To catch a record fish in Pa., there is a season

There are lots of ways to impress your fellow anglers. Telling them you landed a bluegill is not one of them.

Gills, as they’re often called, are Pennsylvania’s “everyman” fish. They’re found almost everywhere, from ponds to lakes to rivers. They eat all kinds of bait, live and artificial. And they’re generally eager to bite.

Not surprisingly, they’ve probably been the “first fish” of more anglers than any other species. But not every bluegill is created equal.

Look at the state record. That bluegill, caught from Keystone Lake in Armstrong County by Blairsville’s Tom Twincheck, was a comparative monster. It weighed 2 pounds, 9 ounces.

If there’s anything more astounding than the fish itself, it’s that Twincheck’s record has stood for more than 40 years. Though everyone and their brothe