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THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

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THE

Small-Mouthed Bass

BY

W. J. LOUDON

Professor of Mechanics in the University of Toronto

TORONTO:

THE HUNTER-ROSE CO., Limited
1910

Copyrighted, Canada, 1910
By \V. J. LOUDON

PREFACE

This book is not strictly a record of scientific investiga-
tion; being based upon a collection of observations made
by myself, during the past ten summers, on the habits of
the small-mouthed bass.

These observations have been condensed into their
present form, not only for my own pleasure, but also for
the benefit of all those who, while they may prefer to
dwell in cities and to live under slated roofs, still long
occasionally for a glimpse of forest trees, tumbling water,
bare rock, and the open sky.

Although I am indebted to various scientific treatises
on trees, plants and fishes, for valuable suggestions, yet
the illustrations are, with few exceptions, original, and
have been sketched either from photographs, or from
natural objects. ^^._^-^>^y.

W. J. LOUDON
September 22, 1910

Lonely Island, Georgian Bay

The Small' Mouthed Bass

CHAPTER I.

Geographical Distribution.

Although the small-mouthed bass is essentially
£\^ a product of the Great Lakes of Canada, yet, during
the past century, it has been introduced artificially
into so many parts of North America, and so few records
have been kept of its distribution, that it is difhcult now to
trace its genealogy, except to a very limited extent.

Frank Forrester (1849), in a book entitled Fish and
Fishing, says that this fish is peculiar to the basin of the
Saint Lawrence and the Great Lakes, and found its way into
the Hudson River through the Erie canal; he makes no
mention of its having been taken anywhere in the United

2 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

States, but refers to others who said that it had been caught
in some places in the State of New York.

There is evidence, also, that in 1854, W . \V . Shriver put
the first bass into the Potomac ; and that there were no bass
in the State of New York prior to the opening of the Erie
Canal in 1825.

If we probe still further back into the past, we find that
the Jesuit missionaries first used, in 1655, the word achigan
to designate this fish; and, in view of the fact that this is
of Ojibway origin, and that the Ojibway tribe were, at that
period, inhabitants of the northern shores of Lake Huron
and Lake Superior, it seems probable that the bass were
natives of these waters.

It may be noted here that the word achigan is still used
in its original sense by the French-Canadians; it corresponds
exactly to the French word bas, meaning a stocking. Whether
or not it w^as applied to the bass by the Ojibways, from any
similarity of form, or of pronunciation, is an interesting
question for philologists.

It is to be noted, also, that Claude Dablon, who was a
careful observer of Nature, states, in his relation oi 1671, that
the region about Lake Huron was the most noted for its
abundance of fish, since, as he says in savage parlance, this
is its native country. (C'est la on est son pays.)

It is to be supposed that he includes, in this statement,
the achigan, with which he was perfectly familiar.

In addition to the foregoing facts, exact scientific in-
vestigation shows that the small-mouthed bass, unlike its
relative, the large-mouthed bass, flourishes only in clean
water of a temperature var}dng from 50° F. to 60° F.

If the temperature changes, even a few degrees, outside
of these limits, the fish rapidly disappear.

It is for this reason that its habitat is bounded by well-
defined isothermal lines, and that it seldom occurs in the cold
waters of Lake Superior or of the northern portion of Lake

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 3

Huron, or in some parts of Lake Michigan and Lake Ontario,
whereas in the shallower waters of Lake Erie, and especially
of Georgian Bay, it is found in great abundance.

It is for this reason, also, that it quickly disappears from
artificial ponds and inclosed lakes where the temperature
conditions cannot be satisfied.

Jordan and Evermann, in their work on North American
fishes, seem to have been the first to recognize this fact, as
they state that the southern limit of this fish is bounded by
cool ivaters.

We shall not be far astray, therefore, if we locate the
birth-place of the small-mouthed bass somewhere in the
waters of Georgian Bay, which, on account of its peculiar
formation and great extent, and in spite of the ravages of
fishermen and anglers, may still be regarded as its home.

At the present day, it is to be found in abundance in
some portions of the Great Lakes, and particularly in Geor-
gian Bay.

In Canada, it is found chiefly in the province of Ontario,
south of the height of land which separates the waters flow-
ing into the river Ottawa from those which flow into Lake
Huron.

It is rarely found in Quebec north of the Saint Law-
rence, but occurs in Lake Champlain.

It is not a native of the eastern provinces, but has been
artificially propagated in New Brunswick. In the west it
has been found in the Rainy River district, but not in Mani-
toba, nor in any of the waters draining into Hudson Bay.
According to Evermann it is found in the following states
of the Union, where in many cases it has been introduced
artificially :

Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Ten-
nessee, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota,

4 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Indian Territory, Oklahoma,
Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and vSouth Dakota.

It is possible that it may occi:r in certain places in Mis-
sissippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North
Carolina. It has been introduced also into California, Ore-
gon and Washington.

The comparatively small area, bounded by the parr.llels
of latitude 40, 50, and by the lines of longitude 70, 95, may
be considered as the region where it is living under pre per
conditions.

Outside of this area it may be propagated, but in all
probability not with continued success.

Note. [It has been transplanted in England and Germany, small
fry three inches in length having been carried across the ocean in tanks
specially prepared for the purpose; but many died on the way owing to
the difficulty of keeping the water, during the long journey, aerated and
cool. The fish seem to have thriven well for some time but finallv died
out, probably owing to improper food and lack of attention. In a letter
received from the present Marquis of Exeter in August, 1906, he says
that some large and small-mouthed bass were imported by his grand-
father in 1879 and were placed in a small lake on his estate near
Stamford. They grew rapidly, some reaching, in a few years, a weight
of four or five pounds; but they gradually disappeared, and the last one
was seen in 1898 or 1899.]

CHAPTER II.

Habits.

WITH the exception of the speckled trout, no fish are
so fond of clean, cool water as the small-mouthed
bass. Unlike their brethren of the large-mouthed
species, they delight in water flowing over clean sand and
rock; and it is only when hard pressed for food or frightened
by storms that they resort to weed-beds and muddy pools.
In small inland lakes they may always be found wherever
there is the least sign of a current, or where eddies form in
narrow channels between islands, and around broken rock,
where, owdng to the conformation of the surrounding land,
the water is more or less agitated. At the entrance of creeks
or of small streams, especially if the water be pure and
limpid, they may generally be found for days together.

In running streams they may be seen on bright days,
their heads directed towards the current, their golden fins
wavering ever to and fro, their mouths half -open, and their
crimson gills moving gently in and out, revelling in the clean
water and liquid motion ; and they will keep themselves
suspended in mid-stream apparently for the mere pleasure
of living in aerated water.

In the heat of a summer's day they generally resort to
sheltered spots, where they hide until the sinking sun, with
its long shadows, enables them to emerge from their hiding-
places and obtain food. As a rule, they feed from two hours
before until an hour after sundown, probably as long as
they can see their prey. Just about dark, when their only
chance of obtaining food is by watching the top of the water

6 THE SMALL- MOUTHED BASS

against the comparatively bright background of the sky-
above, they may be seen taking flies from the surface of
still water. Their presence may be recognized by the char-
acteristic swirl which is always seen when the}^ are feeding
in this way; they do not jumj), like other fish, but move in
a semi-circle and seize the lly or insect without emerging
from the water.

In very rough weather or during a violent storm, they
appear to become frightened, and seek deep water or hide
themselves in a mudd}- place, which they may not abandon
for two or three days; when they emerge from their hiding-
places they are ravenously hungry and bite freely, but do
not put up a great fight.

And it may be said here that the fighting qualities
of bass depend largely on their environment. Those
W'hich live in dead water, and have no access to running
streams, naturally will not have the necessary exercise
to make them active. Xo doubt, under such con-
ditions, where food is plentiful and exercise rare,
bass grow very large; but their flesh is not as delicate
and they certainly do not fight as gamely as those
of other localities which spend the greater portion of
their time in water which is in constant motion. In
inclosed lakes, without large inlets or outlets, the skin of
the bass is jet-black, and its flesh under the back fin often
filled \nth worms. On the contrary, those which live in
rivers, streams, and large lakes, supplied continually with
clean w^ater, do not grow to such a size as in smaller confined
lakes, on account of the distance they travel in search of food
and the difiiculty of obtaining it in rough weather; but they
are much more active, their skin brighter, and their flesh
infinitely more fit for use than in the case of those living in
dead water. Judging from my own experience of more
than twenty-five years, I may safely say, without the least
trace of exaggeration, that there are no black bass any-

HABITS 7

where to be compared, from an angler's point of view, with
those which haunt the rocks and shoals of the eastern shore
of Georgian Bay. Owing to the numerous islands and
reefs lying along this shore, together with prevailing
westerly winds, which keep the water always in motion,
strong currents run in all directions, the result being that
the bass there differ entirely from those which live in com-
paratively still water, their skin being a bright olive green,
clean and shining, the belly pure white, and the eyes crimson ;
living in water which is in continual motion, they become
exceedingly strong and active, and, as an article of food,
they are unsurpassed even by the speckled trout.

In large expanses of water like the Great Lakes bass are
gregarious and migratory. This is true to some extent even
in smaller lakes. After the spawning season is over, in the
spring, they collect in shoals, usually from ten to twenty,
but occasionally containing as many as fifty fish, and swim
about from place to place in search of food.

The composition of these shoals varies considerably:
they may consist of a leader, either male or female, gener-
ally a large fish of two or three pounds in weight, and a
number of smaller fry varying from a pound downwards to
seven ounces; or, they may be all of a uniform size.

Very large fish are seldom found with these shoals; and
what impresses one most, in these migrations, is the fact
that the females predominate. The angler who takes a
shoal of bass from a single hole will find, if he cares to make
the necessary observations, that seventy-five per cent, of
such a shoal will be females. Whether this is on account
of their being more numerous than the males, or for some
other reason, it is impossible to determine with any degree
of accuracy.

Sometimes stragglers or solitary bass remain in one spot
for a length of time; these are large fish of over three pounds
in weight, and more frequently male than female. They
seem to prefer solitude and rely on their own exertions.

8 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

They are very wary, and usually choose some spot
well sheltered from wind, near a point of land or high
rock, in deep water, where there is a hiding-place in which
they may lie in wait for food.

They are invariably jet-black, as one would naturally
expect, owing to their remaining in deep water and shadow:
and are often wormy.

A probable explanation of
the preponderance of large
female bass in shoals, as well
as of the fact that the stragglers
or solitary fish are nearly always
Red-nosed Minnow ^^ ^hc uialc scx, may bc, that,

after the spawning period is
over, the male fish guard the nests for some weeks, while the
females roam from place to place and gradually collect to-
gether the smaller fry which are not old enough to spawn;
the shoal thus formed, in all probability, remaining intact
until the first appearance of cold weather; while, on the
other hand, the male fish, after the guarding process is
finished, distribute themselves according to their fancy and
wander about alone.

Regarding the movements of bass when autumn ap-
proaches and the temperature of the water falls suddenly
two or three degrees, not much is to be said, except that
they form into very large shoals of several hundreds, irre-
spective of size or sex, and hibernate during the period of
extreme cold, imbedded in mud, or under sunken logs, or
in deep water amongst close-growing weeds.

They are never taken in the depth of winter. 1 have
made extensive inquiries on this point, and all the anglers
and fishermen, from whom I have sought information, have
told me that they have never seen a bass taken by net or
otherwise during the extreme cold of the winter months.
That they hibernate seems to be proved by the fact that

HABITS

when they reach their spawning beds in the early spring
they are covered with snail-shells, leeches, slime and mud.

Whether or not they return to the same spawning beds
every spring is not known ; but,
judging from the fact that
during their summer migrations
they seek periodically well-
known feeding grounds, it is
probable that, after the man-
ner of birds, they frequent from
year to year the spawning
grounds with which they have
become familiar.

When hooked, they always
rush to the top of the water
and jump to relieve themselves
of the hook, except when
they gorge the bait: in this
case they "bore" down deep,

like the salmon trout, seldom approaching the surface.
Statements have been made about the great height to which
a bass will jump; but from many trials I have made with
them, running on a slack line, I think one foot and a half
is an outside limit. The fish usually leaves the water at an
angle less than forty-five degrees, and, granting that its
velocity is ten feet a second, it would be a physical impos-
sibility for it to jump much more than one foot in height.

If, however, the angler is desirous of making it jump
higher, he should keep a tight line and use a long stiff rod;
he may then have the pleasure of seeing his fish rise as high
as four or five feet; but in this case, it is the angler, and not
the fish, that does the work.

The bass does not nibble at a bait, but first approaches
and inspects it, then retreats, and suddenly dashes at it
from a distance, seizes it at one gulp, and swims steadily

2

Black Spruce

10 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

away. The experienced angler has no difficulty in recognizing
the characteristic strike thus produced.

F r e qu ently,
when one of a large
shoal is hooked
and is being played
by the angler, who
directs its motion
„, , , ,^ „ to and fro, it will

Black-nosed Dace '

be followed in its
rushes by two or three others, sometimes by the entire
shoal. Careful observation shews that they do this with
no intention or hope of securing the bait, which is usually
thrown off the hook if it be a minnow or frog, or else is
concealed from view in the mouth of their unfortunate com-
panion; apparently their performance arises merely from a
spirit of imitation.

It seems clear, however, from this strange procedure
that the bass when hooked either has no sensation of pain
or else is incapable of communicating with his mates; and
also, that the latter have no means of realizing that their
companion is in distress, a fact which seems contrary to all
the laws of self-preservation and instinct.

The only analogous case, of which I am aware, and one
which has always seemed to me inexplicable, is probably
familiar to those who have tried to shoot the small fresh
water tern, a bird that is extremely wary and rapid in its
flight, living on small fish, which it catches along the shores
of rocky lakes, hovering above shallow places until it sees a
shoal of minnows, when it dives down from a great height,
sometimes of forty or fifty feet, and secures its prey alive.

One would suppose that such a bird would be en-
dowed with remarkable instinct, as it undoubtedly is under
ordinary conditions; and yet, if one happens to fire into a
flock of them and hits a single bird, its companions imme-

HABITS

11

diately hover above the dead or wounded bird, and fly about
regardless of the approach of man or of any danger.

The whole flock may then be shot, one after another,
with the same ease as if one were killing chickens in a hencoop.

The bass, like all other fish, is a voracious feeder, especially
when small, and
when not more
than an inch or
tw^o in length
begins to exhibit
cannibali stic
tendencies, de-
vouring its
weaker brethren
with impunity.

The follow^-
ing experience,
which is by no
means uncom-
mon, may serve
to illustrate this
fact:

One after-
noon I had been
casting for bass with frogs near a sunken rock, when
suddenly I felt a strike, and although I gave the
fish ample time, he escaped, evidently having seized
the frog from behind, contrary to their usual habit. A
second frog disappeared in a similar way, and then a third.
I suspected by this time that I was the victim of a solitary
fish or straggler, who was evidently determined to obtain a
full meal at my expense, so I lashed a fourth frog to the
hook, with thread, in such a manner that the legs were
free, but that it would be impossible for the fish to get
the bait without being hooked. This frog had scarcelv touched

Slippery Elm

12

THE SMALL MOUTHED BASS

the water when it was seized, and eventually I landed my fish.
One frog was still on the hook, but there was a second one
in its mouth, a third well down its throat, and the fourth I
found afterwards, on returning home, in its stomach. The
combined weight of the four frogs, which it had attempted
to swallow, was nearly six ounces, and the bass itself just
weighed one pound.

Bass seem to experience little or no sensation when

hooked, a n d
struggle appar-
ently, not from
pain, but with
the sole object
of gaining free-
do m. Anglers
who have had
much experience

Leopard Frog with this flsh

know that the
same bass will return again and again to the bait after it has
been hooked and has escaped; in fact, it is no uncommon
thing to take bass with one or two hooks embedded in
their mouths, the result of previous struggles.

Regarding this point, an incident which happened during
the summer of 1906 is worthy of record, especiallv for the
benefit of those who take serious objection to the cruelty
of catching fish by means of a hook and prefer to take them
in a net. Two friends of mine were fishing one afternoon in
a small channel in Georgian Bay, between an island and
the mainland, where a current ran with some velocitv, neces-
sitating the anchoring of their boat.

I ,l They were still-fishing with worms, one in the bow, the
other in the stern, of the boat.

After catching several bass, they were sitting idly wait-
ing for the fish to come in, when suddenly both felt a strike

HABITS

13

and both began to play their fish; and then, as usually
happens, a large bass rushed to the surface of the water and
jumped, shewing two lines attached to its mouth.

After a most exciting struggle, in which they seemed
alternately to lose and regain their fish, they finally landed
the bass in an inextricable tangle of gut, line and sinkers.

On inspection, they came to the conclusion that the bass
had entered the channel seeking food; he had seen the first
bait and had swallowed it, apparently with the greatest
relish; then, swimming a little further, he had taken the
other bait, the strong current preventing his action being
felt until he began to swim away with the second bait.

The question then arose as to the ownership of the fish,
which still remains undecided.

Judging from such experiences as the foregoing, one
must come to the conclusion that bass are not, to say the
least, seriously inconvenienced by being hooked in any part
of the mouth or gullet ; the only vital spot being the gills,
which are so sensitive that, if touched with the point of the
hook, they seem to lose some portion of their physiological
utility, and the fish soon dies.

A Critical Moment

Crayfish

(From Photograph by B. A. Bensley)

CHAPTER III.
Food.

THE food of the black bass, although dependent on
locality, is limited in extent, and consists chiefly of
live minnows and crayfish. An examination of its
stomach, after capture, will show that, in the majority of
cases, it has been subsisting on these two articles of diet,
intermingled sometimes with several minute forms of life
which apparently do not supply a very large proportion of
its nourishment.

Although it prefers the young of the herring, small chub,
shiners, or any of those minnows which have comparatively
small scales and are therefore both palatable and soon assimi-
lated; yet, occasionally one may find in its stomach a small
perch, perhaps three or four inches in length. Owing, how-
ever, to the peculiar structure of this fish, with its large back
fin and heavy scales, it does not seem to be either easily
swallowed or quickly digested by the bass, and probably is
only taken as a last resort.

14

FOOD 15

After a period of rough weather, during which the
bass seeks deep water, its stomach usually is filled
with organic matter, intermingled with mud. Whether this
contains nourishment of any kind, or is taken merely in a
medicinal way (just as some animals eat grass and earth
when sick) is a question which can be decided only by expert
biologists with the aid of the microscope.

Doubtless, when very hungry, it will, like other fish,
eat anything which comes in its way; and so one finds,
though rarely, that it has been living on crickets, moths,
grasshoppers or other insects; if pressed hard, it may even

Roach

eat dead minnows or any kind of refuse; but, ordinarily, it
is very fastidious and prefers to chase live minnows and
crayfish and capture them alive. It is probably for this
reason that still-fishing for bass is not usually very success-
ful unless the bait shows signs of life; and although one
may take them with dead minnows, pieces of clam, and even
with dead worms, when they are exceptionally hungry, yet,
as a rule, the bait must be not only alive, but arranged
in the most tempting manner, in order to insure their
capture.

This is particularly true on a bright day, in clear water,
when, if a dead minnow be dropped amongst a shoal of bass,
they may be seen approaching the bait, one after another,
so closely as to give one the impression that they are

16

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

smelling it, sometimes actually sucking it into their mouths
and ejecting it with evident disgust; and then, suddenly,
like a flash, they will all disappear.

Doubtless for this reason also it is difficult, though not
impossible, to take bass with a trolling spoon. If one moves

Fat-head Minnow

(From Photograph by B. A. Bensley)

slowly, the fish has ample opportunity to inspect the bait;
if rapidly, so as to confuse its judgment, the chances are
that it will, in striking, miss the hooks; so that, if one must
get his fish by the barbarous method of trolling, he should
be careful to regulate his pace, and use the very smallest
of spoons.

As to the statement which has frequently been made,
that frogs form a large portion of the diet of bass,
especially in inclosed lakes, it is doubtful if such be the case.

Frogs live in marshy
spots or near weed-beds
where there is little or no
current and the bottom is
covered with several inches
of slime and mud, and is
strewn with dead branches
of trees and sunken logs;

in such places the water is stagnant, dirty, and warm, and
is never frequented by the small-mouthed bass; although
his near relation, the large-mouthed bass, haunts such

FOOD

17

Silverside (Female)
Reduced to One-half Actual Size

localities, and, lying in the mud, close to shore, in three
or four inches of water, lives almost entirely on the frogs
which sport along the water's edge. When in the water
the two varieties of
bass are not easily
distinguished f r o m
one another, even by
experts; and it is on
this account, no
doubt, that reliable
persons have fre-
quently stated that

they had actually seen the small-mouthed bass catching frogs,
mistaking it for the other species.

As evidence that frogs do not constitute an article of
diet for this fish, I place on record here my own experience,
which has extended over forty years, and has been varied
enough to entitle it to consideration.

During this period it has been my privilege and pleasure
to angle for bass in a great many lakes and streams through-
out Canada; rarely a year has passed that I have not taken
from one hundred to five hundred bass, in a legitimate man-
ner, with rod and line; during the years 1870-1890, when there
was no limit to the catch of an angler, and bass were very

plentiful, I have taken as many
as one hundred in a single
afternoon.

One summer, not long ago,

I kept an approximate list of

the fish I captured, and it

totalled in the neighbourhood

of one thousand.

I think I am safe in saying that during my life I have

taken from five to ten thousand bass; and, as I have always

examined the stomachs of my fish, I am able to state defi-

Silverside (Male)
Reduced to One-third Actual Size

18

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

nitely that I have never found frogs therein, except in
one or two cases where they had been stripped from my
own hook by bass which I afterwards succeeded in cap-
turing.

Whether or not this has been the experience of other
anglers and fishermen, I am unable to say.

That bass will take a live frog as bait does not prove
that it is accustomed to it as an article of diet; the reverse
is indeed true, as is the case with animals.

On the other hand, crayfish, which enter largely into
the regular diet of this fish, are not usually very effective
as bait; in Lake Ontario, Erie, and Georgian Bay, where
this is true perhaps to a greater extent than in any other
locality, it is almost impossible to catch bass with the or-
dinary crayfish, however carefully one may arrange the
bait; and yet, nine times out of ten, on examining the stom-
ach of a bass, after capture, it will be found filled with these
amphibious creatures in all stages of development.

Frog Poud

CHAPTER IV

Whkre to Catch the Black Bass.

IN endeavouring to determine the most suitable place
for catching bass, one naturally should consider two
questions: Where do the fish feed? To what spots,
from habit, do they usually resort?

If their haunts are once discovered, the rest of the prob-
lem is easy of solution.

When an angler, therefore, finds himself on a small in-
closed lake or alongside the banks of a running stream, or
in the more difficult situation of being compelled to fish in a
large body of open water, his first duty is to inspect carefully
the surroundings in a boat, unless he is fortunate (or un-
fortunate) enough to seer. re the services of a competent
guide, who is perfectly familiar with the locality.

The expert angler seldom desires such aid, because, in
the philosophical pursuit of the finny tribe, half the pleasure

19

20

THE SMALL-MOLITIED BASS

.^■•>,

at least consists in discoverint,^ wilhoul assistance, the favour-
ite haunts of the fish.

In a running stream, whether large or small, the most
favourable spots are likely to be those which contain quiet

pools with eddies, in the
vicinity of sunken logs, or
in the neighbourhood of pro-
jecting recks, or where the
stream narrows up suddenly
and its bottom is strewn with
boulders and broken stone.
At the foot of a chute, between the current and the re-
turn eddy, or in the eddy itself, one seldom fails to get a
strike, even in unfavour-
able weather, although
one is in danger of losing
his line or having his rod
broken by the voracious
pike, which are in the
habit of frequenting such
places, where food is al-
ways abundant.

But the best place of
all is where the stream
makes its exit into a lake
or large bay, especially
if the current be not too
strong. If one anchors in
such a position, no long
time will elapse before the
fish are attracted by the
bait.

In a small inclosed
lake, there is not much dilBculty in catching bass, as the
entire lake may be inspected in a few hours, and suitable

Marsh Marigold and Lupine

k

WHERE TO CATCH THE BLACK BASS

21

Red-sided Minnow

spots chosen ; the best being those in the vicinity of recks
or small islets, and at the inlet or outlet of the lake.

Occasionally
one may take bass
in hot weather in
the deepest holes of
a lake.

In a large ex-
panse of water,
however, the skill

of the angler, his patience, and powers of endurance are
of much more moment.

Here the circumstances are quite different, as the fish
travel long distances; and, although one may, by accident,
have good fishing at a certain place on a particular day,
vet one may return again and again to the same locality
and never get a nibble.

It requires all the judgment the angler can summon to

his aid to fish in a large
body of open water with
continued success.

The a m a t e u r who
knows nothing about
such fishing might go
out day after day for a
week and be quite sure, in
his own estimation, that
the fish had disappeared ;
and, yet, if he possess the
necessary knowledge, h e
may go out at any hour of
the day and be certain of enough bass to supply himself at
least with an evening meal. In Canada, on the Great
Lakes, this state of affairs exists to a remarkable degree :
there, one must have the necessary time at his disposal, be

Red Oak

22

THE SMALL-MOUTH EI) BASS

Neck-lace Poplar

fond of hard work, and have infinite patience, if he ever
hopes to ([ualifv for the honourable title of expert angler.

In a large body of wate'r the
places which will be found most
favourable for the taking of bass
are at the entrances of bays, near
the mouth of a stream, and in the
neighbourhood of sunken reefs,
which form with each other in-
closed pockets with a bottom of
mud and weeds.

Where there is an abundance
of rough broken stone one is
always sure of taking bass, especi-
ally in the afternoon or evening,
just before sundown.
For the expert angler, who has served an apprenticeship
of ten or twenty years in acquiring
the necessary rudiments of an
education which springs only from
long contact with Nature, there is
no place which compares, at least
in variety of bass fishing, with the
eastern shore of Georgian Bay.

From an inspection of the map
of Lake Huron one can see that
such a region is peculiarly adapted
to be the home of the small-
mouthed bass.

The shore extends for a dis-
tance of one hundred and twenty
miles north and south; deep bays
penetrate the land at intervals,
whilst numerous large and small streams flow into it, car-
rving down in their waters a su])])ly of minrtc ariimals and

WHERE TO CATCH THE BLACK BASS 23

organic matter sufficient to maintain in luxury an immense
number of fish.

Georgian Bay itself is deep in the centre, with a bottom
of mud and weeds, sloping gradually upon all sides towards
the shore, and forming extensive sandbars, which are inter-
spersed with countless reefs and islands, some large, others
so small as barely to provide a resting-place for gulls, while

Canada Balsam

others again lie just beneath the surface of the water, a
menace to navigation.

The bays abound in sand beaches, to which the fish go
in the spring for the purpose of spawning, and what other
countries are attempting to build up artificially on a small
scale, with a large expenditure of time and money, is pro-
vided free for the province of Ontario by the hand of Nature.

Minnows in the shallow bays and ponds, and crayfish
amongst the broken rock and stone, exist in millions.

As the prevailing winds are westerly, the water of Georgian
Bay is being continually driven up against the eastern shore,
and oscillations of the lake set in, producing currents which
run, sometimes off shore, sometimes on shore, or even in
opposition to the wind, causing the waters of the narrow
channels between the islands to ebb and flow continuously^

24 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

and thus not only distributing food for fish of all kinds, but
also keeping the water clean.

In consequence of this the angler will always find the
best fishing in these narrow channels, where, if he makes
careful observation, he will notice a current running first one
way and then the opposite.

The bass frequent these spots, generally in shoals of five
to ten, Iving in wait under some shehing rock for minnows
playing near the water's edge or silver shiners swimming
swiftlv bv, or for unsuspecting crayfish as they creep, with out-
stretched arms, from stone to stone.
Shoal fishing for bass in Geor-
gian Bay is perhaps the most
difficult of all forms of fresh water
angling. When a steady wind
from any westerly direction is blow-
ing, the bass, during the day, espe-
cially in bright sunshine, frequent
what are termed by the fishermen
"shoals," situated a mile or so
from shore. These are shallow places, varying in area from
ten to one hundred acres, and in depth from two to ten feet,
protected by outlying reefs or small islands sufficientlv to
prevent the heavy swells outside from breaking in, but in
such a way as to produce eddies and currents which keep
the water in a continual state of agitation. Probably the
fish frequent these shoals to secure the crayfish which are
driven from the crevices of the rocks and are easily captured
in rough water.

The sport here is always good, but exciting and sometimes
dangerous; for it is impossible to anchor, and one must
keep continually on the alert for fear of striking the bottom,
which is strewn with jagged rocks of all sizes and shapes.
In addition, the angler nuist be able to handle his boat alone,
because, with an assistant rowing, he can never be sure of

WHERE TO CATCH THE BLACK BASS

25

his cast landing in the right position; and so he must be an
expert with the oar as well as with the rod.

And when a large bass is hooked he must be ready for
any emergency, such as the line catching on the bottom, or
the sudden appearance of a large rock lying with its pointed
head just submerged, or of an unusually large wave which
may break over his boat and fill it with water. The angler
who is able to land his fish in such a troubled spot is entitled
to call himself an expert.

In connection with bass fishing the most important fact

Young Tadpole

to remember is that, when feeding, the fish seek some favourite
position, usually a hole or crevice, from which they may
observe the surrounding water but are at the same time
themselves concealed from view. They will lie in such a
place for an hour or two, and then suddenly emerge and
swim off rapidly to some other similar place.

They do not move about continuously while feeding, and
for this reason one might fish for days together and, unless
he happened to strike the very spot where bass are, he might
never get a nibble.

Sometimes a dozen of them will He, under a protecting
shelf of rock, in shadow, for hours, darting out occasionally

3

26 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

to seize a minnow or crayfish, but returning immediately to
their hiding-place.

Nine times out of ten, when in common parlance the
fish ''begin to bite," it is simply because some slight change
of position has exposed the bait to their view.

As an illustration of this I recall to mind a spot where I
have been in the habit of fishing for bass during the past ten
years. It is near a point of land, in shallow water, where a
current runs, and where there is a sudden deepening of the
w^ater to about eight feet, so that a small hole is formed, in
area about two feet by five, at the bottom of which lies a

boulder with a little crevice, which
is perhaps a foot wide and two
feet in length.

To the inexperienced eye it is

the most unlikely spot in the world

for bass. Passing it, one would see

shallow water, a smooth, rocky

^ r^ . . y, . bottom, no weeds, mud or anv in-

1 omato (jrub and Moth

dication of fish; and yet I have
taken so many bass from that small area of ten square
feet that I hesitate to mention the probable number.

I found it useless to fish anywhere else in the vicinity. I
have tried for hours, and even for days, but without success.

The hiding-place in which the bass lay was so confined,
and the fish remained so still, sometimes for hours at a time,
that, unless bait was dropped right under their nose, they
failed to see it; a distance of a few inches one wav or the
other was sufificient to prevent it being visible to them. All
of w^hich goes to prove the value of exact location.

This habit of hiding is not confined to the small-mouthed
bass, being common to all predatory fish, such as the pike,
maskinonge, rock bass, etc., which prefer live bait; but it is
more marked in the case of the bass, because this fish, unless
very hard pressed by hunger, will refuse dead bait of any

WHERE TO CATCH THE BLACK BASS

27

kind, whereas the other species do not hesitate to eat any-
thing which appeals to them in the form of food.

Even in the case of other fish which are non-predatorv, the
hiding instinct is highly developed and forms probably the
chief feature in their every-day existence.

In connection with his statement I relate here the fol-
lowing experience:

I was sitting, one summer evening, near the edge of a
small pond, cleaning some black bass; and, when I had
finished the operation, I proceeded to cut them
up into suitable pieces and wash them in a
small hole, where the water was about a foot in
depth.

Here I noticed a commotion at the bottom,
which was muddy and covered with green weeds;
and occasionally I saw small minnows darting to
and fro amongst the broken stone which lay in
the vicinity.

Sitting down quietly close by, I waited
patiently for some time, and soon, as the water
became clear, I observed a number of small fish, ™°n '"^'oth
about an inch long, feeding on the minute par-
ticles of gelatinous matter which had been detached from
the pieces of bass by the process of cleaning and hung
suspended in the water.

Presently a few larger minnows appeared, and then one
or two small perch; but the least movement on my part
caused them all to vanish.

I then placed some larger pieces of skin and flesh just
at the edge of the water and sat down again. Soon the
minnows re-appeared, and then a few perch, cf larger size
than formerly, all busily engaged in eating the refuse; but
sometimes a perch would vary the performance slightly by
gobbling do\\Ti an unfortunate minnow. Suddenly, from
under a large stone, a gigantic crayfish, about nine inches

Larva of Com-

28 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

in length, emerged, and, crawling slowly to the shore, seized
a large piece of skin and began to drag it back to his hole;
with his slimy green shell, his long snaky-looking feelers
and claws, and his bright protruding eyes, he was a most
diabolical object, and produced in me a mixed feeling of
fascination and disgust. A slight motion of my hand above
the water, and immediately, like a flash, all were gone,
each to its hiding-place, from which, no doubt, observations
were taken until they were confident that no danger existed.

A few minutes of quietness, and then the same perform-
ance was repeated; but, this time, another crayfish of smaller
dimensions appeared on the scene, and a struggle began
between the two amphibians for a large piece of skin. Thev
finally became bolder, and, reaching dr}' land, fought for
the food like two dogs, imtil the smaller crayfish became
tired and scrambled off in search of other pieces which were
being appropriated by the larger perch.

In a short time, probably not more than ten minutes,
the space about me was literally alive with all kinds of life,
minnows, perch, garpike, small catfish, crayfish, sunfish,
rock bass, all engaged in eating or fighting; and where
formerly everything was as still as death, and where a
casual observer would have said that no life existed, a veri-
table menagerie was present, all intent in the struggle for
existence.

The climax was reached when a large pike, which I had
not observed, but which must evidently have been hiding
under some lily pads a few feet away, rushed into the group
of combatants, and seizing one of the largest perch, swam
away.

The disturbance created by this voracious monster
evidently frightened the community thoroughly, for, al-
though I waited some time for a renewal of these interest-
ing scenes, not a single creature re-appeared.

CJ

s.

CHAPTER V.

How TO Catch the Bass.

REGARDING methods of taking bass and the best
kinds of tackle and bait, each angler is a law unto
himself; and, on the supposition that one knows
where bass are to be found, an outfit is of secondary import-
ance; as far as getting fish goes, the boy with a cedar pole,
some twine, a limerick hook and a worm, can, under such
conditions, compete successfully with the expert angler.

There are so many different kinds of rods, running all
the way from bamboo to steel, that it is difficult to recom-
mend, particularly to those who profess to know something
of angling, any special brand.

For general use, the ordinary unsplit bamboo, about
seven feet long, is probably the most serviceable. If one

29

30

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

Water Birch

is accustomed to fish alone, the rod shoidd not be more

than this length, as there will be difficulty in capturing

the fish with a landing-net; because, one has to play the

bass with one hand while using the landing-
net in the other; and with too long a rod
this cannot be safely accomplished.

Many experiments have convinced me
that a rod from six feet to seven feet in
length, varying with the reach of the
angler, is the best. To get the exact length
of rod suitable for one's particular reach,
sit in a chair, and with a landing-net in
one hand reach out as far as possible
without straining the muscles ; in the
other hand hold the rod, and move the
two hands about in a horizontal plane so
that the rod and one arm form, with

the landing-net and the other arm, the sides of a triangle.

Then the tip of the rod should be exactly at the centre of

the landing-net.

Even when the landing of the fish is

made by an assistant a short rod is

more convenient.

I advise all anglers, however, who

wish to become experts, to fish alone.
Apart altogether from the pleasure

of discovering, alone, the favourite

haunts of the bass, nothing is so de-
moralizing to the whole art of angling

as conversation, especially in the form

of the interrogative mood; so that, if

one must have a guide, let the latter

be one not given to expressing his

thoughts in language, and therefore preferably one with

Indian blood.

Silk Grub

HOW TO CATCH THE BLACK BASS

31

The more people one has in a boat, the greater the chance
of conversation, and therefore of argument. When a num-
ber fish together from a boat, one person always gets the
best bait or the best fishing; the others become impatient;
lines become entangled ; fish escape, always the largest ;
and, unless a good supply of provender be taken along,
there is great danger of a quarrel.

Therefore I advise all those who go fishing in a boat
with a number of friends, and who wish to avoid trouble
to take along plenty of
meat and drink for the
unemployed, the unsuc-
cessful, and the incom-
petent.

I have made it a
rule always to fish alone,
but several times have
been persuaded to take
companions along with
me; the last experience
I had, however, convinc-
ing me that I would
never attempt it again.

A very intimate friend proposed to me one day that we
go fishing in Georgian Bay amongst a long fringe of rocks
and sunken reefs which lie between the mainland and the
Giant's Tomb. As the distances to be covered were great,
he insisted that we should take a sailing dinghy, about
fourteen feet in length. Fearing the consequences of fish-
ing from such a craft, I tried to persuade him to change
his mind.

But he was obstinate on the point, and I yielded, not
without misgivings.

We started from shore about ten o'clock in the morning
with a complete outfit: plenty of extra rope for anchoring.

32

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

a pail of frogs, another of minnows, and a box of one hun-
dred worms; also, extra hooks, lines, and a spare rod.

P^ortunately, I did not overlook the provender: pork
and beans, hard tack, as well as pipes, tobacco and matches.

The wind was south by west, the sky overcast, and the
air warm and humid: an ideal day for fishing.

We sailed slowly out to a set of reefs known as the Three
Sisters, and I advised anchoring in a certain spot ; which
was accomplished, not without some difficulty, on account
of the strong currents running over the sunken reefs.

Spotted Darter

(From Pilot ugraph by B. A. Beusley)

While my companion was engaged in this work I got my
rod and line ready, baited my hook with a frog, and landed
a fish in less than a minute.

Knowing the nature of the spot, and that it was fre-
quented only periodically by small shoals of bass, which
never remained there for any length of time, I hurriedly
baited my hook again and landed a second fish, and soon
afterwards a third.

My companion, who was having some difficulty in fitting

HOW TO CATCH THE BLACK BASS 33

together an elaborate rod and reel, immediately objected that
I was not giving him a fair opportunity; so I landed one
more, making four, and helped him to arrange his rod and
line, baited his hook, and agreed to land his fish.

He then wanted to exchange places with me in the dinghy,
and in doing so the boom swung around, knocked the pail
of minnows overboard, and we nearly capsized the boat.

Whether the shoal of bass were frightened by the noise,
or had a free meal of minnows, sufficient to satisfy them, I
do not know. We caught no more fish there.

Soon my friend became impatient and insisted that we
go further out.

I agreed to this, but the wind had now dropped and
some rowing had to be done.

It had been previously arranged, owing to my objection
to the dinghy, that in case there happened to be no wind my
friend would do all the rowing; but somehow or other the
lot now fell to me.

So I rowed about a mile further out, and we anchored
again, in a shallow spot, where there was a heavy undertow
and consequently a heavy strain on our anchor rope.

Here w^e fished ten or fifteen minutes without getting a
nibble; 'and, as the wind began to blow fresh again and the
dinghy was pounding up and down, we decided to sail to the
nearest reef and have lunch.

Being in the bow of the boat, I was busily engaged in
hauling up the sail, when suddenly the anchor rope parted
and threw the boom up against the stern of the boat, knocked
down the pail of frogs, which began scrambling all over the
bottom boards; and we shipped about a barrel of water.

However, we gradually got under way, and I occupied
the next ten minutes in bailing out water and trying to catch
the frogs, most of which had secreted themselves in various
crevices of the flooring, and defied capture.

Lunch, however, made things assume a different aspect.

34

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

Striped Darter

(From Photograph by B. A. Bensley)

and after we had polished off everything in the form of
"gnib" and had a ''smoke," we decided to try our kick again.
We sailed to a group of reefs, fairly well protected from
the wind, and anchored in about eight feet of water.

I have but a faint
recollection of all the
accidents which hap-
pened at this place;
but if my memory
serves me right we
lost all our ropes and
anchors, hooks and lines, and the butt and reel of one rod,
to the accompaniment of some very disagreeable conversa-
tion.

We got three bass, though more by good luck than by
expert fishing. The final catastrophe came about three
o'clock, when the pin holding the iron centreboard of the
dinghy worked out and at the same time our last anchor
rope parted, and as the dinghy drifted quickly amongst the
shallow rocks the centreboard became wedged in a crevice
between two boulders. This necessitated immediate action,
so we both jumped into the water, and in a confusion of surf,
wind and some profanity, finally succeeded in getting the
dinghy free.

We then start-
ed for home, and
during the voyage
I dilated upon the
advantages of
fishing from a sail-
boat, much to the
disgust of the other occupant of the boat.

We landed at five o'clock, having caught seven bass in
seven hours.

Even when one does not fish from a boat, but walks

silver Shiner
(From Photograph by B. A. Bensley)

HOW TO CATCH THE BLACK BASS 35

along the bank of a stream, or wades in the water, a long
rod is not very convenient. The only advantage jointed
rods have is that they are portable; in other respects they
are not as convenient and certainly not as serviceable as the
unjointed rods.

Of the multitudes of reels which one finds in the stores,
the simplest is the best.

An ordinary multiplying reel with a friction brake is all
that the expert angler really requires. Various forms of
automatic reels are advantageous at times, especially in
calm water; but, in the long run, they are sure to get out
of order just at the critical moment.

Best Frog for Bait

(Natural Size)

Elaborate and complicated reels and rods possess, how-
ever, the great advantage of giving much pleasure and oc-
cupation to the majority of fireside anglers and harbour
sailors, who have formed, during the long winter evenings,
the life-prolonging habit of building castles in the air.

Regarding lines, I have found that, for continuous fishing,
the fine braided hnen line is the best; and, although it is not
as durable as the braided silk line, it is cheap and may there-
fore be easily renewed. Oiled lines of any material, unless
they are very carefully made, and thoroughly examined
and dried out each time they are used, soon rot and become
unreliable.

Of the various kinds of bait, artificial and natural flies,
and insects, and deadly-looking trolling-spoons, the best is

36

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

Young Dog-fish

the live minnow or the small green frog, the former of which
constitutes, in the life of the bass, its true diet, the. latter
being properly a luxury or bait.

Either of these, used in conjunction with a small hook,

an inch or an inch and a half in
length, will generally be found
effective.

Any of the more attractive min-
nows may be used, but the delicate
silver shiner or the young of the herring are to be preferred .
The young of the dog-fish are excellent bait and possess
the advantage of being tough and hardy. They will live
for hours, even in comparatively warm water, and may be
kept in an ordinary wooden pail for days, if the water be"
renewed occasionally; they are, however, difficult to procure,
except in the early part of the summer, when they may be
seen in shallow bays, with mud bottom, wandering about in
shoals of two or three hundred.

The river chub or creek chub may be substituted for the
shiner, being more durable, and not so much affected by
hot weather.

At times, even a small pickerel or perch may be used to
advantage; but they should not be more than two or three
inches in length, the smaller the better.

In the fall of the year, when the water begins to get cool,
and shiners and other
delicate minnows are
scarce, the small perch
furnishes an excellent bait
for bass, as it is very ten-
acious of life, and attrac- pi^gr chub
tive in appearance, especi-
ally if taken from clean water. But there is one objection to
using perch in the autumn, namely, the attraction which it
offers to pike.

HOW TO CATCH THE BLACK BASS

37

Creek Chub

There is no bait so deadly for pike as the hve perch, prob-
ably because it contains more solid food than any minnow
of equal size, and
the pike is a fish
which evidently
believes in quant-
ity and not quality.

The chances
are, therefore, nine
times out of ten,

that, when angling for bass in the fall of the year with a dainty
looking perch, one will find, on getting a strike, a huge pike
at the end of the line, with perch, hook and several inches
of gut down its throat; the task of removing such a monster
from the line counterbalances any advantage that may be
derived from angling with perch.

The minnow should be placed on the hook so that the
barb passes first through the under part of the mouth and

Yellow Perch

then through the upper part ; this allows freedom of motion,
and the minnow swims about naturally, with the point of
the barb upwards.

The bass usually approaches a minnow from one side,
and, swimming up to it, inspects it carefully; then, backing
up a short distance, it rushes at the bait, swallowing it head

38 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

first; so that, if the bait be properly arranged, the bass \\\\\
invariably be hooked in the upper part of the mouth, and
its chance of escape reduced to a minimum.

But the greatest care must be taken to allow sul^cient
time to elapse after the strike is felt, so that the bass may
get the minnow well into its mouth; otherwise it is sure to
escape, while the minnow will be set free.

The novice will lose many a fish, as -well as the bait it-
self, by being in too great a hurry.

I have watched the capture of minnows by bass so fre-
quently, that, for the benefit of the amateur angler, it may
be well to give here my experience.

The bass, if very hungry, often rushes at a minnow and
seizes it before one has time to observ-e the details of the
attack; but usually, as stated above, it swims slowly up on
one side, perhaps backing up slightly, and then swims sud-
denly around to the other side, but always keeping its head
directed at a right angle to the line of motion of the min-
now, and finally approaches so that it is within an inch or
two of the unfortunate bait; so close, in fact, sometimes,
as to give one the impression that it possesses the sense of
smell.

It will then suddenly open its mouth and seize the min-

HOW TO CATCH THE BLACK BASS 39

now crosswise, so that its jaws close over the gills, the hook
being at the end of the minnow's snout, but not in the mouth
of the bass.

It then begins to swim away; and it can be readily under-
stood that this is the crucial moment; for, if the angler,
when he feels the bait being seized and
drawn away steadily, gives a sudden jerk,
he simply draws the hook out of the ten-
der mouth of the minnow, which the bass
then carries away.

He should control himself and wait
patiently for the next effort of the bass,
which is to stop for an instant, give a sudden
little gulp, when the bait and hook both dis-
appear down his throat.

It is just at the instant when the sudden

gulp is made that the angler should tighten

his line ; and nothing can teach him this but

experience. The novice must practise some

time before he can determine, by the sense

of touch, what is happening at the other

end of the line; a little patience, however, is

all that is needed; and, with anv kind of a Basshook for Min-
now or Frog

light rod, he will soon be able to recognize (siightiy reduced)
the proper instant at which to hook his fish.
To give too much time is almost as bad as to be too hur-
ried; delay is dangerous when carried beyond a certain point;
because, if the point of the hook happens to touch a sen-
sitive part of the gills of the bass, it will at once make a
rush, casting the minnow and hook out of its mouth, and
invariably escape.

When a bass strikes, the effect is just the same as if a
weight were suddenly tied on the end of one's line, and then,
about five seconds afterwards, another heavier weight were
added and then removed.

40

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

The sensation is that of a steady pull, and not a series
of jerks, as in the case of many other iish such as the rock
bass, perch, sunfish and pickerel.

When angling with frogs, similar precautions must be
taken to ensure capture.

The hook, w/jic/i should not he more than a>i inch in length,
is passed first through the under jaw and then through the
upper jaw of the frog, as closely as possible to the edge of

the mouth, and the frog is thus
able to swim about quite freelv.
When a bass strikes such a
bait, it will generally close its
jaws on the frog's head just as
in the case of the minnow, and
then, shortly afterwards, turn
the bait around in its mouth
by a quick, indescribable move-
ment; and the hook and the
frog enter the mouth of the bass
together.

But the chance of losing a

frog is much greater than that

of losing a minnow, on account

of the much greater width of the

frog's headandits peculiar shape.

It requires much greater skill, therefore, to be successful

when using frogs as bait than when angling with minnows

or worms.

And the larger the frog, the less the chance of getting
the fish.

The only safe rule to follow is to give the fish plenty of
time to get the bait well down his throat and trust to ex-
perience. With a light rod and small tackle and bait one
soon learns to seize the opportune moment. But, even
under the most favourable circumstances, one can calculate

Rock Elm

Method of Putting Frog on Hook

(Half Natural Size)

HOW TO CATCH THE BLACK BASS 41

to get not more than about four bass with a dozen frogs,
unless the fish are very large and are biting freely.

Only once have I succeeded in getting as many bass as
I had frogs; but, in this case, the fish were ravenously hungry,
and all conditions favourable: the frogs were very small,
and there were no rock bass in the vicinity to strip them
from my hook. I was lucky enough to catch ten bass with
nine frogs.

Another time, in 1878, on Four-mile Lake near Cobo-
conk, I took twenty-seven bass with thirty-six frogs, in less
than an hour; but at that date this lake was alive with bass,
and it was no uncommon feat to catch two or three hun-
dred bass in a single afternoon.

But, tempora mutantur: such occasions now are few and
far between; and the chance is
that the beginner will probably
spend an hour in catching a
dozen frogs and then lose them ._^
all in about ten minutes and

be thankful if he succeeds in Oreen Grasshopper

capturing two or three bass.

In angling with frogs, the greatest nuisance is the rock
bass, which is at times as voracious as the pike, and will
attack a frog of any size and mangle it to such an extent
that it becomes useless as a bait. Under such circum-
stances there is only one course open to the angler, unless
he happens to have a change of bait, and that is to seek new
fishing grounds.

In running streams, especially where there are shallow
places filled with broken stone, casting with natural or
artificial flies is a most fascinating, but at the same time
a most uncertain, mode of angling, on account of the diffi-
culty of keeping the natural bait alive, and, when using
artificial flies, of imitating the attractive motions of Nature.

I have never had much success when angling for the

4

42

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

small-mouthed bass with artificial llics. although I know by
experience that his large-mouthed relation will take almost
any kind of lly with avidity. I can recommend, however,
to those who are fond of this form of recreation, the grass-
hopper known as the Katydid, which is of a beautiful green

colour, with delicate wings,
and a most attractive bait
in bright weather, when

angling for the small-

Katydid

mouthed bass in shallow-
water.

In casting with grasshoppers, or other flies or insects,
care must be taken not to damage the bait by passing the
point of the barb through a vital part; the bait should be
lashed to the hook with fine silk thread in such a way as to
allow freedom of motion both of the legs and wings and
preserve as far as possible the natural appearance of the
insect; for the slightest damage to the
bait at once renders it inefifective.

For the angler of mediocre ability,
who spends a holiday occasionally in
the attempt to secure a few fish for
his breakfast, or for the small boy who
has been presented with a new rod and
line and is anxious to take a few ele-
mentary lessons in the art of bass fish-
ing, the humble worm is the best of all
baits, and one that may be procured
with the least labour.

Of the different kinds of worms, that known as the dew
or lol)-worni is the most effective for bass. It is found on
well-kept lawns or under leaves or boards where the soil is
rich. It varies from four to six inches in length.

In using it for angling, a hook about two inches in length
is desirable, on which the worm mav be run in various wavs,

Span-worms and Moth

HOW TO CATCH THE BLACK BASS 43

according to the fancy of the angler and the nature of the
fishing grounds. Isaak Wa!to>i gives the following instruc-
tions in his "CoDiplcat
Angler," for the proper
baiting of a hook with

a dew or lob-\\ brni : Dung-norm

" Put your hook into
him somewhat above
the middle, and out
again a little below the
middle; having so done, „

draw your worm above

the arming of the hook; but note that at the entering of
your hook it must not be at the head-end of the worm but
at the tail-end of him, that the point of your hook may
come out toward the head-end, and having drawn him above
the arming of your hook, then put the point of the hook
again into the very head of the worm, till it come near to
the place where the point of the hook first came out; and
then draw back that part of the worm that was above the
shank or arming of your hook, and so fish with it."

Walton gives this method for the
benefit of those who may fish along
the banks of a stream or in any place
where the water is shallow and the bot-
tom is strewn with branches, logs, or
rough stone, and where, consequently,
the worm is liable to breakage at the
point if threaded in the ordinary way,
beginning at the head and leaving about
an inch of the tail hanging from the
point.

This latter way of baiting is objectionable, even in deep
water, because the weight of the free portion and its constant
motion gradually cause a break at the point; which, although

44 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

seemingly of small importaiice from the angler's point of
view, is a fatal defect, as the bass has exceedingly keen vision,
and as soon as it sees the point of a hook becomes frightened
and swims away.

Walton's method, although it prevents the worm from
being broken at the point, is open to the objection that the
tail of the worm is liable to be snapped off by some small fish;
the natural appearance of the bait being thus destroyed;
but, if the point of the barb be entered, not at the very end
of the head but about an inch from it, then the head of the
w^orm will be placed in juxtaposition with the barb of the
hook and the w^orm may be drawn along uneven ground
without danger of being broken at the point.

When a w^orm is too long to put on the hook entire, it
should be cut in two and threaded on the hook by starting
at the severed end, thus leaving the head or tail portion
close to the barb. In the case where small earth-worms are
used as bait, two are necessary, and should be threaded on
the hook according to the following scheme given in
the "Cotnpleat Angler," and no doubt due originally to
Walton:

"You are first to run the point of your hook in at the very
head of vour first worm, and so down through his body till he
be past the knot, and then let it out, and strip the worm above
the arming (that you may not bruise it with your fingers) till
you have put on the other, by running the point of the hook
in below the knot, upwards through his body towards his
head, till it be just covered with the head; w'hich being done,
you are then to slip the first worm down over the arming
again, till the knots of both worms meet together."

This arrangement is likewise open to the objection that
the tail of the worm on the shank is liable to be bitten off
first; although the fish will then, as a rule, proceed to attack
the tail end of the other worm lying near the barb and doubt-
less be hooked.

HOW TO CATCH THE BLACK BASS

45

Dung-worms, used in this way, give excellent results,
but only with a very small hook, not more than an inch in
length.

Silk Moth and Larva

CHAPTER yi.

Bait.. • ••

IN the pursuit of the small-mouthed bass the veteran
angler pays particular attention to the question of

bait; and it will be well for the beginner to devote some
time to a consideration of the different methods of procuring
it, as well as to its preservation, especially during periods
of very hot weather, when bass are usually most active and
bait is so difhcult to obtain.

First in order comes the worm, which is, of all baits, the
most commonly used, and the most easily procured. Of
the dififerent varieties the most effective is the large dew-
worm, which is found at night time, after a hot day, on lawns
that have been well watered towards sundown ; one may,
with the aid of a lantern, easily pick one hundred of them
in an hour. The worms evidently emerge from the ground
at night to seek the moisture on the surface, and as they

46

BAIT

47

crawl from their holes they may be seized and captured,
although it requires some practice to take them, and one must
be quick in laying hold of them to prevent their sudden
withdrawal into their holes.

If a lawn be not available, they may be found under
planks or rotten logs where the earth is rich in clay.

Worms dug from earth are
not usually as large or as lively
as those taken from grassy places,
but sometimes very good specimens
may be dug up with a spade
from rich earth.

Dung -worms are found in
rotten dung heaps, especially
when the dung has been mixed
with leaves and the process of
decay is well advanced. The best
kind is about two inches in length,
of a reddish-brown colour, with
black rings running around the
body, and very lively.

To preserve worms in a proper
state for angling, particularly in
very hot, moist weather, requires
some degree of attention.

They should be placed in shallow boxes, with two or
three inches of earth, and a top layer of soft green moss,
which, if not available, may be replaced by grass; but, in
this case, the grass must be renewed every day, as it rots
quickly, and thereby destroys the worms.

A box, four by six by eight inches, made of half-inch
or inch pine, so that it will not warp or split, having a cover
filled with air holes and furnished with two hooks and eyes
so that it may be fastened down securely, is the most satis-
factorv form ; such a box will hold one hundred worms.

Wild Rice

48

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

The air holes m the cover should not be more than one-
eighth of an inch in diameter, and the cover should fit flush
with the box; otherwise the worms will stretch themselves
through and escape.

The boxes containing the worms should be kept in a
cool place, of a temperature not greater than 50° F.,
O and, if possible, where there is a free draught of air.
In the heat of summer it is difficult to
fulfil these conditions; and, unless one
has access to an icehouse, worms can-
not be kept, during very hot weather, for
a much longer period than a week, in a
proper condition for angling.

But if an icehouse be available they
may be kept for months by simply placing
the boxes on a bare piece of ice ; this
enables the worms to get the moisture
necessary for their development, and at
the same time to keep cool.

When this method is employed there
should not be more than fifty worms in a
box, and they should be inspected once
a week or more frequently, and any dead
ones removed.

Green moss, such as one finds along
the edge of a marsh, should be used for a
top dressing, because it retains moisture,
and enables the worms to scour themselves
and thus become tough and lively, and
therefore less liable to break when placed on a hook. Any
kind of moss is much better than grass.

Larger boxes may be used for preser\'ing a great num-
ber of worms, but they are more difficult to handle, and the
chances are that the worms will all collect in one corner
of the box, and more will then be lost bv decav. The smaller

il,

BAIT

49

boxes are more easily inspected, and the loss by decay in
them very much less.

For the preservation of frogs, crayfish, grasshoppers, etc.,
a box with a wire netting is desirable. It should be
made of inch pine, six by six by eighteen inches, provided
with a lid and an opening for the hand, which can be
covered securely by a wooden shutter working on a pivot.
The box should have also a handle on the top of the
lid, the latter being held tight to the top by means
of two hooks and eyes; the front of the box being covered
with brass or copper gauze with one-eighth inch mesh.

Frog Box

The whole should be put together with brass screws,
hooks and hinges; this insures that there will be no rust,
and the box will then last a lifetime.

Damp moss placed in the cage will keeps frogs alive for
weeks, especially if they are exposed to the sun for the
greater portion of the day. The moss should be renewed
at least once a week.

If grasshoppers are to be kept longer than a week, small
green leaves should be given to them, those of the wild cherry
being the best, unless lettuce leaves can be obtained in a
fresh state; these form the best food for grasshoppers in
confinement.

Crayfish, crickets, and almost all varieties of insect bait

50

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

may be kept in such a box as has been described for weeks
at a time, if fresh moss from the edge of stagnant pools be
put in occasionally; this usually contains sufficient nourish-
ment in the form of water and organic matter to provide
food for the prisoners.

To keep minnows alive is perhaps the most difficult
task of the angler, particularly when the temperature of
the air rises above 80° F., and access cannot be had to run-
ning water. Minnow pails of various kinds may be used,
but as they are usually made of iron plate, coated with tin

!••••• M* •r» • • • • I ^

Minnow Pail

or zinc, they are more or less rough, especially in the neigh-
bourhood of the perforations, and thus delicate minnows,
like the silver shiner, by constant rubbing themselves against
the sides, become deprived of their scales and soon die.

After much experimenting with all kinds of minnow pails,
I have abandoned them for the common wooden pail, covered
with a double layer of cheese cloth, thoroughly washed and
bleached and kept constantly moistened with water.

The pail should be an old one, which has been well worn
inside so as to present a smooth surface. If the weather be
very hot and the minnows have to be carried a long distance

BAIT 51

exposed to the direct rays of the sun, the pail may be placed
inside a larger one and the space between the two filled with
ice, and a second double layer of cheese cloth placed over
the top of the outer pail; the whole forming a perfect non-
conductor of heat, while the evaporation from the cheese
cloth assists in keeping the temperature reduced to a mini-
mum. With such an arrangement minnows may be carried
about in an open boat for a whole afternoon in summer
without losing any of their vitality, provided a few cups of
water be occasionally dipped out and fresh water poured in
from a height of three or four feet, so as to produce aeration
of the water in the pail.

When the temperature of the air rises above 80° F. it
becomes a difficult matter to keep delicate minnows like the
shiner from day to day. The method I have employed is to
take a large perforated tin can, about two feet in depth and
one foot in diameter, with a tin cover; such a pail as in fact
is used for the ordinary transportation of minnows, and
then attach to the top, but so as to clear the cover, a piece of
wood about eighteen inches square and two inches thick,
with a circular hole, into which the pail is fastened tightly.
This may be filled with minnows, and the whole arrangement
placed in deep water, if possible where there is a current,
and tied to some object on shore to prevent it floating away.
The buoyancy of the wood will keep the tin erect, and when
one wishes minnows they may be taken out from the top by
means of a small dip-net, with a handle about a foot long.
All the various kinds of submerged boxes made of wire netting
are not of much use, as the minnows rub themselves constantly
against the meshes and wear off their scales.

The labour of capturing minnows, frogs, grasshoppers and
other insects is almost as great as that of taking bass.

For grasshoppers and moths, if a small butterfly-net is
used, a dozen or two may be taken in an hour; but with
frogs, which always haunt the edge of a pond or stream and

52

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

dive into weeds and slime when pursued, the problem of
capture is quite different.

The first essential in getting frogs is a pair of rubber

boots, reaching to the
hip, so that one may
wade along the shore,
well out in the water,
and chase the frogs to
the shore.

In addition, one
should have a frog-net,
with a handle about two or three feet in length, made
in such a way that the frame of the net is inclined at an
obtuse angle to the handle, and having a covering of some
flexible material like mosquito-netting. One may then catch
a dozen frogs in an hour, if they are not very plentiful, and
two or three dozen if they are in abundance.

The frog-net is made of a piece of bamboo rod, with a
waxed cord wound around one end so as to provide a suitable
handle, and a loop to hang it up.

A brass wire about one-eighth of an inch or three-six-
teenths of an inch in diameter is bent into the form of a circle,
and the ends filed down flat so as to fit the other end of the
rod, to which it is lashed with brass or copper wire.

This ring should then
be bent into the proper
position, so that it makes
a slight angle with the
prolongation of the rod,
about fifteen or twenty
degrees; and mosquito- -" ' ' '-

netting is sewn carefully

on the ring so as to form a conical bag about eight inches in
height.

The netting soon wears away, as it is very delicate; but

BAIT 53

may be replaced in a few minutes by new material. A very
small hole will allow the frog to escape.

The reason for the bending of the ring, so as to form an
angle with the handle, is that one can, without reaching
down too low, clap the ring and net flat against the ground,
a thing which cannot very easily be done if the handle lies
in the plane of the ring.

The ordinary net used for landing fish is of no use to catch
frogs, as the handle is too long and the net has too large a
mesh.

Iron or copper netting should not be used for a frog-net,
because, although it is durable and lasting, it does not per-
mit one to grasp the frog while the ring is against the ground,
and three times out of four one will lose his frog in attempt-
ing to get it from under the ring. In addition, there is also
the danger of injuring the frog by striking it with the metallic
netting".

With mosquito-netting, the frog, as soon as he is covered,
jumps up, becomes entangled in the netting, and at once
works his way to the apex of the cone-shaped bag, where
it may be easily seized from outside along with the netting,
and dropped into the frog box, without chance of injury.
Usually one can find frogs in shallow, marshy places, where
there is a sand beach, during the summer months of July
and August.

It is difficult to find them in spring or fall, or in cool
weather, as they seem to dislike a temperature below 70°
or 80° F., and when the days are cool, hide in the mud or
crawl under stones.

It is almost as laborious to catch frogs on any given
day as to take bass; for they are easily frightened and, after
being once chased, become exceedingly wary.

Crayfish, which may sometimes be used as bait, especially
if they be small and tender, are caught by wading along the
edge of a shore which is strewn with broken rock. On rais-

54 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

ing the stones gently, so as to prevent clouds of mud from
rising and obscuring the view, numbers of these animals will
be seen scuttling away in all directions, but it recjuires some
skill and practice to sei/.c them, even when using a small
dip-net.

The best way to obtain them in any quantity is to take
a wooden box with a number of inch augur holes bored in
its side, place it in the water, loaded down with small pieces
of broken stone, and put in small pieces of refuse of any kind,
such as the heads or entrails of fish. If left over night such
a box will be found next morning filled with crayfish. It
should then be lifted out quickly on shore and dumped on
an open space, where the crayfish may be easily captured.
For minnow^s, a small seine may be used, twenty or thirty
feet long, if large quantities are desired; this, however, re-
quire two or three men and a boat, if the water be deep,
and also some experience.

For the beginner, the easiest way to get minnows is to
use a rod, line, and the smallest minnow hook available,
from an eighth to a qviarter of an inch in length, and bait
the hook wath a minute fragment of a dung-worm, the head
being the best part. One may catch two or three dozen
minnows in this way in an hour, and most of them will be
uninjured by the hook.

Anchor a boat over a weed-bed where the water is about
six feet in depth, and stir up the mud at the bottom with a
paddle or oar; this causes a great number of food particles
to hang suspended in the water and attracts minnows from
the surrounding vicinity ; when the water becomes clear
one has no difficulty in catching small perch and minnows.

Sometimes minnows swim about in large shoals, and
in that case a large dip-net may be used. This is made of
a wooden hoop, three feet or more in diameter, with a piece
of mosquito-netting sewn to the hoop in the form of a very
flat cone, so as to bag down about eight inches or a foot.

BAIT

55

The net is then twisted at the centre and tied with a
cord to which a small weight is attached, so as to keep the
bag in position when placed in the water.

A pole, eight or ten feet in length, made of pine or cedar,
light and strong, is then fastened to the hoop, so that a por-
tion of the end of the pole forms a diameter of the hoop.

Then one proceeds to a place, in six feet of water, where
minnows congregate, and the net is sunk to the bottom.
If particles of dry bread or oatmeal are then thrown in the
water, immediately over the spot where the net is sunk,
the fish soon appear and begin to feed on the fragments
which have been thrown in ; as soon as a sufficiently large
number are over the net, it is lifted suddenly and some-
times two or three dozen minnows may be caught in one haul.

But care is required, and, if the water is very clear and
the sun shining brightly, the fish will escape before the net
reaches the top of the water, unless the operation is per-
formed very suddenly.

Various other contrivances, in the form of traps, are
made to catch minnows, but they all require special atten-
tion, and are apt to get out of order; for the ordinary angler
the best way to secure minnows is with the minnow hook
and a small fragment of worm.

Minnow Bottle Trap

Bass Spawning

CHAPTER VII.
Propagation.

Spawning.

THE spawning season is in the spring of the year, but
varies with climatic conditions, as well as with the
temperature of the water; and, although cases are
recorded of propagation taking place during the summer or
even in the early autumn, yet the general law is that, as soon
as winter is over and the sun begins to warm the water,
the male and female bass "run" in large shoals, and proceed
to choose a suitable place for the important function of
spawning.

It is now a well-established fact that the male bass pre-
pares the nest or spa\\Tiing bed, usually on coarse sand or
gravel in a protected spot close to shore, and preferably
where the water deepens suddenly, so that the nest is on a
sort of ledge, from which the fish may make observations
in all directions.

Sometimes he chooses a ledge of rock in two or three
feet of running water, one side of which is close to shore and
forms a little bay, while the other side is bounded by water

66

PROPAGATIOX 57

eight or ten feet in depth; this gives him complete command
of the situation, and enables him to drive off his enemies
with ease.

When first seen the male fish roots about in the sand
and clears away, with his fins and tail, a spot about two or
three feet in diameter, so that the bottom is either cf bare
rock or strewn with coarse stone and gravel. If the nest
be made on rock he sweeps off the dirt and slime until the
surface of the bed is perfectly rough and clean.

Then, suddenly, some fine sunny morning, when the
temperature of the air is between 70° and 80^ F., and that
of the water about 65° F.. he appears with his mate, and.
after circling about in the nest for a few minutes, the female
deposits her ova. which are immediately covered by the
milt of the male fish, and the female then either abandons
the nest of her own accord, or is driven from it by the male,
who then proceeds to "guard the nest."

While spawning the female undergoes a remarkable
change in colour, and becomes mottled in the same manner
as when affected by a sudden change of light cr heat.

Guarding the Nest.

This process is one cf the most interesting and instruc-
tive in Nature, and is not peculiar to the small-mouthed
bass, being carried on by the large-mouthed bass, the rock
bass, and some species of sunfish; perhaps also by the mas-
kinonge.

The male fish remains over the bed and guards it until
the ova are hatched out. and the voung bass are readv to
leave the nest.

He keeps moving about over the nest, or remains with
his head at the centre while his tail sweeps the water in a
circle : or occasionally he rushes out to chase awav some
wandering fish, either of his own or of other species, return-
ing immediately to his station.

58 THE SMALL MOUTHBID BASS

He is a fearless guardian, and is not very easily driven
from the nest, even by man.

This guarding process occupies a week or ten days, or
in some cases a much longer time, all depending on the
temperature of the air and water and the action of local
currents, which aid aeration.

During this period they apparently take no food, al-
though in several cases, after the lapse of a week, I have
caught them with minnows, and thereby satisfied myself
that the male fish guarded the nest. In no case have I ever
caught a female small-mouthed bass or rock bass guarding
a spawning bed; it was always the male who was acting as
guardian.

The young fry when first hatched out are very small,
probably about half an inch in length; and they usually
remain in the vicinity of their nest, still guarded by the
male, who herds them close to shore while he swims to and
fro on the outside so as to protect them from enemies. Then
in a few days they gradually disappear, and may be seen
subsequently swimming about in detached shcals in search
of food. The most exact and careful scientific observatiors
on the spawning habits of the bass have been made by Mr.
Dwight Lydell, of the Mill Creek hatchery, of the State of
Michigan, an account of which is given in Bulletin oj the
Michigan Fish Commission, No. 7, by Dr. Jacob Reighard,
of the University of Michigan. I reproduce here some of
the most interesting statements from this report.

Nests and Nest Building. — The small-mcuthed black bass
{Micropterus dolomieii) makes its nest by preference on
coarse gravel. From the end of April until the end of June,
the time depending on the latitude and the temperature of
the water, the male fish make their appearance in shallow
water and may be seen moving about in search of suitable
nesting places. The male then frequently puts his snout to
the bottom ^nd roots cs though to test for the presence of

PROPAGATION

59

gravel. One may often see in breeding pords places that have
been thus tested. They may be no more than four or five
inches across, or may be irregular linear patches several feet
long, and in such spots the gravel is exposed, while all about
them it is hidden under a smooth layer of sediment. When
he has found a suitable place the male takes a vertical positicn
in the water, head up, and by a powerful sweeping movement
of the tail he removes from an area two or three feet across
the sediment which covers the gravel. When this occurs in
a stream, the sediment, car-
ried down by the current,
settles to the bottom below
the nest. In ponds where
there is no current the sedi-
ment is not carried down and
the water over the nest be-
comes consequently so much
rolled during the sweeping
that the fish frequently is
forced to leave the nest until
the water has become clear
again. The sweeping clean
of the gravel is the first stage white Cedar

in the building. The nest is

then said to be "cleaned up," but is not yet completed.
The fish next stands on its head, roots over the gravel, more
particularly at the centre of the nest, and then resrmes
sweeping with his tail. He thus alternately roots and sweeps
until all the sand and smaller stones are swept to the edge
of the nest, leaving only the larger stones at the centre.
This removal of material from the certre cf the rest and its
accumulation at the border leaves the rest saucer-shaped.
At the centre the sand and fine gravel is removed, not merely
from the upper surface of the stones, but between them to a
considerable depth, so that the crevices between the stores

60

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

are free from it. The stones are made perfectly clean bv the
sweeping process and have the appearance of being polished
so that they stand out in conspicuous contrast to the sedi-
ment-covered stones surrounding them. This "hollowing
out" of the nest is the second stage in its construction and
it is now complete.

The small-mouthed bass not
only seeks a gravel bottom of
a certain coarseness for the prep-
aration of his nest, but he places
it, if possible, in a sheltered
situation. Of fifteen nests ex-
amined in the Thornapple River
at Cascade, Michigan, all but
one was built either near the
river bank or near a large boulder
or log. These nests were thus
protected from intrusion on at
least one side. That such
sheltered spots are selected for
nests is further shown by the
fact that in breeding ponds
where sheltered nests are pro-
vided, the fish almost invariably
use these instead of using gravel
which may have been placed for
their use in unsheltered situa-
tions. Indeed the fish will
sometimes use sheltered nests
which have been placed in ponds for large-mouthed bass and
the bottoms of which are made of the fibrous Spanish moss
imbedded in cemert. Thus a sheltered situation appears at
times to be a factor more important than the nature of
the bottom in determining the location of the nest. The
nests that I have seen in natural waters were all located
where there was a current.

Red Cedar

PROPAGATION 61

Guarding the Empty Nest. — When the nest has been pre-
pared the male remains on guard over it, but makes frequent
circles into deeper water as though in search of the female.
The time between the completion of the nest and the actual
spawning may be but a few minutes, as in one case that I
observed, or it may be some days. The length of the interval
depends, in part at least, upon the temperature. The males
may begin nest building in a temperature somewhat below
60 degrees F., but the females do not spawn until the water
has reached a temperature of between 62 degrees and 65
degrees F. If the male does not begin nest building until
the water has reached 62 degrees F., the spawning may follow
at once upon the nest building. If the male begins the nest
when the water is below 60 degrees F., spawning is delayed
until the weather conditions have brought the temperature
of the water to a suitable point.

Spawning. — After the male has guarded the nest for a
time he returns from one of his excursions into deeper water,
accompanied by the female. At most seasons there appears
to be no external difference between the sexes, so that it is
impossible to distinguish them without dissection. At the
breeding time there is ordinarily no difficulty. The females
are then much thicker bodied and, particularly when seen
from behind and somewhat from above, may be distinguished
from the males by the form of the body, even at a distance
of from ten to twenty feet. Small females sometimes spawn
when they contain very few eggs and these of small size.
It is then not easy to distinguish the sexes by the form of
the body alone, and if there were no other method mistakes
might easily be made. But in all cases the behaviour of the
two sexes is so wholly different that the person who has once
observed it in a case where the sexes were easilv distinguish-
able by the form, need not afterward hesitate to distinguish
the sexes at the spawning time by their behaviour alone. In
addition to difference in form and behaviour, a marked differ-

62 THE SMAI.l.-MOi-TIIEI) BASS

ence in colour between male and female nearly alwavs becomes
evident as spawning proceeds. From a knowledge of these
differences between the sexes at this season there can be no
doubt of the correctness of the statement that the fish which
b: ilds the nest and which subsequently guards the eggs and
the yourg fish is the male. As further evidence of this, on
five different occasions the fish which was guarding the nest
of the young breed has been taken on the hook and on each
occasion has been found upon dissection to be a male.

Although I hr.ve seen the small-mouthed bass on their
rests probably hvndreds of times and have four times ob-
served the spawning in part, and once throughout its whole
duration, yet I have never seen a female on or near a nest
except w^hen actually engaged in spawning.

The following account of the spawning is from field notes
of the case in which the whole process was observed. The
other four cases in which the spawning was observed in part
did not differ in any essential way from this one. "On Mav
1 1th, at 12.30 p.m., a fresh-built nest is found near the outlet
of pond 1. It is in about eight inches of water in the open,
that is, not within one of the artificial shelters provided for
the nesting fish, and near shore. The male fish is on the nest,
the water is clear, there is no wind and the sun is shining.
The conditions are therefore ideal for observing the spawning
habits. A weather-worn batten-door is hastily obtained, a
hole is knocked through it, and it is then propped on edge
about ten feet from the nest. Through the opening one
may observe the r.est with field glasses as clearly as though
he held it in the hand."

"The screen is hardly in place before the two fish, each
about 10 inches long, are seen, one two yards north of the
nest and the other two yards south of it. Both are small
fish and at first the sexes can therefore not be distinguished.
Presently one of the two approaches the other and urges it
into the nest. Both fish are of the usual dark green-bronze

PROPAGATION

63

colour and both are apparently uniformly coloured over the
body."

"In a few minutes after the fish have entered the nest
one of them begins to show dark spots on the sides and at
the end of five minutes is sharply mottled over the whole
body. (The subsequent behaviour of this fish, as well as
the fact, later observed, that it is
thicker bodied, showed it to be the
female).

"At the angle of the free border
of the opercle of the female is a
white spot, and above this the caudal
end of the stripe through the eye
ends in a darker spot. This v\'hite
spot stands out with great distinct
ness in this female under sexual ex-
citement, though it is visible at all
times in both male and female. It
occupies the position of the ear flap
in the other sunfishes. The female is
but little thicker than the male and
(contrary to the usual condition) is
lighter coloured. The male is slightly
mottled and has the black and white
ear spot. The upper and back part

of his eye (iris) is scarlet, while that of the female remiains
brown, though in other females I have seen the eye tempor-
arily red. The male is then distinguished by his red eyes, more
slender form and darker colour. The mottling of the body
of the female here described is present at all times in both
males and females, but is ordinarily very inconspicuous
because the network, in the meshes of which are the darker
spots, is itself almost as dark as the spots. Under sexual
excitement this network fades (probably by contraction
of its pigment cells) to a light green colour and the darker

Cranberry

64 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

spots enclosed by it are then thrown into strong relief. The
fish is then said to be mottled. The mottling takes place
not only under sexual excitement, but when the fish is sud-
denly transferred from warm to cold water. Not only are
the spots on the body of the female thus brought out with
great distinctness under sexual excitement, but the spots
themselves usually become darker. The female under
sexual excitement thus appears darker than usual and
usually darker than the male."

" While the colour change has been in progress the fish
have been moving slowly about over the nest, the male bit-
ing the female frequently, though gently, on the opercle,
cheek and corner of the mouth. During most of the time
the female swims slowly on her side in a circle. Frequently
she floats motionless, partly or wholly turned on her side,
and at such times the male often lies beside her. Every
two or three minutes she takes an upright position and rubs
her belly against the stones, while at the same time she
mo\es slowly forward with a deliberate bending of the body
first to one side and then to the other."

"Now the female is seen to leave the nest. She goes
to a distance of fifteen or twenty feet, but is pursued by the
male and brought back. Now two strange males pass and
are at once set upon by the male, who drives them off, while
the female waits in the nest. One of them returns and
enters the nest with the waiting female, but is at once \igor-
ously repelled by her mate."

"At 1.20 {i.e., after 50 minutes) the movements first
described are still in ]:)rogress, but no eggs appear to have
been laid. The male is never seen to elevate the gill covers
or to pose before the female. When biting her he usually
approaches from behind, and lies at her side or below her.
Frequently the two stop and lie quiet, side by side, the
female turned partly on her side, the male upright. Such

PROPAGATION

65

quiescent intervals last a few seconds and the circling move-
ments are then resumed."

"At 1.30 {i.e., in one hour) egg laying begins. During
the emission of eggs the two fish lie side by side on the bot-
tom. The female is turned partly on her side so that her
median plane forms an angle of about 45 degrees with the
plane of the horizon. The male remains upright with his
head just back of the pectoral of the female or opposite it.
While emitting the eggs
the female moves her
pectorals alternately and
slowly back and forth like
oars ; at the same time her
dorsal is partly depressed
and rapidly ^'ibrated.
During this time the male
lies quiet at the side of the
female, but toward the
close of the egg laying
interval he backs slowly
with alternating move-
ments of his pectorals until
his snout is opposite her
\ent. He then usually
bites her on the vent, ap-
pears to examine the emit-
ted esfsfs and then moves

Blueberry

forward and bites her once or
twice on the opercle or cheek. Four successive egg laying
periods timed with the watch are found to be 4 sec; 4.5
sec; 5.5 sec; 6 sec."

"Each egg laying period is succeeded by an interval of
circling over the nest or just at its edge, but the two fish
are now less active. The female especially is more quiet,
and no longer rubs her belly on the pebbles. The male
moves about somewhat, but less actively than before egg

66 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

laying began. He occasionally bites the female. vSince
^gg laying began the female has become much darker, and
is now as dark as the male. Five successive intervals be-
tween the egg laying periods timed by the watch are found
to be 22 sees.; 28 sees.; 30 sees.; 32 sees.; 45 sees."

''With the aid of a field glass the eggs, it is now thought,
may be seen issuing from the oviduct, but this is necessarily
uncertain. No milt can be seen, since the milt is colourless.
After a time the eggs are clearly seen adhering to the stones
of the nest bottom."

"At 2.50 p.m., two hours and twenty minutes after the
fish entered the nest, the female leaves it, pursued by the
male. The male, no longer mottled, soon returns and takes
up his position over the nest. There he poises and fans the
eggs with his pectorals, but frequently goes outside the
nest and circles the immediate neighbourhood, as though
in search of possible enemies."

I have described this case in detail because it is rare that
so good an opportunity offers for observing the spawning
behaviour of the bass. Mr. Lydell, who watched with me,
was of the opinion that the movements of the fish were less
vigorous than in other cases which he had observed, but
admitted that he had never had a better opportunity. The
eggs laid in this nest, after developing normally for al:)out
two days, died, and this I can attribute to no other cause
than a lack of vigour on the part of one or both parents.
Yet the spawning behaviour of these fish was not seen to be
in any way diff"erent from that of the four other pairs that
were observed in a fragmentary way.

In another case in which the spawning was watched the
female twice attempted to leave the nest, but was each
time pursued bv the male, who took ujd a position outside
of her and bit her in such a way as to dri\e her into the
nest. At the third attempt she escaped and was not seen
to return.

PROPAGATION

67

Since the male examines the eggs after each act of emis-
sion, he is in a position to know when the female has finished
laying, and it is then apparently that he drives her from
the nest.

That a female may spawn in more than one nest is shown
bv the following observations: — ''On the
south side of pond No. 5, about eight feet
from shore, I found a nest in which were
a male and a female, easily distinguish-
able as such at a distance of fifteen feet.
The male was lighter coloured and was
mottled; the female was darker, more
mottled and plainly distended with eggs.
There was the same swimming and floating
in a circle on the side on the part of the
female and the same biting on the part of
the male that has already been described.
This was interrupted by periods during
which the fish lay on the centre of the
nest where they could not be plainly seen.
At these times eggs were doubtless emit-
ted. Presently the male apparently saw
me and swam away with a start, as
though frightened. The female remained
waiting and appeared to become gradually
lighter coloured. After five minutes she
also started away, but she was met by the
male and, as she attempted to leave the nest, was headed
off first on one side and then on the other, until finally she was
brought again into the nest."

"In a short time the male was again frightened away and
again the female remained in the nest. The male did not at
once return, but remained circling about a neighbouring nest
situated at a distance of about fifteen feet from the original
nest. At intervals he approached his own nest, coming

Marsh Violets

68 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

nearer each time. After ten or fifteen minutes the female
also started to leave the nest. The male then headed her off
and brought her back. He was soon again frightened and
both fish then went to the adjacent nest, about which the
male had been circling, and there renewed the spawning
activities. Both fish were still in the nest at the end of an
hour."

In still another case: — "On May 9th a male and a female
were seen together in a nest. The female left the nest and
the male followed. In her flight she passed a second nest on
which was a large male. He also pursued the female and
after a minute or so succeeded in getting her away from the
first male and took her into his own nest." Both nests were
subsequently found to have eggs in them.

That a single male may receive into his nest two females
in succession and guard their eggs is shown by an experience
in one of the breeding ponds at the Mill Creek hatchery.
'"This small pond contained a single male, easily distinguish-
able from all other fish in the pond by his size and by a black
spot on one side of his head. He was very tame and it was
the practice of the employees to feed him frequently. When-
ever a stray frog, grasshopper or crawfish was picked up it
was carried and thrown in to -him. During the season this
fish reared on one nest two different broods of young."

Care of the Eggs and Fry. — The male remains over the
nest and by alternating movements of his pectoral fins, as
well as by a vibrating movement of his caudal, executed
either while he is poised over the nest or while he swims
slowly across it, he gently fans the eggs and thus in a measure
keeps them free from sediment. At frequent intervals he
leaves the nest and circles close about it, now in this direc-
tion and now in that. Again he makes wide circles into the
neighbouring territory, as though to assure himself that no
enemies are present. He is not easily frightened from the
nest. As one approaches the nest at this time, if the male

Canadian Water Lilies

PROPAGATION 69

remains near, it will nearly always be found that the nest
contains eggs or young fish. One may sometimes approach
the nest and introduce the hand into it before the male takes
flight. If the male leaves at once and hurriedly, as the nest
is approached, it will usually be found to be empty.

If another fish approaches the nest at this time he is in-
variably attacked and driven away. I have never seen
other fish stop to do battle at this time. They invariably
flee, as though recognizing the ability of the brooding fish to
successfully defend the nest. Although the presence of the
male fish thus keeps the eggs in a measure free from sediment,
it does not effect this completely. After a time the fry,
newly hatched, fall into the crevices between the pebbles,
where they may be seen only with the greatest difliiculty.
The pebbles in a freshly made nest are scoured clean and the
nest is thus rendered conspicuous, owing to the fact that
the nest pebbles, with their coating of eggs, stand out in sharp
contrast to the sediment-covered pebbles of the surrounding
bottom. With the lapse of time the sediment gradually
accumulates in the nest in spite of the movements of the
male, which must not be too violent lest the loosely attached
eggs or the helpless young fish be swept from the nest. The
result is that by the time the eggs have hatched the nest is
no longer conspicuous. He who would now find it, should
search not for the nest itself but for the male that guards it.
If a male bass is found, not readily frightened away at the
sight of the observer, and if the frightened fish returns after
a time to the same spot, a nest may be sought for in the
neighbourhood. A careful examination of the bottom may
then show a depression in which the pebbles are less thickly
covered with sediment than elsewhere. Such a nest may,
however, have been so nearly obliterated by the deposit of
sediment that it is only when one brings up the eggs or young
fish from the bottom with a dipping tube that one may be
sure of it.

70 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

The pertinacity with which the small-mouthed bass
guards his nest is often conspicuous in breeding ponds. Here
it is the custom, as described in another part of this paper,
to surround the nest by a cylindrical screen shortly before
the young tish are ready to leave it. The parent fish is ex-
cluded from the screen, while the young fry confined within
it are kept from scattering and may be readily had when
needed for shipment. The male fish now returns to the
nest after a little while and remains on guard outside the
screen. It is usual to see the screens thus guarded. In one
case an individual male was seen to continue guarding his
screen, swimming continually in a circle about it for six
days. During this time he was repeatedly seen attempting
to enter the screen by burrowing beneath it and by Initting
it again and again with his head.

When the eggs are hatched the young fish remain for some
days on the nest and then leave it, accompanied and guarded
by the male. The school of young fish now usually seeks
shallow water and may be found along shore. Here the
parent fish swims back and forth in a half circle outside his
school. This care of the school by the male is continued
until the young fish are from an inch to an inch and a quarter
in length. They then scatter and the parent fish Iciives them.

Both the eggs and the young fish have numerous enemies.
\'arious sorts of minnows, sunfish, bluegills and young bass
are ready to attack them during even a brief absence of the
male. Against these the presence of the male fish affords
a large measure of protection.

It appears from the foregoing accounts that the chief
points in the process of spawning, as observed by Dr. Reig-
hard, are:

1. The male fish prepares the nest himself, preferably
on coarse sand, gravel, or rock, and in a sheltered spot.

2. The female comes to the nest of her own accord or
is driven there by the male.

PROPAGATION 71

3. The actual time of spawning is indefinite, but prob-
ably averages one or two hours.

4. During spawning both iish are mottled, but the female
more conspicuously than the male.

5. After spawning the female leaves the nest of her own
accord, or is driven from it by the male.

6. The male then guards the nest until the young fish
leave it, and then guards them until they are about an inch
in length. During this period he watches them carefully
and chases away all intruders.

Although slight variations in the above may occur when
bass spawn in large numbers and under natural conditions,
yet the facts observed by Dr. Reighard are in the main true,
and in accordance with my own observations in natural waters.

Regarding the statement frequently made by anglers
that bass have been taken in the summer and early fall
ready to spawn, I think there is a false impression.

As soon as a female spawns, the undeveloped ova in the
ovi-sacs no doubt begin to grow again, and in a month or
two may be quite large. In fact, if one takes the trouble
to examine bass in September, it will be seen that all the
females will have eggs fairly well developed, especially if
the weather be very warm.

In 1905, during the last week of September, I caught
female bass at the mouth of the Go Home River, Georgian
Bay, which, on account of the unprecedented hot weather,
were apparently ready to spawn; but no doubt with advanc-
ing cold weather, these eggs would remain with the fish
and not be deposited until the following spring. In a letter
received from Dr. Reighard, to whom I wrote concerning
this point, he says:

"The ovi-sacs of the bass, as of other fish, are permanent
structures which produce the eggs annually. When the
eggs of the year have been laid, those to be laid during suc-
ceeding years are present in the ovi-sacs. Those to be laid

72

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

the following year are small, but readily visible to the naked
eye. They grow gradually until it is time for them to be
laid. Whether they grow more rapidly during one part of
the year than at other times is, so far as I know, undeter-
mined. The ovi-sacs increase in size with the growth of the
eggs of the year, but they are always of good size in a two-
pound bass, about the bulk of one's little finger when they
are smallest. All the eggs that the fish will ever lay are
probably present in them when the fish becomes sexually
mature; but most of them are then, of course, of microscopic
size."

One Month Old

(From I'liotograph Ijy Ur. Iteighard)

Two Months Old

Three Months Old

(From Photograph by B. A. Bensley)

About One Year Old
(From Nature)

SHEWING RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF YOUNG BASS

CHAPTER VIII.
Growth.

THE small-mouthed bass develops with extraordinary
rapidity, and, although only a fraction of an inch
when hatched out in June, it will attain, under fav-
ourable circumstances, a length of four inches by the end
of the summer season, which rarely lasts longer than three
months.

During the second year of its existence it will grow still
more rapidly; and by the end of September will probably
be eight inches in length and weigh half a pound. In its
third season it gradually approaches the lower limit of the
angler, ten to twelve inches in length, and weighs from
twelve ounces to one pound.

In its fourth season, that is, when it is three years old,
it is ready for propagation.

How rapidly it grows after that, and how it develops
from year to year, is a matter only for conjecture. Some
claim that fish develop indefinitely, although very slowly,
after they have reached a certain age; and, that unless killed
by starvation, accident or disease, they may live on for ever.

Whether or not there is a limit to their age, as appears
to be true in the case of man and animals, involves the whole
question of longevity, which hardly admits of discussion here.

How large the small-mouth bass grows is not definitely
known; we can only take authentic accounts of large fish
that have been caught and weighed, and allow these to
stand as records.

A bass, however, of two or three pounds, when in good
fighting condition, is a fine fish, and not to be despised, even
by the veteran.

6 73

74 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

But it is the dream of every ambitious angler to kill,
some (lay or other, a bass weighing at least five pounds;
some would proba])ly be satisfied with such a performance,
while others, doubtless, place six pounds as the extreme
limit of their ambition; and there are still others, a few, who
hope to see the day when they may have at the end of their
line a fish which will eclipse all previous records.

For the information of all such gentlemen of the rod it
may be stated that the largest small-mouthed bass ever
taken was one captured by L. D. Boynton, in Glen Falls
Lake, New York State, on August 18, 1888, which weighed
eight pounds and ten ounces, with a girth of eighteen inches
and three-quarters, and a length of two feet, one inch.

Since that time bass have occasionally been caught
weighing seven pounds or a little over; but this stands as a
record.

No doubt, vears ago, larger bass than this have been
taken in many of the smaller inclosed lakes of Ontario, but
no official record was kept, and it is only recently that any
attempt has been made to keep any kind of register of large
fish caught in Canada.

The "Star," an evening newspaper of Toronto, commenced
in 1901 this work, at the suggestion of Mr. J. T. Clark, and
the following list shows that we may yet hope to improve
on the present record of 8 lbs., 10 ozs. :
1901 — John King, Havelock; fish caught in Balsam Lake,

6 lbs., 4 ozs.
1902 — A. S. Laing, St. Catharines, fish caught in Rice Lake,

5 lbs., 13 ozs.

1903 — John J. Irwin, Smith Township, fish caught in Clear

Lake, 7 lbs.
1904 — J. E. Smith, Verona, fish caught near Verona, 6 lbs.,

14 ozs.
1905 — H. C. Barker, Toronto, fish caught at Trent Bridge,

6 lbs., 11 ozs.

GROWTH 75

1906 — ^W"m. Robson, Harwood, Rice Lake, fish caught in
Rice Lake, 7 lbs., 3 ozs.

1907 — j. C- Bkwmer, TnroTito. fish caaight in Lake Koshee,
6 lbs., S ozs.

1909 — -Johnnie Anderson, ilalta, fiih :i.-jLght in Lake Koshee,
6 lbs., 6 ozs.

It is difficult to make any siaggesdoiis, either to anaate-rs
or to veterans, who naay be ambiticms enough to try to eclipse
these records; for the beginner may aodden tally land a big
fish, whilst the veteran may fish all his life and get none but
those of mediocre size and weight- Two geceral rules, how-
ever, mav be laid down for the guidance of anglers: firstly,
to fish in unfrequented lakes of small dimensaoas, where food
is plentiful and therefore the fish are likely to reach a great
size : and, secondly, to fish in all posable places, at all posable
times, naaking angling a chief pastinae, so that, by the doc-
trine of probabilities, one may, dairing the course of a loiig
life, chance to get a fish of record size ; always renaembering
that there are bigger fish in the sea than were ever taken out
by the hand of man.

Mv own experience has heeu that of the average individral :
the only large fish I ever caught was one taken in August,
1878, in Four-mile Lake, uear Goboconk, weigteng 6 lbs.,
4 ozs.; another, which I caught in July. 118&8, at Lac St.
Joseph, north of the City of Quebec, (one of the few lakes in
the Province of Oudbec which used to contain smrall-naouthed
bassi), weighed 5 lbs., 3 ozs.

But I have a dim reoollectaon that, as a snaall boy, I was
accustomed to go angling every summer, during June and
Julv, to the aforementioned Four-mile Lake, and that once,
when fishing from the top of a fallen pine tree which pro-
jected ov^ar the edge of the lake, I was pulled into the water
by a monstrous bass, which always haunted this Pine Tree
Top and had become famous, all the country roornd, as a
destrover of lines, rods and baits; and that, some days after-

76 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

wards, a gentleman named Stalker, from Toronto, caught
this fish, which seemed to me about three feet in length; and
although what appears large in childhood dwindles down
considerably when viewed after a lapse of years, vet I have
always had a desire to revisit that lake and catch another
such fish. I feel confident that it would weigh at least ten
pounds.

In estimating the size of a fish it is usual to measure its
length, girth and weight.

The length is determined by laying the fish Hat on a board
and measuring the distance from the end of the snout to the
line joining the two projections of the fork of the tail.

If the fish be very long, it is necessary to raise the tail
slightly, by placing under it a small block of wood, so as to
bring it into the plane of symmetry of the body.

The girth is the greatest distance around the body of the
fish, measured with the back fin closed.

The weight is best obtained by some reliable form of
platform scales or steelyard ; the ordinary spring-balances
being liable to considerable error, especially if they have
been in constant use.

The length and girth are usually estimated in inches,
and the weight in pounds or ounces (avoirdupois).

To give some idea of the relations existing between length,
girth, and weight, I insert here in tabular form the dimen-
sions of various fish. They represent average "shoals,"
such as swim about from place to place throughout the
summer months:

GROWTH

77

L.

G.

W.

16.50

11.5

39

13.50

9.75

21

13.25

9.00

20

13.00

8.00

16

12.75

8.00

14

12.00

8.75

16

12.00

7.50

11.5

11.75

8.00

13.5

11.50

7.50

11

L.

G.

W.

15.25

10.00

28

13.50

8.50

18

13.25

7.75

15

13.00

8.25

16

13.00

8.00

14

12.50

7.75

14

12.25

7.25

13

12.25

7.00

13

12.00

7.50

13

11.75

7.25

11

August, 1905

August, 1900

L.

G.

W.

15.00

10.75

31

15.00

10.00

27

14.50

10.00

26

14.75

9.75

24

13.50

9.00

20

13.50

8.50

20

13.00

9.00

20

14.00

8.50

18

13.50

8.75

17.75

L.

G.

W.

14.00
13.50
12.50
12.50

12.25
11.75
11 .50
11.50
11.25
11 .25
11.00

8.50
8.75
8.00
8.50
8.50
7.00
8.00
8.00
6.75
7.50
7.00

18

17.75

15

16

15

10

13

13

10

11

10

July, 1904

July, 1902

78

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

A general relation connecting the three quantities L,
G, W, may be constructed empirically by assuming that

W = KG-L
which is in accordance with the ordinary laws of symmetry.

As a matter of curiosity I computed the value of K from
a large number of observations extending over manv years,
and found it to be given approximately by the fraction /g.

Consequently one may, with small error, obtain the
weight of any small-mouthed bass by measuring the length
and girth, and then using the above law.

Mitlti'l^'ly the length in inches by the square of the qirth i)i
i)tchc^ aiul divide the result by 55. This will give the weight i)i
ounces avoirdu [>ois.

For this one needs only a small tape line or measuring rod.

This formula holds fairly well for bass which weigh three
pounds or less: the probable error being not more than one
ounce; but whenever fish weigh much over three pounds
the error becomes \er\ great.

Bull Frog

CHAPTER IX.
Transplanting.

DURING the past ten years great advances have been
made in the endeavour to stock private and public
ponds, lakes, and streams with the small-mouthed
bass, owing to the growing demand of sportsmen and of the
general public for resorts where one may spend a few days
in angling for this game fish.

Of the methods adopted, artificial fertilization and
hatching, such as is practised with trout, seems to have been
unsuccessful, if not quite impracticable. Various attempts
have been made to hatch bass artificially, but the dilhculty
of obtaining proper conditions, and especially satisfactory
temperatures, has been so great that the scheme has been
abandoned.

At present, either the fully developed fish, male and
female, are actually transplanted from one place to an-
other in suitable tanks, and allowed to spawn naturally;
or else, ponds are constructed where the fish spawn under
semi-natural conditions; and the small fry are then caught,
when from one inch to three inches in length, and shipped
to their destination. The former plan, that of transferring
adult fish, seems open to the objection that they may die
if placed in waters quite different from those in which they
have been reared, owing to the dilhculty of sudden accli-
matization. The second plan, that of raising small fry
from adult fish placed as nearly as possible in natural con-
ditions, and then transplanting these, seems more reasonable
and has proved more feasible and satisfactory.

The most scientific account of transplanting bass is
given in the Report of the Michigan Fish Commission by

79

80 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

Dr. Reighard, referred to previously, and I ciuote from
that report the following facts which seem to be most in-
teresting to the average angler and fisherman:

Artificial Fertilization of Black Bass Eggs.

In nearly all l"ish propagated by iish culturists it is the
custom to press or "strip" the eggs from the female, to fer-
tilize them with milt stripped from the male, and to hatch
them in a suitable hatching apparatus. The procedure is
known as "artificial propagation," of which "artificial fer-
tilization" is a necessary part. This method of dealing
with the bass naturally early suggested itself to fish cul-
turists.

Tisdale (1869) was the first to attempt the artificial
fertilization of black bass eggs. He says' "The act of emit-
ting their spawn I have never seen; and repeated efforts to
express it from these fish in May, when supposed to be ripe,
for the purpose of artificial impregnation, proved abortive.
The ova of this fish are small, about one-fourth the size of
salmon or trout spawm, very compactly laid in a film cov-
ered sac and apparently difficult to escape through any
artificial process. Further experiments beyond doubt will
effect this."

For many years fish culturists do not seem to have re-
peated Tisdale's attempt at artificial fertilization. It w-as
generally held that the parent bass gave such good care
to its eggs and offspring that nothing more than the intro-
duction of adult bass was necessary to stock any water.
Thus Scth Green (1877), Henshall (1880), Goodc (1884), and
Holt (1886), held to the view that artificial cultivation of
the black bass in any form w^as either impossible or un-
necessary.

Some ten years ago, owing to the increased interest
taken by anglers in the black bass, and owing to the depletion
of some bass waters, urgent requests for the artificial cul-

83 g

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S >.

5 a

£ p

TRANSPLANTING 81

ture of this fish came to the United vStates Fish Commission
as well as to the State Commissions. We then find re-
newed attempts at artificial fertilization. Thus in 1896
Page (1898), at the United States station at Neosho, Mis-
souri, took wild black bass in April, confined them in a
pool until the end of the season and attempted artificial
spawning, but without success. Failure was attributed to
the low temperature of the pond selected. The species
used is not stated.

In the same year Stranahan (1898) took males and
females of the small-mouthed black bass from their beds,
apparently in the act of spawning. " But in only one in-
stance were fry hatched from eggs collected in this way.
The eggs were forced from the female with great difficulty,
and in no instance could milt be obtained from the male;
hence it became necessary to open the fish and remove the
spermaries, which were then cut up and mixed with the
eggs, a little corn starch being added to prevent adhesion."
Eighty-five per cent of these eggs were impregnated. They
hatched in four days.

Again, in the same year, Lydell (Bower, 1896; Lydell,
1902) attempted artificial fertilization in small-mouthed
bass seined from their beds while spawning. He succeeded
in this way in stripping two females, but in order to secure
milt found it necessary to open the males. About 60 per
cent, of these eggs were hatched. Bower (1896) concludes
that artificial impregnation is impossible. He says: "A
preliminary coaxing or caressing by the male seems im-
perative, not only to bring the female to the point of spawn-
ing, but also to develop the milt. These preliminary pro-
ceedings are sometimes carried on for several hours and
again only for a few moments; if the fish are interrupted
or handled at this time, or prior to the orgasmic stage, neither
the eggs nor milt will flow, so that artificial impregnation
may be accomplished only during the few moments of actual

82 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

spawning or after the natural spawning has begun. Under
the strictest surveillance the opportunity is too seldom
presented or known for practical operations in this direction.
In any event, however, we would lose instead of gain by
the artificial handling of bass eggs, owing to the relatively
high percentage of natural results in protected ponds and
the relativclv low percentage of results by artificial treat-
ment of adhesive eggs."

As the result of these several attempts artificial fer-
tilization was rightly abandoned as impracticable.
Pond Cult lire.

This is the method now universally employed for hatch-
ing bass and consists in the construction of a pond which
shall as nearly as possible resemble a natural lake, with
plenty of vegetation and with water about six feet deep,
and a surrounding edge of shallow water from ten to twenty
feet in width. This strip or terrace, as it is termed, carries
the artificial nests used by the bass when spawning.

These nests are merely cubical boxes, open at the top
and at one side, having the bottom filled with coarse gravel,
which helps to keep the box in an upright position, and en-
ables the bass to spawn. The open side faces the deep water,
so that in reality the bass, when spawning, are shielded on
three sides.

The pond should have a bottom of good soil, intermingled
with sand, so as to support a rich growth of water plants.

Three hundred fish may be kept for breeding purposes in
a pond which has an acre of surface. They are fed on live
minnows, preferably ; and in the fall of the year, when min-
nows become scarce, they may be fed with liver, cut into
small strips; but the live minnow forms the best diet. In
fact, it is probable that the continual feeding on liver during
the fall season renders the fish incapable of supporting the
hibernation of the winter and the subsequent spawning of
the following spring.

s i.

O M

■3 i,

m

TRA NSPLA N TING 83

Special precautions are taken for the cleansing of the
ponds from time to time and the renewal of the water, as
well as for collecting the fry for shipment after they are
hatched.

(See Bulletin of Michigan Fish Commission, No. 7.)
In a summary deduced from observation and experiment
bv Mr. Dwight Lydell the main points are as follows:

1. Three methods of bass propagation have been tried, —
artificial fertilization and hatching, pond culture, and trans-
ference.

2. Artificial fertilization has been found impracticable
and has been abandoned.

3. Pond culture is the method now universally employed
and has resulted in the following practices and devices:

a. Ponds are now commonly built on the model of
the natural pond.

b. It is the practice to have the ponds well grown
mth vegetation.

c. In ponds intended for small-mouthed bass it has
been learned that the temperature and turbidity of the
water are important and must be controlled.

d. Brood fish are sorted just before the breeding
season, so that the males in any pond shall not be in
excess of the females.

e. Brood fish are fed as far as possible on minnows.

f. Artificial nests have been gradually evolved. The
earliest nests were merely gravel piles. The latest
forms are the shielded and screened nests of Lydell,
designed to afford shelter for the parent fish and a suit-
able material upon which to lay the eggs; gravel for the
small-mouthed bass and fibre for the large-mouthed.

4. The difficulty which still remains to be overcome in
pond culture is the death of eggs before or soon after hatching.

5. This death is to be attributed to lack of vigour of the
parent stock, and a remedy is to be sought in the following
directions :

84 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

a. By maintaining a more vigorous breeding stock,
either by annually replacing the stock with fresh breeders
from the natural waters, or by rearing the breeders from
the egg in the artificial ponds or by selection.

b. By keeping the brood fish under more natural
conditions, in larger and deeper ponds, or, in the case of
the small-mouthed bass, where practicable, in running
water.

6. The age at which young bass should be planted is de-
pendent in some degree on the kinds and relative abundance
of the fish already in the waters to be planted, but present
experience does not warrant the expensive practice of rearing
large fingerlings or yearlings.

7. Transference of adult fish should be tried experiment-
ally and may be found to be feasible for certain regions or
under certain circumstances.

Two clauses of the foregoing may be specially noticed.
The first relates to the lack of vigour of the parent stock,
which no doubt causes the death of a large percentage of
eggs; and the second to the age at which bass should be
transferred, whether in the form of small fry, fingerlings, or
adult fish.

These are the crucial problems in the hatching of bass,
and the nearer one approaches natural conditions the better
the results.

My own experience on these questions leads me to sug-
gest that for the small-mouthed bass, which is peculiarly
susceptible to changes of temperature, and probably also to
slight changes in the chemical constituents of the water, no
plan is better than the one I tried some years ago with success
in Georgian Bay. I selected a pond with a narrow inlet into
the bay not more than a few feet in width, and, after carefully
stripping it of pike, catfish, dogfish, sunfish, etc., I had a
screen of brass wire, one-quarter inch mesh, placed across
the outlet.

TRANSPLANTING 85

I then caught thirty-three small-mouthed bass, some with
hook and line, a few with a net, varying in length from eight
to eighteen inches and in weight from six ounces to three
pounds.

There were probably an equal number of males and
females. These I placed in the pond about the last week of
September.

The following spring there were at least a dozen nests at
different points on the shore, and during the summer I saw
hundreds of small bass, varying in length from one to three
inches, swimming about in shoals. The screen was finally
removed and the bass gradually escaped into the lake.

This experiment convinced me that the proper method
of stocking any pond or lake is to hatch the bass in water of a
similar character and transfer them when they are two to four
inches in length; but I doubt whether any suiall pond will
support small-mouthed bass for a great period of time, even
with every artificial contrivance known.

What these fish seem to require more than any other
species is clean, cool, running water. They may live without
it for a length of time; but it is as essential to them as fresh
air is to human beings, and probably acts on them in a sim-
ilar way.

Transferring adult fish from one lake, where the water is
perhaps dark and soft, to another lake where it is clear and
hard, or vice versa, certainly does not seem reasonable. The
small-mouthed bass is doubtless affected by slight variations
in the chemical and mechanical structure of the water as it
is by slight variations of temperature, and it is for this reason,
I think, that large numbers of this fish which have been
shipped in tanks, during the spawning season, from one lake
to another, have never developed as they should and have
gradually disappeared in course of time.

To transfer fry or small bass, four to eight inches in length,
from one water to another, is certainlv more likelv to sue-

86

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

ceed, owing to the greater prol)ability cf acclimatizaticn of
the younger fish.

It wonhi seem that two general rules should he followed
in the problem of transference of bass:

1. The chief essential to the development and growth
of the fish being clean, cool, running water, no pond or lake
should be stocked with them unless its waters are being
constantly renewed.

2. When these fish are placed in any body of water, they
should be taken from waters as nearly as possible similar in
every respect to their destined home.

Large-mouthed Bass, One Year Old
(From Phototfraph by B. A. Bensley)

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CHAPTER X.
Bass Fishing in Georgian Bay.

GEORGIAN BAY lies between the parallels of latitude
44 cind 46 and is about 125 miles in length, with
an average width of 40 miles. As previously stated,
its eastern shore, which is rocky and totally unfit for agri-
cultural purposes, is broken by innumerable bays and inlets,
some of which penetrate the land for miles.

Many of these inlets form the mouths of streams and rivers,
which carry down vast quantities of organic matter and
food for fish. In addition, the shore is strewn with islands,
rocks, and sunken reefs, which protect it during periods of
high winds, so that even in rough weather one may pass, by
boat or canoe, along the coast amongst these islands, except
at one or two points, and travel in safety all the way from
Beausoleil Island to the mouth of the French River.

Some idea of the total number of islands may be gathered
from the recent survey made by the Indian Department at
Ottawa, which places the actual number of islands and
islets lying south of Moose Point alone at 2,180.

The prevailing wind is west, and in consequence of this
the waters of Georgian Bay are piled up against the eastern
shore on an average two or three times a week ; this rising
of the water is then followed by a lowering, sometimes as
much as twelve inches, seldom less than two inches, and
oscillations of the Bay are thus set up, as in all large bodies
of water; so that there are always strong currents running
in and out of the inlets and in the channels between the
islands and the mainland and between the islands themselves,
which keep the water aerated and clean.

There are also innumerable small ponds or lakes connected

S7

88

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

only with the open water by narrow channels, sometimes
only a few feet in width; and these, owing to the constant
rise and fall in level, are kept perfectly clean and well sup-
plied with a change of water.

If one attempted to establish artificially a perfect resort
for small-mouthed bass on a large scale, no better model
could be taken than any of the natural hatching ponds on

the eastern shore of Georgian
Bay.

This being the case, it is the
duty of the Ontario Government,
or of the Dominion Government,
or of both, to protect this ideal
fishing ground, not only as a
source of revenue to the sur-
rounding commvmity, but as a
breathing spot, where one may
obtain fresh air during the hot
summer months, combined with
a moderate amount of recreation
in the form of angling.

No country should allow
such a valuable asset to become
unprofitable; and if, in the past, owing to doubtful juris-
diction or to politics, or to divided interests, this district has
been allowed to remain undeveloped and a prey both to
fishermen and to anglers, the fault lies, not with the general
angling public and sportsmen, but with those authorities
who frame our fishing laws and also with those who attempt
to carry them out.

At present there is established an imaginary line or limit
within which no net is supposed to be set, running almost
north and south, and lying probably two or three miles
from shore, so as to inclose all the islands.

But the inspection necessary to prevent fishermen from

Head of Small-mouthed Bass

(From Photograph by B. A. Bensley)

a

o

c

BASS FISHING I A' GEORGIAN BAY

89

setting nets in this reserved area is not of a nature to accom-
plish much reform. The Ontario Government, under whose
charge the actual inspection of this reserve now lies, should
appoint at least three men who are thoroughly familiar with
the shore, by preference fishermen themselves, and provide
each of them with .a fast gasoline launch and an assistant,
and pay them salaries sufficient
to keep them in comfort
throughout the year, and above
suspicion.

Then assign to each man a
third of the shore line, and
take care that the work of in-
spection begins as soon as the
ice breaks up; for it is just at
that time when all the serious
damage is done by fishermen.

During the months of April,
May and June these inspectors
should be specially on guard.
In the summer months of
July and August, when tourists
are in full force and the fish-
ermen are lying on their oars, let them patrol the shore
for anglers who are in the habit of making record "catches"
of bass. And then let them continue their work until the
ice forms, and even during the winter. For although there
is no danger of anyone taking a small-mouthed bass in winter,
there are other fish which are not so wise as to hibernate,
and these should be protected from themselves.

If such a policy were carried out, combined with some
system of producing a proper revenue, and the fish markets
closely watched, there would be such an improvement in
Georgian Bay as to astonish even a Commissioner of Fisheries.

Regarding the hatching of bass, there are natural hatch-

Head of Large-mouthed Bass

(From Photograph by B. A. Bensley)

90 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

ing ponds, all ready for use, in hundreds along the shore.
Any of the fishermen who live throughout the year on Geor-
gian Bay would be glad to earn a few dollars in stocking
these ponds and inlets with bass, which could then be allowed
to breed naturally (and their young to escape into the open
bay). By this method, re-stocking could be carried on
indefinitely and at small expense.

But the whole problem is not easy of solution. Where
there are two parties: on the one hand, fishermen,
who have grown up from youth with an oar in one
hand and a net in the other, whose whole life has
been one of independence of the laws which govern mere
landsmen, who regard themselves as having in some
way a divine right to extract fish from the water by any
means within their power, and finally, to whom a fish diet
is as necessary as a meat diet to the ordinary dweller in
cities; and on the other hand, politicians, whose daily life
is consumed in an attempt to catch votes by fair means or
foul, who trim their sails to every passing breeze, and who,
leading a life of continual excitement and worry, choose any
port in a storm, there is not much consideration likely to
be given, except in the form of occasional bait, to the poor,
miserable angler. And, until someone in power, wuth
brains enough to realize its value and independence enough
to carry out a plan of improvement, makes a study of con-
ditions and forces the proper authorities to act, there will
be no redemption of Georgian Bay.

a

n

Head of Small-mouthed Bass

CHAPTER XI.

The vSmall-mouthed and the Large-mouthed Bass.

Although, to the inexperienced eye, the two species
^/"^ of bass resemble one another closely, they are in
reality not as much alike as the pike and maski-
nonge. The main point of difference lies in the mouth,
which enables one to distinguish them at a glance, and
which has therefore given them their respective names.

In the small-mouthed bass the angle of the mouth lies
well in front of a vertical line dra\\-n through the centre of
the eye, while in the large-mouthed species the mouth ex-
tends far beyond such a line, and gives the fish, when the
mouth is wide open, a most savage appearance.

91

92

THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

Moreover, the general outlines of the two fish are seen,
on close inspection, to be quite dissimilar.

The large-mouthed bass is broader and has a fiercer look-
ing eye; and its colouring is much lighter. This is true,
even in the .case of the young fry only a few months old.

Its habits are the reverse of its small-mouthed brother.

Head of Large- mouthed Bass

It haunts the edges of ponds and lakes, lying amongst weed-
beds and in the mud, and seems to thrive in stagnant water,
although it ])robably would prefer clean water if food were
plentiful. .<-....

But it is a most voracious fish, and no doubt food is
its first consideration.

In consequence, it will always be found close to shore,

SMALL-MOUTHED AND LARGE-MOUTHED BASS 93

where it gobbles down anything which comes in its way,
from sunfish to snakes or young niuskrats.

I have frequently caught fish weighing not more than
two or three pounds with rock bass in their stomachs the
size of a man's outstretched hand.

In rivers, yvhere currents run strongly, it is a game fish,
and will put up a fight like the small-mouthed bass; and,
as it grows to a much larger size, there are many anglers
who prefer it to its smaller brother.

It will also take any kind of artificial or natural fly,
especially towards evening; and one may wade along the
edge of a pond or walk along a river bank, and get as good
sport, where they are plentiful, as with the speckled trout.

They grow rapidly, even under difficulties, and to a great
size, it being no uncommon thing to catch one weighing
five or six pounds; and occasionally they have been taken
weighing ten to twelve pounds. Their flesh, naturally,
from their mode of living, is not very clean or sweet, and
especially in the hot summer months, is not much better
than that of the pike. If, however, one takes them from
clean water, their flesh is just as delicate and as firm as
that of the pickerel or perch.

They are very savage when young, much more so than
any fish I know, and wull eat one another when nothing else
is in sight. Only a short time ago I saw a little green bass,
about two inches in length, chase a silver shiner close to the
edge of a pond, and, as the latter jumped to escape, he
seized it in his mouth, while the impetus of his rush carried
him out on the shore; and I picked him up, with the shiner
well down his throat and its tail sticking out of his mouth.
The shiner was as long as himself, and when I threw them
both back together into the water, he was nothing daunted,
but seized his prey again, half swallowed him and, like a
flash, disappeared from view.

CHAPTER XII.

How TO Cook the Bass.

THERE are no fish which spoil so rapidly in hot weather
as the small-mouthed bass, and therefore, when
caught, they should be at once killed and put in a
cool place, protected from the sun, and, as soon as possible,
scaled and cleaned.

Scaling.

The scales are removed by a useful little instrument
known as a scalar, made of a piece of half-inch straight pine,
in the form of an ordinary hair brush, and studded with
inch nails.

Small holes should be bored in the scalar with an awl.

Billy for Killing Bass

SO that the nails when driven in will not split the wood; and
equal portions of the head and point of the nail are al-
lowed to project on each side. Iron scalars are sold in the
stores. With the aid of such an instrument any fish may be
scaled in a few seconds, provided one performs the operation
before the fish become dry and the scales harden.

Cleaning.

After scaling, the fish is cut open along the belly and the
gills and entrails removed. It is then washed out with clean
water, so that no blood is left behind; but it should not be
allowed to lie soaking in water, which would spoil its flavour.

It is now ready for use.

HOW TO COOK THE BASS 95

Storing and Shipping.

If a refrigerator or an ice-house be available, bass may be
kept indefinitely by placing them in a box, with the bottom
resting on a bare block of ice, and then strewing over on top
of the fish pieces of broken ice, which may be renewed when
melted. Care .must be taken, however, to provide small
outlets in the bottom of the box, through which the melted
ice may escape.

When bass are to be shipped any distance a small quantity
of coarse salt is sprinkled along the back bone, and they are

Scalar

packed in a box with cedar or hemlock branches. Grass or
sawdust should not be used for this purpose. They will then
remain quite fresh for twenty-four hours. If packed with a
layer of ice on the bottom of the box, then a layer of branches,
then the bass, then another layer of branches, and finally
a layer of broken ice on top, with a small hole in the bottom
of the box for drainage, they will be fit for use after a
voyage of two or three days.

When there are no conveniences for packing, or one is
pushed for time, bass may be scaled, cleaned, dried, and
wrapped tightly in a piece of cheese cloth and then in a piece
of thick brown paper. I have carried them, so packed, in
a closed satchel, on an extremely hot day in July, with a
maximum temperature of ninety degrees Fahrenheit, and
found them fresh at the end of a twelve hours' journey.

96 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

Cooking.

Like the rock bass and perch, the bass is essentially a
pan fish, and when taken from the water and cleaned im-
mediately, cut in small pieces and fried in a pan with bacon,
it is unsurpassed in flavour by any fresh water fish, even the
speckled trout.

It seldom has any of the rich fat which causes other fish,
like whitcfish and trout, to pall on the taste, and on this
account it is an especially good diet for invalids.

Proper Shaped Pan for Frying Fish

Various methods may be employed in its preparation for
the table, of which the following may be mentioned:

In camp, the Indian custom may be employed, which is
simple, primitive, and requires no utensils. The fish, when
taken, has a green stick of birch run through it, and it is
then propped up against the camp fire and turned occasion-
ally so that it may be cooked on all sides. In ten or fifteen
minutes it wall be ready to eat. when the outer skin and scales
are removed with a jack-knife. The stick is left in the fish
and serves as a handle; and the flesh may then be sprinkled
with a little salt and eaten a la nature.

Or, it may be baked on a hot stone either in its natural
state, or after it has been scaled and cleaned.

For civilized society, place a frying pan on a hot fire of
coals or wooden embers, and fill it to the depth of half-an-

HOW TO COOK THE BASS

97

inch with bacon fat, dripping, butter, or, preferably, pure
olive oil; lard, unless pure and freshly rendered, is most
objectionable and is to be avoided. Slices of fish are then
dipped in a bowl containing two or three eggs thoroughly
beaten up, and are covered completely with bakers'
flour, or finely crushed soda biscuits, or, best of all, with
finely powdered oatmeal, cornmeal, or peameal. When the
oil or fat has reached a temperature of about 300° F., the
pieces of fish are placed carefully in the pan and turned only
once. The operation of frying requires great care and at-
tention and can only be learned by experience.

When removed from the pan the pieces of fish should
have a delicate brown shade, uniform all over, just about
the colour of properly made toast.

Served with slices of bacon, small, tender, freshly plucked
cucumbers, and fried potato chips, it is a dish which appeals
either to the delicate palate of the invalid, or to the coarse,
promiscuous appetite of the gourmand and glutton.

APPENDIX.
Hints to Anglers.

1. For any kind of fishing, the choice of a proper hook is
most important. The barb should have a needle-like point
and should lie in the same plane with the shaft; and the
size of the hook must be suited to the nature of the angling
and the bait used.

The fine point of the hook soon becomes dulled by con-
stant wear, and, although it may be filed down again to a
point, it is never the same, and should properly be discarded,
especially when one fishes along a stony bottom.

More fish are lost by using blunt Jwoks than from any other
cause.

Double gut hooks are to be preferred, the gut being, as
nearly as possible, the colour of the water. Gimp hooks are
uncertain in their action, as the gimp is liable to tear asunder
at any moment. This is more particularly the case when
they are not carefully dried out after being used.

One good hook with double gut should catch one dozen (?)
bass; it should then be inspected, and, if the point be dull,
thrown away.

Hooks which are a year or more old, even if they never
have been used in the water, will not last as long as those
freshly made, the gut becoming brittle, and the shellac
about the shaft disintegrated.

The best hooks are those prepared by the angler him-
self, wound with silk and black shellac, from the best qual-
ity of gut.

For some reason, the black hook is more durable than
that of a bronzed or silvery colour.

2. Do not angle with dead or half-dead bait, because

98

APPENDIX 99

the average fish has an eye which can see more in a second
than the ordinary human being would see in a week; the
least appearance of deceit frightens it and brings it to a
standstill; and the chance is that the angler who practises
fraud will be outwitted by instinct and cunning. It is true
that when fish are very plentiful and very hungry they will
often take bait of any kind, especially if it be kept in mo-
tion; but generally they require a very tempting bait.

3. Any kind of woven line may be used, provided it is
durable and not too coarse. Fine braided linen is the most
economical, although it rots easily, if not carefully dried
before reeling up.

Be sure to test your line, foot by foot, before you go on
a fishing expedition. It only takes a few minutes, and
will save you many an anxious moment.

Braided silk is the best line of all, but not easy to procure
in a uniform state throughout. Oiled silk is apt to have
weak spots, as the oil seems to rot in places.

All lines, after being in the water, should be dried, if
possible in the sun and wind, before being reeled up. Noth-
ing rots a line so soon as reeling it up tightly when wet
and then allowing it to remain in that state for two or three
days, especially if the air be hot and humid.

4. The choice of a rod and reel is generally regulated by
sentiment and the length of one's purse.

The beginner should purchase a rod and reel every year,
so that he may have something to talk about during the
long winter evenings, and especially in the early spring, when
he begins to think of the pleasures of angling, and fancies
he hears in the dim distance the song of the mosquito and
the black fly.

By the time he is an old man, he will then have a collec-
tion of fishing material that would satisfy the most ambi-
tious, or the most fastidious, angler. Each rod w411 hav^e
its own story; and, if he has, in the end, to revert to the

100 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

days of his youth, and use, in his old age, a simple bamboo
rod and a still simpler reel, he will at least have the satis-
faction of knowing that he has been a patron of industry,
and has encouraged the manufacture of everything that
pertains to the pleasant art of angling.

5. The landing-net is an indispensable aid to the angler.
A solid brass ring with a jointed handle is the best. The
ring may be circular or slightly pear-shaped, the latter being
perhaps preferable.

Wooden rings are lighter, and therefore more easily
manipulated. The meshes should be about one inch on
the diagonal.

Gaff Hook

(One-half Natural Size)

6. For large fish such as pike or maskinonge, which weigh
ten pounds or over, a gaff hook is a useful auxiliary.

7. For removing hooks that have been swallowed, a
disgorger should be used; in its absence, a long lead pencil

APPENDIX 101

or rounded stick, with a slit across the flat end, may be em-
ployed.

8. The best all-round bait is the live minnow; the larger
the minnow^ the larger the fish one is likely to catch.

9. It is important sometimes to have a change of bait,
especially when fish are not biting freely. Frogs, minnows,
and worms make a good selection. If a fish has been hooked,
and after being played some time, manages to escape, one

11

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Disgorger

can very often entice him to bite again by using a change
of bait.

10. Regarding weather proverbs, the best one to re-
member is that fish bite in all kinds of weather if they are
hungry. I have caught bass, pike, perch, pickerel, and
the smaller pan fish in sunshine and in rain, fair weather
and foul, and I do not believe that weather conditions have
much to do with angling.

For example, the old adage which states that fish will
not bite in an east wind, is untrue; for w-hy should the
direction of the wind affect a fish's stomach? It is prob-
able that fish are disturbed by slight barometric changes,
and that they become restive in dull, cloudy weather, with
a low^ barometer, and therefore move about more freely
under such conditions; but, as far as my experience goes,
the only thing which really seems to affect them is a violent
thunderstorm, which apparently frightens them and drives
them into deep water. I have tried, time and again, to
catch fish during a rain storm, accompanied by thunder
and lightning, but have never been successful.

102 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS

11. Concerning the theory that fish bite better at day-
break, I am not in a position to give much information.
Only once was I induced by a barbarian to rise at 3 a.m.
to see the sun rise, and to go fishing; and my experience on
that occasion leads me to believe that fish sleep in the early
morning, and do not begin to feed before ten or eleven
o'clock; at least, I prefer to believe that such is the case,
and therefore advise all anglers to beware of the habit of
early rising, which is just as demoralizing and as objection-
able as that of intemperance in eating or drinking.

12. The boat, or punt, from which one fishes, should be
painted dull lead or green, as nearly as possible the colour
of the water; this is important on a bright day, although
not so necessary in cloudy weather.

Fish are very easily frightened at times, and the ap-
proach of a boat with a white or varnished bottom will often
scare them away.

Pure dry white lead, lamp-black, boiled linseed oil, and
a small quantity of green paint, can be mixed to obtain the
proper shade.

13. Sounds travel easily through water, so that the less
noise one makes, when angling, especially in calm weather,
the better the chance of catching fish.

14. In anchoring a boat, use an ordinary stone and a
piece of clothes-line attached to the painter of the boat.

In rivers or lakes w^ith mud bottom there is no difficulty
in anchoring, and the stone or anchor may be easily lifted
when one wishes to change his position; but, when the bot-
tom is broken, very often the anchor becomes wedged be-
tween rocks, and there is no remedy but to cut the line.
This is a common occurrence in rocky lakes, so that an angler
should always be provided with a jack-knife, or he may
find himself in a very uncomfortable position in rough
weather.

15. Fish should be killed as soon as caught by breaking

APPENDIX 103

the neck; if thrown in the boat and allowed to die, their
flavour is completely destroyed. Moreover, nothing gives
a boat such a horrible odour as the slime from fish, so that
a flat tray with a cover should be provided to hold them.

16. All fish should be scaled and cleaned as soon as pos-
sible; this is particularly true in the case of bass, both large
and small-mouthed, rock bass, sunfish, and pike. Perch
and pickerel will keep much longer, but then they must be
skinned, which takes away a great deal of their flavour.

Catfish and eels are the only fish from which the skin
should be removed.

17. It may be taken as a general law that all fish take
bait or fly most readily just about sundown.

The End.

FEB 2 2 1994

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