The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-24
CATCHING BASS IN THE ICE.

A Missouri stream Which Is an Ideal
Haunt for the Black Beauties.
Irondale Letter in st. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat.
known in this section for many years, and
Big river has been frozen longer and more
solidly than was ever before known. This
continued freeze has made the fish very
eager for food. being unable to obtain any
in the deep pools where they have taken
nave sought safety in the spring branches,
for which Washington county is noted.
This fact has led to a great deal of fishing
by people who. under ordinary circum-
stances, never go near the river. The sight
of fifteen or twenty black bass laying on
most skillful angler. and this is by no
an unusual sight here this winter. Big
river is an ideal haunt for bass. on account
OF its banks being lined on either side by
towering bluffs of solid rock and the bed
Is covered with big powders, forming a
perfect elysunl for the black beauties. In
the summer time one can see them calmly
laying in the shadows Of these rocks. or
else shooting up the currents il pursuit of
secure for his dinner. The only bait used
for the bass by the native fishers is the
for its vitality, living for hours where
minnow of any other variety would die in
a few minutes. These minnows can easily
be obtained in the small creeks which
flow into the river, by setting net and
driving them into it, as many one hun
even at this time CT the year to procure
them by going near a spring where the
natural warmness prevents its freezing. In
stead of the pole, the fishers use lone line,
with a cork attached to regulate the depth
of the line to be let out, and to prevent
the bottom. The other end Of the line is
attached to heavy piece Of wood, which
Is left lying on the ice f near the hole. These
q baited line in each. The fisher stands
where he can watch his "bobbers,' and it
Is very seldom he has to wait long for the
fish ALWAYS hungry. and bite fast in
the winter. As soon as the ''bobber dis
appears the fisher draws in his his fish and
three lines out at time on account of
the numerous bites.
the bait The water Is as clear as crystal,
and one can lie down ON the ice and see
the. performance, very. plainly, ! have often
up to bait and swim slowly around it as
though. debating which should have the
first bite Directly one-generally the
largest-will make a run. grab the nlinnow
and start for some large rock or the bot
tom BY the time he has all the slack line
out he has the bait swallowed and himself
hopeiessly hooked. The others will dart
away when the struggle begins. but when
back to see what the trouble was. The
same performance Is gone through again,
been caught, but. frequently they become
suspicious and will not touch the bait again.
but after moving up close aand slowly back
ing away time or two they will all sud-
denly dart away and be seen no more at
that hook, but they are almost sure to be
caught on some one of the others. 1t is a
curious fact that only the larger fish will
bite during the winter, a very small one
being scarcely ever seen. In the summer
the large ones will hardly ever notice the
bait. The largest bass ever known to have
been caught in this vicinity was a four-and-
a-half-pounder This IS considered a re-
markably large one. as the average is about
one pound The fish caught at this season
are very nice. the flesh being firm and
sweet, while in the summer they are soft
and not good
The boys of this place are having lots of
sport spearing the alligator gar, which are
very abundant, and also very destructive.
killing all sizes and kinds of fish, not even
sparing their own young. Their jaws are
from six inches TO one foot in length, of
solid bone, and armed with single row
OF teeth, sharp as needles. 1t is an i'm
possibility for a hook to penetrate their
mouth, and it is a great nuisance to have
gar take your bait while you fishing
for bass. They seize the bait in the tip OF
the mouth and run away with it. When
the line Is pulled 1t tears the bait of. and
they never fail to get 1t. They are not
more than three inches in diameter. and
can force themselves through the meshes