The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-29
372-POUND FISH ON A LINE.
4. 3. MANNING BEATS THE RECORD
FOR GREAT BLACK SEA BASS.

|
FOR GREAT BLACK SEA BASS.
| Fought tho Monster in n Stormy Sen ON
| Santa Catalina and Had to Use OIL to
Quiet the ,wnves-Got tho Fish With n
Light Rod-NotabIe Anglers at Dinner.
| AVALON, Cal. Oct 81. Perhaps the most
exciting event in the history OF angling in Cali
| fornia up TO that time was the taking by Frank
| V. Rider, Of New York, secretary of the Tuna
Club, a year ago, of black sea bass weighing
327 pounds-a FISH that caught with rod and
| reel and 21thread linen line Almost the entire
population turned out TO meet the angler and the
catch gave Mr.. Rider fame, and made him the
| holder Of the club black sea bass medal and cup
! Next TO the tuna, in the estimation OF various
takers Of big fish with rods, the black sea bass is
considered one of the greatest Of game fishes At
| the tme II thought impossible TO beat this
| catch. but this year the honor passes from New
| York TO Philadelphia T. S. Manning. one of
| the executive committee OF the Tuna Club, has
defeated Mr. Rider by taking 372 FOUNDER
Mr. Manning began fishing this year on May /,
and ended the last OF September. On his last trip
for black bass he went TO favoritc spot about
two miles south of Avalon Bay. Here the water
is two three hundred feet deep within almost
casting distance of the wall Of rock The latter
has a circling beard of kelp which rises from the
great depths, its long leaves swinging in the
rent in tidal measure In this fishing, must
have the anchor ready to throw off, there being no
time TO haul 1t in after the fish strikes, terrific
is the rush The tackle Mr.. Manning used
the regulation Tuna Club outfit, light rod with
a reel that would hold 1000 feet of 81 strand
line The bait was piece Of albicore, n toothsome
dainty to the king Of the bass Patience is some
times required in this bass fishing. Half an hour
passed before the line began TO twitch and culver
and run out in the way peculiar TO the biting of
this big fish. which nibbles like small fry. Ten
twelve feet had slipped away before he struck.
Then the angler cried cast of" TO the boatman.
and the vicious kissing of line through the water
told tho story. The rush was violent that the
moment the big brake put on the reel the
heavy boat whrled around pivot They
went rushing away, stern first, after one Of the
widest OF the horses
The made Its first run directly out to taking
300 feet Of line before 1t could be stopped The
Mexican boatman was backing water ali the
time, a necessary move as without II the bass
would have taken all the line; when the boat
angler usually stop the FISH when II has taken
900 feet of line, after which II will tow the boat.
While It was perfectly calm in ihe lee Of the island,
beyond the point II was blowing hard and white
caps covered the surface it was IN this direction
fish hard cndeavorinG to stop it, Keeling in when
an opportunity offered, but invariably losing
the line gained when the fish ,surged down and
made n fine burst Of speed. In a short time IL
had lowed the boat into the rough water, and
there being no way of turning, the sea began
about the boat ever surging down, and al the
end Of an hour and a quarter Mr. Manning found
gained; in fact the fish had gained 200 feet and
800 feet of line was out 1t was evident as wave
Swep over the boat that should the fish pull harder
than usual on the line at a time the rail near
the water the craft would fiji.
Matters began to look serious when suddenly
the efforts OF the angler and they moved toward
en5 T' 9Sr mat 12r% 1d the he, s"qh
to lose the fish as it was SUN undonbtedly a. large
one yet in such s"n 10 fight 1t to q finish was
s sly h So he d%frni in the cIec, Of
overheard by the boatman, and The effect was
marvellous; 1t spread around the boat and al once
Of Calling. Il was a singular spectacle-a sea Of
whit" cans all about but In one small spot 9 low
probahly for The frst dine a fish was taken with
the aid Of oil, The boatman now took in his
oars and devoted himself TO the oil can while
Is known ns the pumping method as III came was
down perhaps several hundred feet This con
surface then ifting until the rod Is upright drop
ping j. quickly TO reel as il drops, 70 lift again
twenty minutes the big creature was within fifty |
feet Of the boat and the weary angler was disposed
na aTsE Sf hours Sn IKE en
half mile off the sea lion rock the fish vas rccled |
TO the surface and as it made rush, The Mexican
and gafTrd it, The fish rolled over, ncarl, row
ing III" man from the boat, and with one !! Of its
theirs, the mighiest bass ever landed so they be-
licycd laShng the GaiF they cut its throat, then
% mn" and fi %uFf IT'S ET a%S
too big TO take into the boat too big To tow and |
they were IN quandary. Fortunately larger |
spirit that animateS oil Sportsmen. To get into the
MnnninE boat and give mp thci, own to the FISH,
into the empty hont and the two boatmcn now be. |
gan the row to Avalon where the giant was hoiscd |
nshor" by means Of the wharf crane and found to
weigh 372 pounds beating the record of Mr. Rider |
The black sea bass is very abundant here and
not unpalatablc when cooked properly At tho |
annual banquet of the Tuna Club the piece de rests
tance was black seq bass Of sixty seventy
ing. This banquet was remarkable one in the
annals Of angling Probably never before have
nG eav' f n big T9 The
was the retiring, president, Chas F, Holder, who
held the , record for "a year for $50 pound tuna
of Newport. who had Just beaten this record with
Q PSI pound tuna, and who has taken every game
J: NJ Elliott, President Of the First National Rank
Of os Angeles who holds record for large yellow
F S SrhencN II Rrooklyn r. Y, black sea bass @!s
and tuna killer of recnown who has record Of
twenty-five ycllCwtail. averaging 25 pounds each
Following came Col r. 4 Eddy a millionaire OF
San Francisco, and m old Indian fighter who now
with Q black sea bass Of 800 pounds Then came
Mr.. Woods Of Lime, Ohio, whoplavcd tuna cst-
mated at 800 pounds for fourteen hours and then
lost IL at the gafIing. Reside him sat +. V Rider
holder of the rod record for largest Ycllowtn Al
pounds Then came the vice president Of the Tuna
Club, r l. Doran, holding office by being the rec
ord breaker SO far rs numbers nrc concerned in
the tuna class having taken eighteen FISH in one
season BEYOND him sat C. C. Paine Of Clrvc-
land whose catches Of yellOwtail and tuna made
him famous; then W. II. Burnham. commodore Of |
the Santa Catalina Yacht Club holding the record
for taking tuna in the shortest time, ten minutes
Atthc banquet he told the story II seems that he
hooked the fish in the eye, paralyznR IT, and
brought II VI In the remarkable time given but
The moment the FISH was in the boat il recovered
and nearly wrecked the boat
UHERE TILE ON ClRS co