The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-07-16
Fun With Catfish.

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The fun in Juggling for catfish,
which is sport common cs The lover
Mississippi, or in gourding for catfish,
which is practiced on the Tombigbee
in Alabama and some Of the Georgia
rivers. consists in falling out Of the
pirogue as often as possible, rightiug
It, olambering in aud pursliug the
fleeing Jug or gourd before bailips.
Anybody except Negro, an Indian
ora French "Cadian" will upset a
pirogue ten times in an afternoon,
and 1t goes without seying that the
catfish jugger or gourder must know
how to swim.
In juggling for catfish strong hand.
line IS cut into six.foos lengths. To
one end hook is fastened and the
hook is taited with hunk of liver.
chicken entrails or cheese mixsd
with cotton. The older and more
strenuous the cheese the better for
the purpose.
The other end Of the line is tied to
the handle of an empty stone Jug of
one gallon capacity into the neck of
which q stopper has been driven
tight. The air filled Jug acts as
great cork or float, marking the posi-
tion Of line as bouy, and making it
impossible for any fish, however
powerful, it may be, to hang itself
and keep it under for any length of
time. The upward pull of the jug
brings the fish to the surface inevita-
bly,.
Two men who want fun with the
catfish will rig up dozen or two lines
and jugs, then padding out upon the
placid bosom Of the Mississippi cast
them out one by one and watch them
doat.
When one Of them bobs under, or
starts up or down stream with rush
showing that a fish has been hooked,
the pirogue, driven by two strong pad
dies, darts after it. The object is to
seize the jug and haul out tie fish.
As, however, the jug travels with
great speed and takes the most ecoen-
trio shoots and curves, new Up, now
down, now straight across stream,
now Sigzagging, now whirling in
circles, and as the pirogue endea~ors
to follow it as closely as cowboy
trails COW cut out from herd, up.
sets are the most common features OF
the sport.
It requires no art at ell to fall out
Of q pirogue, but : great deal of art
to right the narrow craft and get
back, and By the time this is accom-
plished the Jug may be half mile
distant and going fast. It is not
unusual that two or three jugs show
the presence Of fish at the saae time
and when this happens the work is fast
and furious for half an hour.
Some Of the Mississippi catfish are
seven feet long and weigh 200 pounds
and when one Of these becomes at
tached 20 the jug thestask Of captur-
ing it, killing it and towing it to bank
is not light one. For this purpose
most Of the juggers take out small
caiibered revolve..
! Some men become 80 addicted to
this sport that they will have no other
and wear wet S;oss;ls:.ss tho summer
through, Juggling for catfish in the
broiliEg sun and Juggling FOR them
With equal passion on moonlight
nights.
On the Tombigbee the negroes and
whites use large ealabashes for floats.
These gourds are Of all shapes and
sizes, some being round and as large
as pumpkin, others the thickness Of
mans arm and yard long.
The loose end Of the line is tied to
! the neck Of the calabash through a
hole bored in its hard shell, and then
it makes as good float and bouy as
the ing as we'll aa ooatino nofh;no