Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-11-24
GOsLINGS AS FISH BAIT.
Remarkable Experience of a st. Louis
Snortsman-How La Catch Bass.

hemarkapie Oh N St Louis
sportsman-How To Catch Bass.
4 letter from a St. Louis gentleman,
who has been fAr some time up at Green
Lake, Wisconsin, has Just been received
here and it contains the account of fish
ing exploit that is remarkable. went
out early the other evening"" writes the
gentleman, in the hopes of encounteriDg
some of the famous pickerel of this resort
when they were Just coming up from their
NOISY beds after morsel of breakfast. |
| troled for half mile without a strike.
was passing farmhouse, in front of
which were an old goose and lot of gos-
lings a month or so old. They were swim
ming around, dipping down under the
water, and chattering away in high glee.
Just as | was opposite to them there was
splash, and one of the goslings disappeared.
Almost instantly another one went In the
same way, the mother goose never seeming
to heed their absence. thought it strange,
and pulled over toward the flock, but be-
fore | reached it three more were pulled
under the water. | stopped rowing
close to the spot where the fowls
had disappeared, and watched from
close range to see if | could discover
the farmers goslings One of the little
fellows was separated from the other
three, for that's all that were left. l was
close to the single costing, watching him,
when | saw monstrous black bass shoot
through the water, grab the bird had my
eye on and give the water hirt with his
tail as he disappeared with his breakfast.
Before the surface had become calm or my
establishment had been overcome, the re-
naming three of the goSling brood were
in the capacious maws of the hungry bass.
"By this time the old goose, who had
been TRANQUILITY swimming about, began to
think that something was wrong, and when
no little ones came at her call she became
frantic. / stood right there for some time,
expecting that some audacious bass would
walk off with the old goose, but they
didn't.
81 went up to the farmhouse, told the
fate of the goslings and was met with no
expressions of surprise.
"'That's no uncommon thing said the
farmer. 'Pll bet I've lost a thousand
young geese just in that way. | thought
those were too big for bass bait. | keep
my young geese in a pond back of the
house until they get big enough to take
care of themselves, as l thought the ones
you saw gobbled up were
"An idea struck me- and l bargained
with the farmer for three goslings from the
pond back Of the house. l would fool the
bass. He soon came in with three nice,
downy little fellows, and / took one, tied
my line around the center of his body, and
fastened gang Of hooks under the gos-
ling's breast SO they hung down about
three inches Then took long rod
from the boat, attached the line and gently
dropped the swimming bait into the water.
The little gosling swan around for about
half minute, when there was rush,
tug at the line, and had my hungry fish
safely hooked. 1t was whopper, and it
took me twenty minutes to bring him up
to the boat. The bass had struck the
hooks, as / intended, before he reached the
gosling, and succeeded in landing thirty
one big bass with my three before they
were used up. They were the biggest bass
| ever saw before, averaging triffe over
six pounds apiece one OF them weighing
nine aud quarter pounds. When | go
after bass now you may be sure | go with
goslipgsfor bait" -S Louis Globe Democrat