The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-06
BLACK BASS AND CROPPIES
STATE FISH COMMISSION WILL
RESTOCK EXHAUSTED LAKES
sloughs of the Mississippi end Lake
Pepin VIII Be the Scene OF Ex-
tensive Operations by the Com
mission in the Near Future
Cars and Boats to Haul Fish and
Spawn Are Needed.

The Minnesota state fish commission
will begin it's annual harvest of black
bass and croppie fry, In the sloughs of
the Mississippi river and Lake Pepin
early next week.
Executive Agent Fullerton will send
three crews to the hunting grounds this
week to make the necessary prepara-
lions.
Instead of gathering the fish spawn in
the early spring and Matching them out
at the Willow Brook hatchery, as Is
the method with pike and other species
Of fish, the commission will capture the
young fish before they have grown
large enough to venture out into the
main waters of the Mississippi and ship
them. direct to the various lakes in
the state.
Executive Agent Fullerton stated
yesterday that the Mississippi river
was one of the best breeding grounds
for game fish in the United States. The
commission expected to capture fully
100000 OF the young fish, and out of
this number there would not be a loss
through transportation Of over a frac-
ton of 1 per cent.
The commission recently shipped six
cans of trout fry from Lake Superior
to a Southern Minnesota stream and
not one was lost during transit.
ully AOU,OoO VI lHe lIy Will De placed
in Lake Minnetonka and White Bear
These two lakes have been subject to
constant drain during the last few
years, by the residents of the two
cities, and the commission will stock
these lakes with game fish, and en-
deavor to keep the lake supplied with
the species most sought after by the
angler.
The other 100000 will be placed In
the Chisago lakes, Detroit lakes and
other lakes which have become favorite
fishing grounds.
The natural supply of game fish in
these lakes has commenced to show the
effects Of the vast inroads made by
the sportsman and the pot fisher, and
the efforts of the fish commission have
done much in the past, as they are do
ing now, in supplying the annual con-
sumption.
The 00,000,000 pike spawn deposited
in the lakes and rivers during the last
month, with the more favorite game
fish which are to be captured during
the next two weeks, will assist ma
terially in supplying this demand.
The croppies and bass thus o1ptured
will have passed the experimental
stage and will all grow, with a very
small percentage of loss, to a good size,
if not devoured by their larger COM
panions.
II the state dld not take these young
bass out of the sloughs around Lake
Pepin the greater proportion Of them
would die as soon as the hot weather
set in for good, as the water rapidly
dries up and is rendered stagnant Mr..
Fullerton r9ports that there has been
an increased demand for bass fry this
year, and the fish captured can all be
placed to the best advantage
Mr. Fullerton stated yesterday that
the Minnesota commission had been
handicapped since it's organization by
the lack Of proper facilities for trans
porting fish. Nearly all the other states
having hatcheries have speciaY cars for
transporting fish. The commission, he
said, would ask the next legislature
for an appropriation with which to pur-
chase a suitable car for the transporta-
ton of the fish spawn and fry, not to
exceed in cost So, 600. The United States
fish commission has a half dozen such
cars. Although the state could not az
ford one of these cars, one could be
fitted up at a merely nominal cost
which would answer the purpose of
the Minnesota commission.
To better facilitate the handling of
the bass and eroppie fry taken on the
Mississippi the commission would also
ask the legislature to make an appro-
priation for a boat built on similar
plan. The commission would be ena-
bled by the use of such boat, which
would cost about $1,000, to take nearly
twice as many fry. which would render
their efforts in replenishing the fish
preserves of the state doubly effective.