Arizona republican., 1895-05-05
CATCFiN1 D.G BASS.

How the Bla ok Monsters Are Caught in
 Southern California.
 Ut is entertaining to watch San Diegans catch sea bass" says a trav- eler. First, they bait minnow hook with bit of worm, and catch a min now. Then they bait the minnow on a larger hook, and fish with it to capture a smelt. When they get the smelt they take their heavy sea-fshing tackle, place the smelt on the hook, and go to angling for halibut or sea bass. After they get their halibut or sea bass, and the bigger either is the better, they bait it on hook which is as big as a small anchor with only one f1uke. This hook is attached to line 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 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 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 coiled on the dock, and an empty keg or quarter barrel, or some thing like that, is tied to it. Then the fisherman 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 three hundred to one 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 1 said. Thousand pounds. And it's true, every word of it. It 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 over five hours to do it, but that was nothing extraordinary for two hundred 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 splash in the water, and will seize it immediately but more frequently there is more o1 less of wait for the big fish to bite. When he takes the bait, true to bass nature, away he goes with a rush. Ih. stantly as many persons on the deck as can get hold on the line seize it and slacken the tremendous fellows pace ii they can. If he doesn't happen to be too big they can generally fetch him to, but that is a rare occurrence. Usu ally the line whizzes through theil fingers at rate that makes more thar one 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 or barrel plump! overheard, and the water chase is on The fishermen in the boat follow tht barrel as it is lowed swiftly over the surface, and if the fish is a particularly large one it frequently happens tha there will be a long, stern chase of tht barrel before the boat overtakes it that being the object of the men in tht boat"