Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-14
CATCHING A R1Am xsAss.
szme Rules for the Guidanes of AEab.
teur Fishermen.
LgEe 62arD IN Dertoif Free Pres


dTeds OF Iiy. ell0W-citizens who do not
know how TO catch black bass. Perhaps
after election, whom anti.nonopoly laws
ere enacted and the bad state Of affairs ia
general rectifed. this thing viii be seen TO,
but speak of affairs as they now stand
Until yesterday wouldn't have known a
black bass il 1 met 1t in the street. Ihad
often trolled for it, and again fished for it
with worn or gTassheppef on the hook,
but 1 never made the desirable acquain.
lance sought for. Said Mr. Allen to me
HCOme down to Crosse lie and I'll show
you how to catch a bass"
The Riverside brought US 70 Crosse lie, a
delightful sail, as every one knows.
''If you'll just hold the rods PHI go down
for the minnOws."
ssPIl go with YOU" 1 said, for l didn't
want to miss any of the stages in the
complicated arrangement. We went
down the steps to handsome boat house,
and then down an inside stairway to the
"Wells." Here in the darkness the water,
flowing swiftly through, had a most curl
GUS effect. 1t was clear green, and the
light seemed to come from below. The
darkness overhead, and the luminous
water, were a strange combination.
A tin pail was suspended in the water.
An inner pail, as full of holes as a sieve,
was fastened in this pail. In this pail,
from which the water poured in a hun
dred jets as he held it up, were several
fish, sardine size.
''Pshaww said MIR. Allen, they're
dead.''
''Does that make any differenceT
"DifferenceT He looked at me re-
proachfully over his eyeglasses, as much
as to say: "Well, this is more colossal
ignorance than l expected" But he an
swered mildly eyes, tmakes a differ
ence."
[Note-Always use live minnows for
catching bass.
He upset the useless minnows in the
river, and we started on minnOW hunt.
In Crosse He the inhabitants are very
social and accommodating and never re-
fuse to lend minnows to a couple flsne
fishermen. But this particular day they
were all out of minnows, so we had to 90
back to first principles and fish for min
nows. While dug for worms he went to
the house and brought down a small rod
with a small hook. Werowed down below
the Canada Southern Railroad bridge and
over some submarine weeds waving like
long green banners under the crystal
water; he pulled out minnows as fast as
the hook could be baited with worms.
Eote-To catch black base, 8rst catch
your minnCws.
These minnows, as 1 said, were several
inches long.
81 thought" said L, as we rOwed back,
ssthAt minnoWs were very much smaller
fish and were caught with q dip net"
The minnows are smaller when they
are younger"
l pondered over that statement for
moment, but their seemed to be no fault to
find with it. 1t looked reasonable on its
face.
ssThey use the smaller-the-Ah-you
er members of the minnow family, do they
not?'
yes, in fishing for perch"
''Lets see; it's bass we're after oday."
sits bass we're AFTER"
ttIs a perch bigger than a bassp
This question nearly took away Mr.. Al II
! lens breath. He recovered himself with
some little difficulty, but he answered
! with his unvarying pOliteness:
81 have always been so fortunate as to
catch bass that were larger than the aver
We took our places on the Majors
| wharf; and as there was nothing mean
about us we extended a cordial invitation
| to the Major to come with US and fish on
| his own dock. Fishers are generous.
E.YOu take the minnow thus" said
| instructor, holding the sQuirming little
| fish in his right hand and the small hook
| in his left. NPut the hook in through his
under lip and out through the upper one,
! So"
iNote-Put the minnow ont he hook SO
that it hangs down from the hook by II
| mouth.
sThat," he continued, ''dces net touch
| a vital part, and so allows the minnoW to
live. 1t makes him uncomfortable
slightly so, at least-and he shows some
signs of interest in the matter, thus at
tracing the bass"
We cast our hooks the swiftly how-
ing river, and there we sat on the heavy
1 a.. - Alnr A
gave delicious GOODNESS to q day that al
! home would have been hot. An almost
imperceptible haze made the dim Canals
shores seem more distant. The superb
stretch CT blue wster sparkled and danced
in the sunlight. The green lawn-hke
slope Of Stcny Islani came down to the
waters edge opposite US 10 the right, ana
the jssga foliage, OnceslaI an engtn,
whose ringing bell seemed Ike a call tC
church. No doubt the fact that we were
fishing gave a sort of Sunday suggestion
to ths scene. The rapid water as l gaZeC
at the thin line quivering in 1T soon gave
me a sort of drowsy feeling that the piel
was moving up stream, yet L had drum
nothing but ice water, the favorite beyer
age of the island.
fNote-While fishing drink nothing bu
Ice water.
| got suddenly in rather a splutter anC
without much difficulty landed a fine lonl
green weed that had been floating down
This excitement safely over, we three sa
silently watching the lines while three
Whiffs of smoke assembled simultaneously
At last Mr.. Allen wound in magniticen
fish, that | thought was a sturgeon, but i
was a bass. and bet was instantly made
| between the Major and him as to the
weight of it. A bottle Of ale-Bass' ale
no doubt-was the wager, and just as my
luck would have it, had to return by thu
Riverside before the fish was weighed
Suddenly / felt an electric thrill com,
along the rod. had never caught a fsl
before, but there was no mistaking tn
| peculiar CULVER of the rod.
UGive him some line" cried the fishers
dropped him a line to let him know
that there was no hurry in coming to SCI
me.
Snow a quick jerk to hook him sure"
ierked him and he nearly broke the rod II
retaliation.
TNote-A jerk will help to hook you
FISH. Never hook anybody else's fish,
was now standing with hair on en'
and pulsation running very high.
The reel was humming and the tisl
was making excellent time over to Cana
da.
"What will l do when this line comes b
T an end? Go in after him?"
''No; check him up, that's right. Nov
wind him ln.'
INote-The bass is the only creature il
existence that objects to the bestowal Of
handsome check.
The fish came sullenly in as l wound VI
the line. Then he made a dash dowl
stream and in my excitement l nearl.
dashed in. The rod bent double-a Sc rot
and not my own-imagine the horror o
the situationl
s'Give him line, give him line"
Again the reel whiTled.
''Here, Allen, you take this rod. This II
too lively for me-"
Nonsense. You're displaying grea
skill. Wind him in"
''Shall 1 get landing netP' said thu
Major.
'tDo. Get something. A tub or 1
basket. Anything. Throw brick at it
Allen. Heavens above! DON'T stanC
there and leave me to the mercy of this
leviathan."
The fish, who had been darting all over
the river-I began to fear he would vino
the line round and round Crosse Ile-hert
took an upward jump and got one look al
me. That Disguised him. He seemed tc
think: E.If Pve been hooked by that lanE
Detroiter, it's time l retired from the ma
rine business" He sank dejectedly to
the bottom and wound him up TO the sur
Oh ION n