The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-04-30
e. The season within which fish can be

EThe season within which fish can be
legally caught opens Saturday, May
1st, except that black bass cannot be
caught until fifteen days later. If
any citizen of Minnesota wants to
dine off of black bass or brook trout
he must catch them himself if he has
no friends that are fishermen. The
last legislature so amended the law of
1895 that it has been made INSIDE
meanOr ''tO sell or;;eXpose for sale at
any time any brook trout or black
bass in any place in Minnesota. This
change in the lawI was made to pro-
tect the states principal game fishes,
and all should turn in and help to see
that the law is enforced. While it
prohibits selling these. fish, il does
not prohibit the fishermen from catch
ing them, nor .dOesit stop him from
taking them home and having them
cooked, nor does it prevent him from
giving some ofsthem:to his friends, so
that many people will continue to en-
joy the toothsome d trout and the
luscious blacksbaSs the same as though
the butcher shops and. fish 8venders
were permitted to sell them.
The open season on trout was not
changed by the last legislature, and is
from May lSt to Sept. 1st, but the
residents of this section of sthe state
are little interested in trout fishing,
as there is none hereabouts. On black
bass, however, the season was changed
from May 1st to March lst, to May 18th
to March 1st, so that this spring and
hereafter it will be illegal sto fish for
black bass until May 18th. The
shortening of The .season'tifteen days
is to afford additional protection to
these fish during their spawning
season, which is laterl than that of
other fish.
There has been but alittle illegal
fishing in the lakes andvrivers of this
county this spring, and sthe tried
anglers are jubilant. over.thei.outlook
busy overhauling their tackle, put
ting on new lines, oiling their reels,
putting in new. tips, and adding to
their supply of'spoon hooks and other
outfits.
pMay 1st this year falls on Saturday,
and there will be hegira of fisher
men that and the following day to
the lakes. The proprietors of the
various hotels at Lakes Madison and
Westinghouse having their premises
put in order, boats reprinted and
calked, and bait cans and fishing
tackle put in readiness for the de-
mandS that will soon be made upon
them. The FREE PRESS has it from
people who reside on the shores of
these lakes that there have not been
so many fish in the lakes for years as
now. The waters are we'll nigh alive
with pickerel, pike, bass, croppies, sun
fish, etc, if the accounts ,can be be-
lieved, Lake Madison is higher than
for several years and is steadily rising.
Lake Crystal and Loon lake are also
good fishing places. Fora those who
can go further, fine black bass fishing
is found at Lakes Jefferson, Elysian,
and Tetonka. '.f
Lakes Washington and Madison are
the favorite fishing resorts for Man
kato people. The shallow bay to the
right of Sheehan's point, in Lake
Washington, abounds in blackibass, as
does also the large bay beyond third
point. The narrows is famous place
for pike fishing, where the wall-eyed
species creep along the sandy bottom.
Third point is another favorite place
for pike. Pickerel can be caught
in numbers along the reeds to the
right and left from Fred Volk's hotel.
But fish Of some kind can be caught
in almost any part of the lake. Large
bass, pickerel and croppies abound in
Lake George, close to Lake Washing
ton.
Lake Madison is noted for it's black
bass fishing. East bay is full of bass,
while all other smaller bays are great
places for Turing these gamy denisons
Of the water PIckerel ard occa-
sionally bass can be caught at any
time Of the year along the stony ridge
between Point Pleasant and Stony
point. Still fishing is almost always
good off Fair and Stony points. Good
fishing can be had along any of the
shores, however.
The Minnesota river cannot be
beaten for bass and pickerel fishing.
The small mouthed bass are more
gamy than the large mouthed bass of
the lakes, and fisherman wants no
better sport than struggling with a |
two pound bass in stony rapids. The |
little fellow will make the steel or
split bamboo rod bend double, and the
chances are even that he gets away
mara than even unlaSS tho fichprmop