Newport daily independent., 1902-10-06
GIANT SOUTHERN BASS. Immense Fish of This Species in the st. John's River, Florida, That
 Do Not Fight.

mouthed green variety, is generally gamer than it's southern brother. 1t lives in colder water and has not to endure the weakening heats of sum- mer. In size, however, it is markedly inferior, says the New York Sun.
 A northern bass weighing three pounds is good bass; one of 3Ha pounds is very good bass; one of four pounds is a beauty or daisy; one over that weight is a whopper. In seasons catch on any bass lake the number of individuals weighing more than four pounds will be few.
 In the far south bass of eight and nine pounds are so common as to ex- cite little remark. In the St. John river of Florida they run frequently to ten and II pounds; they go more than 12 pounds in limited numbers; they have been taken weighing 14 pounds If northern man on north ern lake should hook and land bass weighing IA pounds he would go out of the boat as the bass came into it.
 These enormous southern fish are in every respect identical with the green Oswego bass of the north. The only explanation of their phenomenal growth is that they get more to eat, of richer quality and variety and more time to eat it in.
 They have no ice frozen over them for four months in the year and do not spend those four months in state of semihibernation, living, as the cattle men out west say, on their tallow. Feeding industriously 365 days in the year has doubtless it's effect, but there are anglers and naturalists who say that, despite their appearance and structure, they must belong to diff ferent species.
 They are not game They oppose weight to the line. Of course the an gler who has the ordinary bass rod and tackle and hooks fish of 12 pounds has a time ahead of him. Its heft is such that every movement has a violent effect upon the reel and wrist. If it merely swims about it ex- ercises a considerable drag.
 The southern bass, however, will not continue to oppose even its weight for any length of time. Generally after minute or so it tswims toward the boat to get rid of the cruel pulling of the hook and so may be landed with dip net even when not half tired.
 Despite it's size, it is a notably good table fish, the flesh being we'll favored. hard, white and haky. Some idea of the size of the St. John's river bass may be gained from the fact that q mans doubled knee may be thrust into the mouth of one of them.
 The waters of the St. Johns river are warm, the edges lined with lily-pads and flags and rushes growing thickly. In the eddies where the bass lie the current is sluggish and food drops down in plenty.
 There are great creeks that traverse the pine woods of Florida and Lousi- ana in which some of the great bass lie, and in them the fish are of higher courage The waters are cold for southern waters, very clear and bright, very swift. The bass do not run to quite the St. John size, seldom going beyond ten pounds, but that is big ClOuSn. anu OilG Ol lliCtll iAti Al llOOhN0 churns up lot of water before being landed.
 They are fished for with stout linen lines tied to cane poles that a mule could not break. The hooks are large and thick to prevent them from tear ing through the flesh. The angler has a spoon on the end of his line and he trolls this backward and forward with sidelong sweeps, meanwhile standing upon bank.
 When snared and barbed the bass is yanked out by main strength and awk- wardness. If the hook holds it is a goner and it gets no chance at all to fight it's way to freedom.
 It is interesting to conjecture what would happen if a ten-pound creek bass should be hooked by skillful an- gler having an ordinary rod of split bamboo, a quadruple multiplying reel, which has little power in the crank, and No silk line. The fight would be worth watching and the odds would be legitimately on the bass.
 So far as the records extend, no com pletely outfitted angler has ever gone up into the far pine woods in search of these fresh-water monsters. The difficulty of taking one of them fairly would be enhanced by the narrowness of the stream, the number of roots and stumps in it and the overhanging branches, which are in places so thick and long that they meet above the water, forming solid arch of green, and forcing the man to use only the low sidecast in order to get his bait