Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-09-19

-
TENDER 10. 1883-DOUBLl
THE TRUANT OF the OCEAN.
Anglers Happy Over the Opening Of the
Bass Season.
THE GAxEsr FISH IN THE WATER, HIS HIDING
PLACES AND HOW TO HOOK HIM.
From the New York World.
The advent Of the September equinox heralds
the first appearance of the striped bass In the
waters about New York and its vicinity. The
storm of wind and rain: accompanied by cold
nights with frost, drives the sportive bass from
the deep waters of the sea into the shoal water
Of the harbOr, rivers and creeks which abound
at this port.
This fish is to the angler what the woodcock
Is to the crack gunner. Next to the speckled
trout the bass is the gamest fish that swms.
He is thoroughbred in everything, and has the
most particular taste, the keenest sense of
smell, hearing and observation The rivers and
creeks along the banks of shoal waters are filed
with eel-grass and sedges, where the shrimp
make their home. and the choice food of the
bass is a live and kicking shrimp.
Here on cold frosty morning the bass fisher
finds the striped beauties coming through the
shadows in hurry and swapping at everything
In the shape OF a delicious morsel. The bass
bite rapidly and take the bait as fast as it is
thrown over If you can get good spot. When
once hooked the fun begins. He is a game fish
and fights for his lite. Green hands find it diff
cult to catch bass from the trouble that Is eX-
perienced in landing them and very often they
get the game just in sight above the water to
find that the tackle will not stand the strain,
and to see the fish with his mouth wide open
fly of with hooks. sinker and leader.
He has to be "played" to land him properly,
and this can only be done by letting him have
his own way and 60 Off with your reel spinning.
IN slowly and again let out until in his efforts to
escape he exhausts his strength and comes into
the boat, a prize Of patience, dexterity and ex-
perielce.
The New York fisherman is an expert on bass
| fishing for he loves the sport and follows it
with persistency way into the winter. until the
snow and Ice of the clustering weather drive him
home numbed with the cold
THE OLDEST FISHERMAN.
HobOken boasts of fisherman seventy three
years Of age, who every winter sits out on the
"river walk piers and fishes in an overcoat,
with gloves on his hands. Bass fishing requires
study, for the animal is as changeable as school
girl In it's likes and dislikes. 1t frequents GER
tain tides, and in different localities demands
change of bait and tackle In the East river,
about He'll Gate, the first of the food-tide is
the best for bass. Here, where the strong eddy
makes off Browns Point, and the rapid whirl-
pools of water come dashng by Blackwell's
Island, the bass is alive and on the lookout for
morning meal. He will dive past you and
shoot up to the Gate with your hook in his
mouth, as though life was too short for parley,
and unless he is handled with care, your line,
pole and reel will go along with him.
In early fall he seeks the Hudson river first,
} and makes his appearance along the New jersey
shore and off Manhattanville on this side of the
river. The old sugar house above the Trinity
church burying ground at 15Oth street is still q
favorite haunt Of the bass. Off Fort Washington
Point where the river makes bend, there is
rock known to the old fishermen as ''Weak Fish
Rock" With small line a light sinker and
float on bass morning you can't miss them.
At Kingsbridge the bass run very small, but
in great abundance and from their uniform size
they have derived the name of Kingsbridge bass.
Some of the old city piers are still the home of
the bass, who find it hard to leave their ancient
feeding grounds. Between the piers at the
Christopher street ferry some very large bass are
taken during the season. The Dutch Kills. off
Staten Island, are good bass water, and at the
right tide Robbins Reef Lighthouse is consid-
cred fair spot. Randall's Island Shoals, Bow
cry Bay and the Harlem Flats are good bass
grounds on the east side, while the ''Cove" at
HObOken, the oil-dock wharf and along the shore
from Shady Side to Fort Lee in the Hudson
river a1Or0 nne bass fishing.
WHERE TO CATCH TIDE RUNNERS
The size of the fish depends largely on the To-
cation. The average fish is from pound to
three pounds, while occasionally stray bass
known as side runners" often weigh eight and
tenpounds. "Uncle Billy Cameron" at his boat
house on the Hudson last season took an eight
pound bass He has commenced fishing and
predicts good season this year if the oil dump
ing scows do not drive the fish away .'Pop
Russell" OF Hoboken, is champion bass fisher,
and has made some very successful ''casts" this
season. He caught ten beauties Just above the
bath-hOuse on the Hoboken shore one morning
last week.
The bass bait is peculiar part Of the fisher
mans lesson They are catching them now with
shrimps on the East river. Later in the season
the bass will only bite on "shedder'' crabs, and
as the winter sets in they will take clam bait.
Among the favOrite spots for bass is cross
creek at the upper end of Broad Channel at
Rockaway. Here the bass come in to feed and
spawn in large quantities, and they are reported
"big and hungry" by the fishermen in that To-
cafity. "Cheesequake Creek" and the Sow
Pen" at keyport are famous bass fishing
grounds. and the New York fisherman is pre-
pairing to make his fall exodus in that direction.
Another point sought by the devotees of Ike
Walton fs the Hackensack River bridge and
channel at the lower end OF Newark bay. Here
the bass run full and free in search of the shall
Ao"o oIOAAS elC JCIScy mcdUOWS 1u0y are ire
quently caught in water not over two feet in
depth with float to keep the bait off bottom.
The New York fishermen are not given to story
telling of their great exploits. AS class they
are retfcent and nOn-cOmmittal, especially the
bass-fsher, and if he has basket full OF fish he
will not let you know where he caught them tor
fear you will fish up his grounds. He sits in his
boat, or off the pier, without speaking, and if
you talk he will tell you to keep still or he will
catch no fish.
The bass are easily frightened and the splash
of a heavy sinker will drive them away not to
return Thirty-pound bass are to be seen in
Fulton market during the season. They are
caught off Fire Island MOntauk Point and Cape
Cod, sometimes running in at Newport. AS
table fish the bass has few superiors. The flesh
Is white and hard, and brOiled fresh from the
water has very appetizing flavor. In piscato-
rial parlance it is known as the ''Truant of the
Ocean,"
The Blue.Grass Country.
W. 81. Bishop. in Harper's Magazine for October
The bluegrass country is reached by travers-
ing central Virginia and Kentucky along the
line of the picturesque Chesapeake and Ohio
railway, unless, indeed, one prefers the swift
and solid PENNSYLVANIA route to Cincinnati and