The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-05-29
be discontinued until black dark has como
down. The next morning sees a repeti-

be discontinued until black dark has come
down. The next morning sees a repeti-
| ton.
On Lower Price Lake in Wisconsin one
man has taken in one day Is muskal-
longe averaging II pounds. That is 1872
pounds of game fish to one slender rod
and silk line. Night will come in spite OF
any fisherman. or this man would have
taken 20 before quitting.
The habits of the muskallongs are SIM
pie and its methods direct. 1t turks in
the roots of lily-pads which fringe the
shore and cover the lake for 40 feet from
bank, or else is down near the bottom OF
the stalks of wild rice.
| When trying to get food it lies abso
lutely still, poised among the shadowinS
vegetation, with only the tip of its nose
projecting into the clear water beyond.
SO in ambush it waits only the passage Of
some pound bass, or half-pound croppie,
or small muskallonge for that matter. 1t
| is cannibaistic, and destruction of its
young by itself is believed to be one
of the causes operating against its in
crease.
The muskallonge when leaping upon its
prey comes with great rapidity and the
| fish which escapes must be exceedingly
wiry and agile. The great slayer will
cover 20 feet in a rush of this kind al
most with the speed of light.
Its jaws are so formidable, are opened
so wide, come togther with such force and
are so garnished with rows Of razorlike
teeth that fish three inches through is
shipped in two as if between the blades
of giant shears. Often the muskallonge
will swallow a half-pounder whole.
1t is a quarrelsOme william with great
| opinion of its own prowess. 1t regards
| itself as cock of the walk and will suffer
no other fish to remain near it. Even its
| own kind must seek other quarters. 1t
does not congregate, and no school of it
| is ever seen.
Like an old bass, it will strike at lure
as often from irritation as from hunger.
This has been demonstrated repeatedly
by men passing back and forth near the
lair of an old timer.
The fish may not notice the spoon for
the first trip or two, but soon becomes
angered by its glitter and the shadow OF
the boat and strikes it finally. Most of
ten it will strike both upper and lower
jaw firmly shut, hurting the metal 20 feet
in air.
Muskallonge have been taken which
were literally crammed with fishes of
various sizes and kinds, showing that they
were not hungry. They have been known.
too, to fash out from the edge of wild
rice and gingerly nose spoon. Finding
nothing on it, they have retired for siN
feet and then hit it hard, evidencing their
anger.
AS this trick of nosing is common
thing most experienced muskallonge ang
lers advocate putting q large green frog
upon the hook gang behind the spoon. In
deed some form of food, frog, minnow or
even salt pork, is always better than moth
ing. 1t will serve partly to conceal the
hooks, if it does not tempt the appetite
The fish sometimes noses the lure be-
cause it is cunning and for the same rea-
SOB it will often take the bait without en-
countering the hooks. 1t has happened
many times that with the spoon spinning
and the boat travelling at four miles an
hour a muskallonge has leaped 10 feet,
seized the frog just back of the neck and
stripped it of skin and portion of the
flesh clear to the end of its hind legs.
Muskallonge have been known to strike
at tin cups dipped for a moment on the
lakes surface and have struck copper
tipped oars many times.
The mouth is so armed with teeth and
the teeth are so sharp that guides refuse
generally to handle the fish at all until
it is stone dead. 1t seems to be impossl-
bic to put the fingers anywhere near to
the mouth of a live muskallonge without
getting cut.
In late July and August these teeth are
shed as deer loses its horns. and do not
grow out again until the latter part OF |
September. During this interim fishing |
for muskallonge is a waste of time. 1,
does not bite because it has nothing to
bite with. and it is sick and poor.
The manner of taking the muskallonge
is distinctly unfair. 1t is most often
trolled for. though some men prefer to
be padded slowly and to cast for it.
In any event, as soon as a strike Is
made and the hooks are sent in deep the
guide bends to his oars and heads for the
middle of the lake. He keeps on rowing
until the fish is exhausted or breaks
away.
1t is case of 15O-pound man with
rod aad line, 1S0-pound guide and ii
200-pound boat against 1:-pound fish
Unfair as 1t is. anglers almost without
exception say that it would be impossible
TO kill the muskallonge in any other fash
ion.
1t is always close to lily pads or other
weeds when it strikes. and they believe
that no human force could keep it out Of
the weeds if the boat were held stationary
and fair fight fought between reel and
captive. Once within the weeds, of course.
the fish would wind the line about and
about some tough stalk, then break away.
This, however seems to be largely
theory. 1t is difficult to find a man who
has ever been willing to give the muskal-
Onpa n chance for IFS life