The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-05-08
BIG BASS.
How the Black Monsters Are Caught In
Southern California.

How the Black Monsters Are Caught In
Southern California.
SIT is entertaining to watch San
Diegans catch sea bass,' says a trav-
eler. "First, they bait minnow hook
with a bit of worm, and catch a min
now. Then they bait the minnow on a
larger hook, and fish with tito capture
q smelt. When they get the smelt they
take their heavy sea-fshing tackle,
place the smelt on the hook, and go to
angling for a halibut or sea bass After
they get their halibut or sea bass, and
the bigger either is the better, they
bait it on a hook which is as big as a
small anchor with only one huke. This
hook is attached to a line a quarter Of
an inch in diameter. When all is ready
the fishermen whirls the big hook with
the halibut on it several times around
his head, and then gives it a toss out
into the water. Away it sails thirty or
forty feet
"Say, for instance, that this black
bass fishing is being done from the
long dock at San Diego. San Diego
bay is about til 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 coiled on the dock, and al
empty keg OF quarter barrel, or some
thing like that, is tied to it. Then the
fisherman gets in his rowboat, taking q
harpoon with him, and waits for a bite.
Seems queer, here in the east, doesn't
it, to 90 out after black bass? The
trouble is, you see, that the black bass
of those southern California waters
weigh from three hundred to n thou
sand pounds, and it wouldn't be much
use to go out after them with fly tackle
and an eight-ounce rod. That's what l
said. Thousand 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. | helped
kill one once that weighed six hundred
pounds. It took yer five hours to do
it, but that was nothing extraordinary,
for a two hundred FOUNDER 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 seize it Immediately,
but more frequently there is more or
less Of a wait for the big fish to bite.
When he takes the bait, true to bass
nature, away he goes with a rush In
stantly as many persons on the deck as
can get a hold on the line seize it and
slacken the tremendous fellows pace If
they an. If he doesn't happen to be
too big they can generally fetch him
to, bat that is a rare occurrence. Csu-
ally the line whizzes through their
fingers at a rate that makes more than
d Of those having hold Of the line
drop it quickly to save their hands
from blistering. The shore end of the
line is soon reached, and it IS dropped,
for those handling it would be pulled
head first off the deck if they held to it.
Then the empty keg OF barrel plumps
overheard, and the water chase is on.
The fishermen in the boat follow the
barrel as it is lowed swiftly over the
surface, and if the fish is q particularly
large one it frequently happens that
there will be a long. stern chase Of the
barrel before the boat overtakes it,
that being the object Of the men in the