He has done it again. Rich Whiteside of Franklin Park released a 40-inch muskie last week. It is his 20th catch of large muskie on the middle Allegheny River since October.

His catches have ranged from 30-48 inches, though Whiteside said he has seen several smaller ones, which bodes well for future seasons. His previous six catches came on blue and silver Bull Dawgs, which Whiteside works like a jerk bait in winter. He caught last weekend's 40-incher in gin clear, 33-degree water near a creek mouth.

"I saw it coming from 20 feet away," he said. "It looked at my lure and disappeared up the creek mouth. I knew he'd be back, so I never took my lure out of the water. I did figure eights, figuring he'd strike."

Whiteside muskie-fishes all winter. "If you know how to read the water, look for them in eddies or anywhere that has a current break. They're more concentrated when water's cold," he said. "If you ask me, that makes them easier to catch."

He switches to catfish in spring. His biggest is a 30-pound flathead from the Ohio River.

Muskie Expo

For all you want to know about muskie fishing, the Extreme Muskie Expo will be held Jan. 7-9 at Robert Morris University in Moon Township. You can pay by the day or by the weekend. For more information visit: www.extrememuskieexpo.com/Pittsburgh.htm.

Wild money

Ever wonder where the revenue from those "wild" license plates and income tax donations go? About $1.2 million from the Wild Resource Conservation Fund was awarded for dozens of plant and animal studies across Pennsylvania.

They include $25,469 to California University of Pennsylvania to survey catfish and other large-bodied species in the Monongahela River, $20,000 to Penn State University to study exotic trout in Centre and Monroe counties, $25,004 to study the channel darter in Lake Erie, $25,000 to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to inventory aquatic snails in lakes and large rivers, $11,648 to Carnegie Museum to produce a field guide and Web site about crane flies, and $20,796 to the Nature Conservancy to develop a database on dragonflies and damselflies.

For a complete list of fund recipients, visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us

Chesapeake funds available

Groups seeking to improve water quality and habitat within the Chesapeake Bay basin may be eligible for funds through the Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Program. Administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Chesapeake Bay Program, the grants fund projects to restore and protect fish, habitat and water quality, to promote good land use practices and to encourage stewardship. Applications can be downloaded from: www.nfwf.org/chesapeake/index.htm .

Holiday drive

Bass Pro Shops customers have helped send toiletries and other items to military personnel overseas this holiday season, by adding a dollar or more to their merchandise orders.

Operation Care Package, which Bass Pro is sponsoring with the USO, has raised $210,000 so far to buy gift packs containing phone calling cards, disposable cameras, sunscreen and other things soldiers say they need in Iraq and other places, according to Bass Pro spokesman Larry Whitely.

The program will continue through mid-January. For more visit: www.basspro.com or call 1-800-BASSPRO.

Two for one

Folks planning overnight getaways in Pennsylvania next month will find two-for-one lodging offers at almost 200 hotels, as part of an effort to boost tourism during a slow month for the hotel industry. Hotels participating in "Cabin Fever Month" will give visitors the second night free if they book at least two nights' lodging, according to Pennsylvania's office of tourism, which has launched the promotion.

For more information visit: www.visitpa.com