Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-09-22
CONCERNING BASS FISHING.
Impracticabisify Of n Fish Way Mt the
Great Falss-Need Of II asching HOuses
Tor PrsPaxasing Fish-Ehe Maryland
Law Prohibiting BASS Fishing In May
UnnecessAry

Law Prohibiting BASS Fishing In May
Unnece>sAry
To the Editor Of THE EVENING STAR:
correspondent of The STAR, Mr.. B. l.,
Turner, Of Flintville. Nd, having made some
reference in a comm uncatiOn published in THE
STAR August 18th to some articles previously
published in said paper signed Chester and
angler" beg leave to notice few of the es-
sential points Your correspondent appears to
believe that where fsh-ways are constructed at
the Great Falls in accordance with legislation
that he was instrumental in procuring, so as to
enable fish to ascend said falls, the fish problem,
for the lower Potomac at least. will be solved
He alleges that the bass descend over the falls
in the fall Of the year. and in the spring of the
year. when fish generally make up stream. they
cannot ascend the falls for lack Of sand fish-way
or words to that effect Now l hold that the
views of your correspondent are erroneous to
begin with. We're they correct. bass would be-
come more and more plentiful below said falls
But what are the facts in the case? Bass
In the lower Potomac. or say below the falls.
are not as plentiful "a they were ten wears ago
In proof Of this I will state that the writer Of
this article May Sd, 1878. caught on the Vr-
ginlaside OF the Great Falls fifty-four bass. and
did not have full days fishing at that for the
reason that his bait gave out an hour or two be-
fore the usual quitting time. He was up last
spring. early in May. the time that bass usually
bite best. and in two days fishing landed only
some twenty-fOur bass. and they averaged much
smaller than those caught ten years ago So,
! it is evident that the theory of the bass de-
scending the falls in any considerable numbers
at the approach Of winter is incorrect. That
they generally ascend in the spring Of the year
until they reach water sufficiently shallow tor
spawning purposes / admit; but when they
descend in the tall of the year (and this is not
done until winter is about setting in) they
usually stop in the first deep lake reached.
where they remain during the winter. They
can doubtless secure water of proper depth
without tumbling over the falls.
If fish-way be constructed it is believed that
TO person living will ever see any benefit re-
sultin" therefrOm, for the reason that it is not
believed possible to construct one that will en-
able the bass or any other fish to ascend the
falls in any considerable numbers, and even if
they could be enabled to ascend see no prac-
teal good resulting from it. all the bass that
are below the falls are needed there, and more
too.
MEANS FOR PROPAGATING FOOD FISH, RATHER
THAN FISHwAYS. NEEDED.
As shown in al article published in THE STAR,
April 2Sth, the scarcity of bass i'm the lower Po-
tOmac is attributable to a scarcity of the fish
upon which they feed. rather than to the ang-
ler's art. Therefore, il the money necessary to
construct said fishway were expended in hatch
Ing mullets. suckers, tObaccO-bOXes (perch) and
proper sites some good results might be expect
ed to flow therefrOm. large percentage of
fish spawn deposited in the natural way is con-
suined by small fish before the time for Matching
arrives. The common smelt or minnow is an
nyeterate feeder on fish spawn, there being
scarcely one of these little fish that YOU stick on
your hook for bait that has not previously fed
to greater or less extent, on fish spawn Small
cells also consume all the fish spawn that comes
in their way. Owing to these and other causes
IL a 1fnr o,lt,fa of
deposited i'll the natural way that is ever Matched
even. But nature has kindly provided way
by which nearly every egg can be made to pro-
duce fish. Hence. if proper measures were
adopted for Matching large quantities of the
spawn OF food fishes. and then have ponds of
proper construction where said little fish could
be maintained until too large to be eaten by
bass, and then turned into the waters to be-
come breeders, the numbers of said fish could
soon be vastly increased and in proportion as
the increase the bass would Increase and we
would soon have plenty of bass. both above
and below the falls. without the expenditure of
a dollar on fishway.
A distinguished writer has said that If the
spawn from pair of carp and Of their increase
were each to produce a fish Tor five years there
would be more fish than twenty globes could
contain. We then see what immense results
could be procured if fish spawn be Matched
under circumstances such that nearly every egg
will produce fish. AS the bass guard their
the extent that most other fishes are. Hence,
supply them with plenty of food SO that they
will not depredate on each other, and my
word for it there can be but little or no impress
sion made on them with hook and line In
localities that are much f1shed, such as the
Great Falls. their numbers can and doubtless
have been seriously thinned. But there are inn
mense fields favorable for prOpagating where
hook Is rarely, if ever. put; and when thnned
out in one locality. adjacent fields will soon fur
nish the necessary recruits. The Maryland law,
prohibiting taking bass in the month of May,
should be repealed. 1t is usually the best month
in the year for fishing. and unless people are
permitted to enjoy the sport when the sport is
best, angling for bass might as we'll be prohib-
tied altogether. AS has heretofore been stated
both by Chester and the writer, bass while
engaged in spawning have little or no inclina-
ton to take hook. and therefore stand in need
OF no law for protection. except from trapping
and other unfair methods ANGLER.
A Word to Washington VOcalists.