Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-07-03
A aAMY TlaH.
something About the Black Bass.-His
Habits and How Captured.



.'"e ana well he may be, for there is nc
nsn existing, of his size, that exceeds him in
activity, strength, and all those qualities tina,
go 10 make up true game fish. His muscu-
lar power is something remarkable. and
through his might and energy he is enabled TO
hold his own and increase in number, in
waters inhabited BY the fierce pickerel. before
whose appetite the trout and perch inyariablv
succumb- Indeed they drive out and DESTROY
pickerel, for in Lake Cobbosseecontee wbers
ten years ago the latter fish could he csn,p,ad
III large numbers, but few can he found now.
But this Is blessing rather than a calamity
Tor the pickerei is a veritable fresh water
shark, and ere it reaches maturity da.,rov.
many times its own weight of other v.ln.h,.
rood nsh. II is supposed that the black bass
belongs 10 the perch family, because its
| mouth, gills, fins and scales are similar tn
those of the Pereid9; bnt in order to distin.
| guish ii from other fishes of similar color and
apparent organization, Of which there are
many, it should be remembered that the gen
uihe black bass carries red spot in each
eye like tiny dot of carmine
Black bass, chameleon-like, are said to have
the faculty of changing their color and they
have been known to do so repeatedly when
placed in vessel Of water. Those are caught
having black, green and yellow sides accord.
ing to circumstances. Their backs, however.
are usually of dusky black. There is un.
doubleday difference in color between those
inhabiting dirty, sluggish water and those
found in that which is clean and impid thew
being of darker hue in the former. This
difference may be provision of nature to
protect him from his enemies, as the nearer
his color resembles that of the element in
which he swims the less easily he would be
perceived. The genuine black bass never
grows to very large size and it is asserted
that they never weigh over four pounds and
a half, although fishermen boast of having
caught them weighing i've pounds and over
Probably those caught in Cobbosseecontee
will not average to weigh over one pound
apiece.
The HABITS
vi Tue Oiack Uass are unllke those OF any
other Maine fish. Early in Nav they make
| their appearance from deep water aud
are found in the shallow water bordering
the shores of the lakes they occupy
These are their spawning grounds. Here
they, in some une Explained manner scoop out
! saucer shaped depression in the sand or
gravel on the bottom, from three to four feet
in diameter, and in depth Of water seldom
their spawn, so it is said. Almost any sunny
day the fish can be seen fitting about these
places. Scare them away and they will in
evitaby return. After the spawn are hatch.
ed the mother accompanies the young fry for
a while, keeping motherly eye on them un
til they are Of age to shift for themselves ;
and never did mother guard her offspring
more carefully or tenderlv. Woe betide the
offender who dares to advance within the
home circle occupied by the little bass. If a
strange fish, the mother starts for it with an
angry dart. We once knew one of these
parent bass to chase a sun-tish which had
made itself too familiar. so that it jumped
two +, ct clear of the water, the bass also ap
pearing above the surface. About the mid
dl,. OF June the bass retire to the neighbor-
hood of sunken boulders, rocky shoals, rapid
currents and lodges. Here are their favorite
lurking places; here they delight to
revei, playing hide and seek among the
hooks and crannes made by the
rocks. The muddy bottom and lily pads
of which pickerel are 40 fond they despise
! and shun. In September they congregate
together in large schools and prepare to re-
tire to deep water; and a large number of
them have been seen in Lake Cobbosseeconte
in that month living side by side in shoal
water The last of September they can
only be found in deep water. We have
caught bass. fishing near the bottom in water
that was 80 feet deep,as late as November, but
their bite was weak and their movements
sluggish. 1t is believed that they hibernate
| in clefts of rocks. and all evidence goes to
corroborste this theory. At one time in
New York the water was drained from lake
during the winter season, for the purpose OF
! d.apsnins the channel mill dam was sit
mated on the outlet of the lake and in moving
the loose rock in this DAM there were found
| hundreds of bass positively embedded In the
slime in The assures aud crevices of the rock
Bass probably subsist largely on numerous
/ small fish. although they devour grasshoppers,
worms, frogs and insects with avidity. Moth
in, seems to come amiss. That they devour
the Young fry of white perch we are
unite positive as they have been caught with
| perch frv for bait.
THE TACKLE
| employed in fishing for bass is a most impor-
,aut matter. The true sportsman Is said to
fish with the rod and fly. These are used al
most exclusively in fishing in Cobbosseecon'
tee. Bass may be captured by casting the fly
AZ for salmon or trout. but the most destrnc-
tive wsy. and that which is in favor hereabou'
10 trailing. The rod should be from eight to
ten fee, long, stiff and light, yet elastic a
GOOD lance-w God rod can be purchased io'
from s5 TO Sc. Others are more costly, ane
one can paw as high as $50 or 500 for one