Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
THE EASY WALL-EYED PIKE.
Those of the Northern Lakes Put Up
No Fight and Take Any Bait.


From the New York Sun.
The wall-eyed pike of the northern lakes
with round, foolish stare and slender. tooth
some body, is a fish which has no game
qualities at all. yet affords considerable
sport to anglers who are tired of bass ana
muskallonge 1t is also steady standby
for hotelkeepers, who depend upon fish
caught by their guests to cut down their
meat bills. There days in admirable
water when the muskies are all averse to
the big spoon and when bass may not be
tempted by the most savory morsels, but
there is never a day or time when the wall
eyed pike will not bite If he can IND Inc
food. After trolling for hours or casting
bait until his wrist and forearm acne WITH
out result. it is some relief to an anger
to anchor his boat and catch sixty pounds
of pike in half an hour, even though there
be no hot fights to record.
On the edge of any underwater bar IN
q lake, a bar overgrown with weeds, is tie
place for pike Most of the bars deepen
rapidly from the line of weeds In their
center and when water of six feet Is roma
there the pike are swimming about, noslnS
among the wet growths and anxious ltr
almost anything edible which may come
along.
They may be taken with bits Of fish flesh,
or with salt pork, or with fresh-water
clans or frogs or crawfish. but their. faV)r-
lite food is the minnow, from the six-ineh
club to the little black fellow, called
sandsucker which Is not more than IN
inch long and offers no attraction to any
other fish A man may cast for week
with sandsuckers, drop them delicately into
holes that are alive with bass and reel
them in at just the proper speed and ne
will never get a strike, but If one falls or
floats within yard or a Wali-eye, 1t is
nailed Immediately.
The ninnows. if they small enough
may be strung upon the hook like worm
or be hooked through both lips, or through
the back or tail. The pike does not care
so long as it is mnnow meat within reach
/. has mouth out of all proportion to It's
body Just as its eyes are out of proportion.
and this mouth is armed with huge, sharp
teeth It's facial expression is that of
some savage rover which only awaits OPP
portunty to attack and disSever a fish of
twice its size 1t approaches the lure,
however, with gravity and takes 1t as gently
as a sucking dove. The angler feels merely
the gentest twitch of the line, no more. A
small perch would make a harder attack.
This witch is followed by another slightly
more pronounced. Then the line begins
to move smoothly, but not swiftly, from
the reel. That is the time to sink it in the
hook. Nothing follows. The pike no more
resents the sharp sting of the steel than If
the barb were sunken into another body.
1t either moves off in leisureiy fashion or
lies still. When the fisherman begins to
reel in, however. and it feels the drag of
the line, it realizes that capture is immi-
nent ana makes 1eeDle squirt or Two. IL
realizes almost Immediately that struggle
is vain and follows the pull Of the line
willingly.
The angler first sees coming out of the
water by the boats side wide mouth set
with grinning teeth, then a pair of round,
protruding eyes big enough for a fifty
pound tarpon, then the yellowish slender
body which is lifted in without further pro-
test The only redeeming feature about
this sort of fishing is that it is always to be
had, and there is plenty of It. 1t should
be said for the wall-eye. too. that it Is a
most delicately favored fish cooked in any
civilized fashion. or rolled in green leaves
and baked in hot ashes.
The number which may be taken into a
boat depends entirely upon the fishers in
dustry. Near John Hebden's camp on
Squirrel lake in Villas county. Wis, a bar
runs out between the mainland and Dunn 8
Island which is full Of pike.
Recently Charles Collins of Mishawaka
Ind, went to this bar with his wife, having
between them five dozen of small minnows
They caught $50 wal-eyed pike avera ging
a pound each in less than three hours and
quit then only because they were too tired
to do any more lifting. The pike were still
there and willing.