The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-05-30
HOW TO CATCH EIG, BASS.
Mr. Winston Tells HocS Fish Ar
Caught in Southern California.


F. S. Winston has recently returne{
rom a trip to Honolulu. His home
coming was by the way Of the southern
California route. His stories Of the
manners and customs which obtain In
the points visited are interesting.
1T is entertaining to watch San Die
gans catch sea bass" said Mr.. Win.
ston. First they bait a minnow hook
with 6 bit of worm, and catch a min
now. Then they bait the minnow on
q larger hook, and fish with it to cap
ture a smelt. When they get the smelt
they take their heavy sea-fshing tackle,
place the smelt on the hook, and 60 &c
angling for halibut or sea bass. After
they get their hailbut or sea bass, and
the bigger either Is the better, they bait
1t on hook which is as big as a small
anchor with only one huke. This hook
Is attached to q line quarter of al
inch in diameter. When all is ready
the fisherman whirls the big hook with
the halibut on it several times around
his head, and then gives it q toss out
into the water. Away it sails thirty OF
forty feet.
Say, for instance, that this black
bass fishing is being done from Ghe long
dock at San Diego. San Diego Bay is
about the best place for this fishing
along the coast, although the fish are
plentiful at other places. After the
baited end of the line is cast the other
end Is colled on the dock, and an empty
keg or quarter barrel, or something
like that is tied to it Then the fisher
man gets In his rowboat taking a
harpoon with him, and waits for bite.
Seems queer, here in the East, doesn't
it, to go out after black bass? The
trouble IS, you see, that the black bass
Of those southern California waters
weigh from 200 to 1000 pounds, and it
wouldn't be much use to 60 out after
them with fly tackle and an eight
ounce rod. That's what said. Thous-
and pounds. And it's true, every word
of it 1t isn't often one as large as that
is taken, but they have been, and will
be again. I helped kill one once that
weighed GOO pounds. It took over FIVE
hours to do 1t, but that was nothing ex-
traordinary, for a 200-pounder will give
his captors a good three hours fight any
time.
Sometimes one Of these monster bass
will be ready at hand when the halibut
or sea bass bait goes sailing through the
air and lands with a splash In the
water, and will seizeitimmediately, but
more frequently there is more or less
Of wait for the big fish to bite. When
be takes the bait, true to bass nature,
away he goes with a rush. Instantly
as many persons on the deck as can
get hold on the line seize 1t and
Blacken the tremendous fellows pace
If they can. If he doesn't happen to be
too big they can generally fetch him
to, but that is rare occurrence. Usu-
ally the line whizzes through their fin
gers at g rate that makes more than
one Of those having hold Of the line
drop it quickly to save their hands from
The shore end Of the line
Is soon reached, and it is dropped, for
those handling 1t would be pulled head
srst off the dock If they held to it Then
the empty keg or barrel plumps over
board, and the water chase is on. The
fishermen in the boat follow the bar
rel as it Is towed swiftly over the sur
face, and If the fish Is particularly
large one it frequently happens that
there will be long stern chase Of the
barrel before the boat overtakes it, that
,eing the object Of the men in the boat