The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-29
FISHING WITH Jugs.
NOTED KANSAS CITY ANGLERS AND
THEIR CATCHES.
"UncIe Joe" Irwin Tells How He Has
Followed the B5bbIng Jugs for the
Quarter Part of "A Life TIme-sOme
Good Places for snort.


Kansas City, $40. Nov. Amy story
concerning the fishing resorts OF Kansas
City would be very incomplete if mention
was not made first of Uncle Joe" Irwin,
who has been the LEAK Walton Of Jack
son county for more than half century.
II any one is in search of correct, up-to-
date information concerning the best pia-
ces to fish. the best time to fish and all
other necessary facts, Uncle Joe is just
the man TO give it, He has tramped the
banks of every stream near the city, he
has spent hours about the small lakes
and has probably caught more fish ana
had more fun in the work than any man
IN the city.
Uncle Joe has been fishing since boy
hood. and although he is an old man, SUI
fering from the ills that come with ad-
vanced years. he is ever ready for a days
sport about the river or at the lakes and
he engages in the sport with N,s much
zest and enthusiasm as he possessed when
he was boy.
He has many wonderful stories to tell
of the experiences Of the past. In telling
the stories Uncle Joe always observes the
facts. He is a true sport and has always
upheld the game laws of the state lie
tons of fish out Of the waters about here,
he never sold pound Of FISH, nor allowed
a pound to go on the market nor has he
ever eaten a fish caught with a seine since
that sport was declared illegal.
Fishing about Kansas City is very
much limited now as compared with forty
years ago said Mr. Irwin. Il have been
fishing about Kansas City for sixty years
L was born fisherman and at y years or
age was considered an authority on the
THE years from 1910 to 1860 were paIny
days for fishing in Jackson county. Every
stream, little and big. was filled with all
KINDS Of fish and the best sport could be
had at any time one would find a shady
nook and use a hook and line. The finest
nshing then was found in the Little Blue
Ihe hsh there We're much larger than they
are now ana were as game Is any sports
man could desire. All, those were rare
days for fishing parties and it was a poor
fisherman who could not get a good string
IN one day in any stream or lake or pond
'LangdOn is the best place for fishing
anywhere around the city. Forest lake out
IN Kansas is good place and viii be bet
ter as the pond is enlarged Down on Bull
creek, near Hillsdale, Kas. there is an
abundance of channel cats and fine sport
Tor visitors. ! have been down there sew
eral times and have had success each
time and secured a good string The river
is fed by the Maries des Cygnes and is
freshly stocked each spring, so that the
supply is great at all times Then down
are scores of fine fishing places and as
fine sport as one could desire. Kansas is
fortunate in having many fine places
ana aftording so much sport in that hne
Down farther south in the Current. ST.
Francis and Black rivers there is fine fish,
ing and many from this city so down there
and enjoy their vacations and report sue
cess.
During the war I lived for a time in
LeavenWorth and had some of the finest
sport on earth fishing for channel cats
I was al that time considered authority
and an expert catching cats with jugs
jug fishing is an art separate and aside
from any other and / have had great sue
cess in working my methods.
1T is done in this manner: ] used
eleven jugs, each holding one gallon.
They were cOrked tightly ana a stout
cord four feet long attached to the handle.
At the end of the cord was placed the
great hook for the fish. ] used tough
Deelsteak Tor bait and placed no sinkers
on the line. l provided myself with a
good boat and turned the jugs loose in
the main current of the river, and let
them go. They float slowly and the bait
sinks in the water. Channel cats take
their name from the fact that they are
never found except in the main channel
of the river, where the water is deep. 1t
does not take long for one of the lines
to be caught by fish and as soon as
he finds he is hooked he dives. The big
fellows are able to drag the jug down
for time but in spite of their efforts IL
rises SLOWLY as the journey is made down
stream, and as he comes up you can To-
cate your game and pull the boat along
side and lift the fellow in. l have had a
dozen jugs going at one time and had
half of them out of sight at once.
In making the trips we would float
down as far as Parkville, and I have often
caught from 800 TO 1900 pounds of fish in
that distance. They weigh from twenty
to $50 pounds, and are game and testy,
so that they interest the man who is after
them. we would be taken up by the
boat that was running on the river at
that time, and make the trip to Leaven-
worth on boat with our catch. l have
taken out many excursion parties in that
manner, and never had an accident nor
a disappointment on the trip.
81 made one phenomenal catch on a
trip made during the sos, and on my ar
rival at home had the fish hauled through
the streets on dray and weighed and
viewed by more than 500 people there who
are alive and remember the fact On that
"trip there were twenty in the party.
caught forty fine fellows that weighed
nearly 600 pounds, but had an experience
with one that was as exciting as it was
unusual, and it offered no end of sport for
all the party. The fish was the largest one
I ever caught and weighed 159 pounds. He
took the hook shortly after we got out
in the stream from Leavenworth and he
took that jug under the water for more
than 100 yards Then he came up, but
went under again, and continued that per-
Torrance for more than five miles, Civ
ing us a chase that was exciting even for
one who had followed the jugs for years
as I had. At length he was tired and by
aged to run him out on the sand bar and
land him. All, he was a splendid fellow
and game as could be imagined.
'That night. when we got back home
we had an enormous crowd down to meet
us, and after hauling the fish through
the street and up to the square, the crowd
called on me to make a speech on jug
fishing, and I had to do so before they
would let me go. That is no fish story,
for there are plenty of people alive at
LeaVenworth who were there and saw
the whole affair and heard the speech
and some of them were with us in the
boats.
1--WE had great times before the war in
the lakes down the Missouri river bot
tom and there were many fine strings
caught. One day while hunting ducks, lust
after an overflow in the east bottoms.
found a lake that was full of large fish
and ranged for a party of neighbors to
go with me on the trip back there Col
Woodson was in the party and as it was
the LIST day of April he thought the whole
affair was a joke and promised to eat all
of the fish we caught that day. We land
ed over 200 pounds the first time we drew
the seine.
"I was born with a love for fishing and
have never failed to satisfy my tastes in
that direction. 1t has cost me plenty of
cash and taken me on many strange and
wearisome trips, but it has afforded me
more sport than some men ever dreamed
of. and even old I am now 7 have no
regrets over what 1 have done and would