Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-30
FISHING THROUGH THE ICE,
First, Study the Law and Then Have
Your Sport.

Your Sport.
The time for winter fishing through
the ice has nearly arrived and many
Augusta men who are particularly fond
| of this sort of sport are looking eager
ly forward TO their first trip to some
of the nearby lakes and ponds. Many
trout are caught thus in the Kennebec
ponds and lakes, every winter. Pick
erel, however, seem q trifie more plen-
tiful and they form the staple article
when the results OF most fishing trips
have been summed up.
In the chill months, when the lakes
have a roofing OF ice a foot or two
thick. with 10 inches of snow on top
of that, other fishes go into retire
merit. Either they become dormant, as
some authorities say Of the bass, or
they so into the deepest unfrozen holes
| and refuse to he conforted.
They VIII not take any lure and reap
pear TO human gaze only when spring
has warmed the waters. The bass and
the trout all do this, bat the pickerel is
swimming around looking for some
thing to eat long after they have hi
bernated.
Fishing FOR pickerel through the ice
| is q sport extensively practised in
AIaine. 50 extensively, in fact, that
laws have been passed regulating the
number of holes a man may cut am
| how many lines he may use and during
what hours he may fish.
The taking Of the pickerel in the
,ronths of February and March, is sim
pie enough but lots of fun. The ang-
Ter wants to be thoroughly clothed
from top to noel and on his feet must
be three pairs of heavy wooden stock
ings and rubber shoes, lacing half way
up his calf, two sizes too large.for him.
With this kind of foot-covering, he
may stand OH the ice for hours without
i'll effect or discomfort.
If he knows the deepest part of the
lake he goes to il with an axe and
chops FIVE or six holes IS inches square
ana ten yards apart. Through these
he drops his lines, each bearing a big
hook and sinker and baited with fresh
meat.
In the warm months the pickerel is
occasionally choice feeder disdaioing
anything less tempting than a fat club
or Silvcr-sided minnoW, a live, actiVl
ana juicy. but in winter ii is hungry
and willing to foregather with any
thing ii can digest. The best bait then
! is chicken entrails, or a part of chick
en- breast, or a similar portion of bird.
| Probably the smaller fishes upon
which it is accustomed to dine in pros
Porous days are in places where it cam
not reach them, and. like the hobo who
/ ie 1,rtnT1.Dt in nd il, WIN
F.! ter is democratic, it is willing to COM
promise.
Tho manner in which the pickerel
| takes the bait, too, is evidence of the
strait to which it is brought. In July
or August it trifes with the live min
| now. taking hold of it gingerly, run
/ ning with it a little way, then dropping
il to return to it. playing with it as a
cat with mouse. Minnows are plen-
tiful ana the pickerel does not much
care whether it obtains the particular
rnirnow or not.
Tire best piclerel fishermen do not
think OF making the jerk for full
minute after the line begins to move
through the water. But in the winter
the piclzcrei wants the meat, sees it..
smells it when within a foot and gulps
il down wholesomely, taking no
chances. Immediately the big hook
prici1s as it starts away. it gives dash
of a yard, securely hooks itself and
thereafter makes such play as it can.
The line is fastened TO q big stake
driven into the ice and the angler.
shutting rom hole to hole. slappinS
himself 10 keep warm and occasionally
taking an observation of the sun
through the bottom of a bottle darkly,
secs the agitation and joins in.
There is, of course. no opportunity
for reel and rod work. The angler
hangs on with both hands and hauls in
as he gets the chance. Sometimes the
hook holds and sometimes it does not.
1.-THE line may be frayed through against
the edge Of the ice-hcle before the
firht ends: when near the surface the
FISH may leap against the side of the
hole and knock itself off: the fact that
the man can obtain no sure foothoid
ard slips and slides about, being as
anxious to keep out of the water as TO
get the pickerel out. works against
him. Altogether he has time that
he will remember.
Pickerel will bite on almost any Win
fer day If their lurking places can be
found and there are worse ways of
rutting in an idle afternoon. though
there is a good deal of work about il
as well as a good deal of exposure.