on big spoons in 30 feet or better. Stripers, though on the small side, are being taken on 7-inch Rapalas and Cordell Red Fins between the 10- and 15-mile markers. In the evening, they're coming near the surface. Some bass are being boated. Crappie are being caught around Aitch and Coffee Run.