The morning call., 1893-07-30

the day will prove the most killing lures II
properly presented 10 Gentleman Trout, who Is
always on The LOOKOUT for danger and food.
The following very excellent and Instructive
article written for Forest and Stream by an old
bass fisherman will certainly be read with
much interest here by anglers who prefer bass
fishing TO all other kinds of sport. He says:
In ordinary bait-casting. where one reels the
line in till the leader touches the Zip, ono has
very little control over the bait. except to shape
its course and drop i; al the distance he wishes
10y tnnmbiug ANA by dropping HE tip. This
does very we'll for minnows and b its 10 which
the manner OF touching the water is imma-
tera, but who ever saw frog jump into the
water backward?
l have had bass take frog before 1t
touched the water, but lt would never have
done so If the frog HAD come hurting through
the air backward, or side CD, or all doubled up.
have had many strikes IN an instant after the
frog touched the water, but only in those cases
when he landed right, head first and with a soft
chunk" Ii lie landed with splash or slap
no bass would take him until after he began 10
move aud strike out 10 swim, which would re-
move all doubts of his Identity, and swirl in
the water and possibly fash of dark green.
would prelude the soft kissing of the line as IL
ran through tue guides 10 feet-20 feet-then
little pull as the bass shakes his head in chang
ing the position OF his frogship or swallowing
hlm-theU the strike!
In fy-hshing there is simply the rise and
stimuli aDcous strike, but in frog-casting the
secoDds-lhsy seem long ones-that elapse be.
tween the swirl OF the bass as he Ia cs the frog
from the surface and rushes with IL TO his nest
In the weeds and when he changes j, round In
bis mouth, or il he has caught it head In, before
he really swallows IL are full OF anticipation.
This time is to me the most exciting and inter-
esting of any fishing experience, for after the
strike, II you have set your hook well. there Is
something OF routine work In bringing him 10
the landIng-net, OF course with exciting Incl
dents and peculiar rushes interspersed.
But the judgment that is required when the
bass takes the frog Is unlimited. In days
fishing one will hardly get two strikes and
rushes just alike. and ones treatment Of them
must vary accordingly. For instance, you are
using small frog and large bass takes II, II
ne goes dway head from you, strike; II he goes
down or comes toward you, wait IL small
one takes il, wait iD either case, as also il you
are using large frog But how can one tell Il
the bass Is large or small If he don't see it?
Partly by Intuition, partly by signs. large
bass seldom breaks water whom he takes tho
bait, but makes an angry swirl, In proportion
10 his sZe; smaller ones up to two pounds VIII
come partly or entirely from the water with
splash or slap. and l have noticed as general
thing thai the smaller the bass the greater the
noise. Also that the size OF frog used In no
way controls the size of fish that will bite. as
last summer l caught one-pounder on bull
frog whose body was fully four and half
inches long. while l landed a seven and a-half-
pound large mouth on a little spotted grass
frog OF an inch and half body.
OF course the time OF striking a fish cannot
be governed by any arbitrary rules, but in the
method of making the strike depends great
deal OF success or failure to land yonr fish, A
quick sharp jerk will lose more fish than il
hook through bone and meat.
If ont holds his rod out Id front Of b i'm, tip
we'll down, line just taut and arm almost
straight; when ready to stllke and then brings
his band back nearly to his shoulder and raises
the lib OF his rod, both In one movement, he
will not set tho hook firmly in whatever part
of tie mouth t may lie, but he will feel his
fish and usually turn 1t, and from that time can
guide il 10 suit the water IL may be in.
Now as TO The mode OF casting / claim that
the ordinary way OF bat-castng Is not suited
Dat aufe
melt, will simply give my way OF CASTING The
freq. use rod just suitici ptly stiff, varying
IL 10 suit the size OF frogs used Ii fishing from
joai make a back and front cast, under the
III, that is / swing The frog out IN 'front.' then
" side motion Of the rod bring him past me
md back OF me and let him carry out some
line then TO make my actual cast,
draw oul some line from the reel and
hold il left hand, and by similar mo-
ton Of The rod aided by its spring, bring the
frog past me and out In front, and rs he reaches
the SPOT desired let 90 OF the line In left hand
ana the frog rcversrs ends and comes easily
aud naturally into the water. IL hsbng from
the shore or wading l make the same under.
hand Cast, but with more line In lelt nand. In
this way keep my frog alive and swimming
ana his soft dropping on the wafer brings the
bass 10 him out of curiosity, while heavy
splash will send them away aud one must walt
for them 10 circle and come back. Thirty to
fifty feet or over can easily be cast In this man
ner and have found little necessity Tor more.
cons slider the frog so used one oi inc nost
killing bats for either small or large mouth
bass. and right mere should like 10 say few
words In defense OF the large-mouth or OswegO
bass Before residing here had nshed almost
entirely for smail-muuth bass only In the west.
al ST. Clair Flats ana elsewhere. and expected
bit litIei sport from thu mouths round herei
but have had a change of heart forced upon
me. and have found that they possess an
amount oil cunning and thickness that makes
up for the reckless courage land vim
OF the smali-mouth. And In cold spring
" ter la es L have haa them make
night that would challenge a smallmOub OF
equal weight. Ono that took my frog Just as
the moon was rising one evening left the water
five times and mad three long runs before
Drought nim 10 The net and he still had enough
reserve energy TO have kept it up longer, but