The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-06
OCKLAWAHA BLACK BASS
GOOD FIsHING ON a WEIRD srRElM
IN FLORIDA.

Florida and to speak OF them as lazy, spiritlesa
nsh in comparison with their brothers OF the
lakes and streams Of the North. Doubtless this
opinion Is warranted by the action OF the big.
mouthed bass found in the shallow, warm lakes
and streams in many parts of tho State. but It 10
not shared by those who have trollnd or casb
bait in the cold. amber water Of the river eppo-
alto our town-the famous ocklnwaht.
Tourists make q trio up tho river at night and
down next day and tco IL worldly illumined by
a fat pine FIRE, and again by daylight from the
upper deck of the clumsy 0keehumkoe or the
equally awkward Metamora; but they got only
a speaking acquaintance with the river. They
see the moss draped cypress kpeoa and the occa.
sional palmettos, have q fleoting glimpse Of .
snake or an alligator occasionally and seo plen-
ty Of cranes, buzzards, and other birds. but they
know little OF tho charms which the angler sees
In q day upon the beautiful stroam.
The mouth OF tho Ocklawaha 10 almost OPP
posits Welaka. From the mouth Of the DARK
stream billions OF gallons Of cold spring water
pour out daily into the sluggish tide Of the
st. Johns. Tho river 10 deep and narrow where
1t debouches. and while IL has hundreds Of RANT
hcatons further back In the nwamp, Il has only
one means Of exit, which It keeps well secured.
Less than . mile from It's mouth the current
slackens to three or four miles an hour, because
there, and for q great distance above, the whole
cypress swamp Is n part OF 1t. The water
spreads out through the cypress trees and tam
glod underground for half o mile or moro on
either side to q depth Of from one TO three feet,
with q constant current tending toward tho Sc.
Johns. This swamp 10 O grand safety valve for
the yelling river and is cut through in . hun
dred places by chutes, crooks, or loops, many
Of which are as wide as and equal In volume
Of flow to the main river. They branch out
through the cypress swamp, lea wing the river
only to enter It again several miles below.
These offshoots are not kept clear Of falling
timber by steamboats,, as the main stream ID.
but arc often made impossible by drlttwood
lodged against q fallen cypress, or a stray log.
Some Of the loops have recently been cleaned
out by the pull boats and RATS Of the lumber
company. and IL 10 in these that the good bass
fishing is found. 1t Is just as good In the loops
which have not been cleared. but navigation In
the latter is attended by hard work In getting
through, over. or around tho obstruction.
The main river and all its branches are dense.
ly shaded by the moss-covered limbs Of the
gaunt cypress trees and the luxuriant under.
brush and creepers. The water has tho ap-
pearance Of tan liquor In this half light, and is
never SO deep that the bottom cannot be seen or
touched with the oar. The bed Of the stream
is generally hard and seems to consist largely
of the shells Of countless millions of large fresh
water snails; not extinct crustaceans, but Of o
kind abounuing there alive and to be seen
swarm;ng upon the grass which grows on the
bottom of every branch of the rambling river.
This grass is a remarkable growth. Imagine
the Northern valisneria or eel grass with cach
blade an inch wide, six or eight feet In length
and as tough as a sho estring: Then you will
have some idea of the refuge of the black bass
in the Ocklawaha. Hidden in the waving
masses of this dense growth Of grass which 10
always depressed by the current. the big bass
and picEarel liz in whit for their prav for
which they often mistake the anglers lure.
The natl YES know little Of scientific angling
and catch the bass by trolling with metallic
minnows. armed with from three to fifteen
hooks, or still fishing with hooks baited with
white grubs called bonnet worms. because thoy
are found in the bonnet or buds Of the yellow
water lilies. Tho bass seem to be fond Of these
Grubs. but it is seldom that the large fish are at
tracted by them. Live bait, or Fly casting. is sci.
dom p~racticed upon the river, except whom q
Northern angler tries 1t and astonishes the no
tives by lis skill and the catches he makes
with his 'hoss whip" Of split bamboo or slen.
der steel. With a mionow hooked through the
lips he casts up stream and lets the bait sink in
the grass, or float over toward the boat. A big
bass riscs through the waving fronds, quietly
engulfS the pait, and sinks again. A moment
later the angler strikes with a turn of his wrist
and war ensues. Tho darky has been holding
Inc DOdt against The btretIu, DuC now no lCIb IL
float and tho angler does the rest. The bass
comes in hard enough with the grain Of the grass,
but against tho grain. or upstream 1t would DO
utterly impossible to move him with light tuckle.
With he current he fights every inch of the
way to the landing net. if he does not get FREQ
sides Of tho stream. Going toward the. bottom
avails him little, as he slides through the Shiny
grass quite easily and always toward the wait
They call them trout down here. and for .
p plaos " Th nat :, no ;n sSlm0' %Ss ere ere +, to t b found qInca the the
anywhere, The shade; the, tan color. or dark
make them black for lack Of sunlight. Big!
well. the record for the ocklawaha Is sold to So
c,omment. while a days string IN March or
Ave to eight pounds, with one or two ten.pound.
The nnh which Eight best are those weighing
North are earnest when from ONE to two pounds
that there Is not so much sport in catching o
OF iYe or six, pounds. OF course there must be
not found where the big fellows hide unless the
find is made in cleaning the latter for the
bass DO not exist ~ Florida;, It Is doubtful IL
the he s %Siic%f IN ardin nsn c SSter sT q s this EssstsaSS Ss
i &: m sssis ' sSlISr s r. w %Si$I,' |Syy i aHsr i &. fs SCI,
flow, to within a mile Of the st. Johns.
Tho plckerel Of the ocklawana are big fel.
lows, too; They, are exactly the same as
reticuiatus. but they are so black that
tho reticu!ations nre. hard to define until THO
fish have been out Of wntcr some time. From
four TO six pounds "a ordinary weight and ten
to twelve pounds Is something TO boast about.
The pickerel take bass bait and are rather OBJ
icctionable to the angler because they play
havoc with the smell and leader with their
sharp teeth.
A stranger should not venture up the Ockla-
waha or into any OF, its loops without q compe-
tent guide and should get assurances from tho
hest arthoritios In fhe village that his guide Ia
competent and " oys his. way out Of the river
the boat ali night. as it 10 dinicult to hnd a dry
spot along the river to camp upon. There 10 ono
such place within ten or twelve. miles OF tho
though there is no landing there. and no house
within many miles. II Is merely q sandy oasis
,rnllrland Inainn 'n,nInd In q scanfv n,-orrth az