The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-04-09
TAKEN IN WINTER
Fine Bass Caught in the Big Mis-
souri, River.
Only the Larger Fish Bite During the
Cold Weather-Bobbers and Floats
Used Instead Of Poles at
This Season.

The past winter has been the coolest
|. known in the Irondale (Mo.) section for
| many years, and Big river has been
frozen longer and more soiidly than
was ever before known. This continued
freeze made the fish very eager for food,
being unable to obtain any in the deep
pools where they have taken refuge for
the winter All the Ininnows sought
safety in the spring branches for which
Washington county is noted. This fact
led to great deal of fishing by people
who. under ordinary circumstances.
never go near the river. The sight OF
fifteen or twenty black bass lying on
the ice at one time is one to please the
most skillful angler, and this was by no
means an unusual circumstance here
the past winter.
Big river. says the st. Louis Globe
Democrat, 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 elysium
for the black beauties. In the summer
time one can see them calmly lying in
the shadows of these rocks, or else
shooting up the currents in pursuit OF
the agile minnow, which be is SO anz-
ious to secure for his dinner. The
only bait used for the bass by the ma
tive fishers is the ''top-water" minnow,
which is remarkable for it's vitality,
living for hours where minnow OF any
other variety would die in few
minutes These minnows can easily be
obtained in the small creeks which flow
into the river by setting net and driv-
ing them into it, as many as one hun
dred being caught at one time. 1t is
easy, even at this time of the year, to pro
cure them by going near a spring where
the natural warmness prevents its freez-
ing Instead of the pole the fishers use
long line with a cork attached to
regulate the depth of line to be let out
and to prevent the minnow from get
ting under the rocks on the bottom.
The other end of the line is attached to
a heavy piece of wood, which is left
lying on the ice near the hole. These
holes are cut every few steps and have
baited line in each. The fisher stands
NflcIc Cdu MdtCIl DcDDClo, dho
it is very seldom he has to wait long,
for the fish are always hungry and bite
fast in the winter. AS soon as the
''bobber" disappears the fisher draws
IN his fish and bats again. He some
times has two or three lines out at
time on account of the bites.
1t is interesting to watch the fish
strike the bait. The water is as clear
as crystal, and one can lie down on the
ice and see the performance very plain
II. ! have often noticed a school Of
four or five bass come up to bait and
swim slowly around it as though de-
batting which should have the first bite.
Directly one, generally the largest,
will make run. grab the minnow 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 hopelessly hooked. The others
will dart away when the struggle be-
gins, but when the noise ceases they
will come cautiously back to see what
the trouble was. The same perform
ance is gone through again, and some
times until the whole school has been
caught. but frequently they become