The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-20
RECORD BASS CATCH
"a Business Man Takes Fifty Five
Pound Bass From Newly
Discovered Lake.
Corrals the Fish in a Poool and
Then-Well, Read the
Story.

Story.
man kin lose his money N git over 1t. He
kin lose bis wife n still eat three squares day
He kin be showed under when he runs Ter ofhs
N grin an bear 1t. But Wen he ketches a
big string n then loses 1t, he weakens.-Philos-
ophy OF Colonel Wheaton.
Tony Dwyer, who cannot possibly enjoy
the good things Of. this world without
handing out a portion thereon to. his
friends, discovered that a small lake near
one of his logging camps was swarming
with bass of an unprecedented size and
anxiety to be taken out Of the wet, Which
latter phase of bass nature is a sure in
dication that the lake has never been
hshed before.
The lucky man, ''the first that ever
burst into that silent sea-" will surely
take a greater string of big fellows, than
his followers are apt to do "First-o off
the big ones crowd the little fellows out,
and go for the bait as prize that be-
longs to the swift and strong. Later they
let the little ones have the first grab so
as to find out whether there is a hook
connected with the matter, or not Which
fact shows there is "a whole lot O. hui
man natur' bout has," as the good
colonel puts it.
discovered this little lake while "cruis-
ing piece Of timber he intends to cut
next winter, and, being somewhat tired
Of salt pork as a steady diet, bethought
him that he had a line and a few hooks in
his pack, as is the summertime wont of
cruisers, and might be lucky enough to
catch sufficient fish to make a mess, if
he made the effort.
ia hn if,,&o
the modern rod, a stout pole, tied on his
line, caught few frogs and cast one
Into the water. The result was some
what similar to that which follows the
casting Of the magic powder designed
! to raise the devil, into the crucible, by the
wicked magician. The water boiled,
spouted and foamed as if a miniature Mt.
Pelee had gone into business Gin its
midst" and at least forty big black bass
went after that frog as if the life Of each
depended upon getting it-as it did in
measure when you come to think it
over. ~.-
OF course, only one could get it, and
he was probably the biggest one of the
lot, for Tony had a time and half, as
ne says, getting him out. But he landed
him finally and finding him at least a
fve-pounder, had enough for himself and
his "tote-team," the cruisers packer
is called in the woods, for one meal, at
least.
50 like a good man and true, he quit
right there and didn't go on numbering the
great fish. in the weasel in the chicken
coop style, that SO many who call them
selves sportsmen disgrace the name by
indulging in whenever i'll fortune gives
them the chance to show themselves in
their true colors. &. r. =-.a....- Z
But he came the next day as he was
going to. town, and wanted to take a
string OF fish to Dan Gum which would
astonish that gentleman; and. fishing in
the primitive style aforementioned, land
ed fifteen bass, averaging a trife over
pounds, before he considered : he had
enough. AS he had to carry them five
miles before he could reach the road, and
his team. and carry them thru the most
villatnous of swamps, and the like he was
very sure that he had not acted with his
usual moderation, before he got out OF
the wilderness. ~ .. -.
When he reached town he was the cen
ter of more attraction than the president
would be, should he visit us, for even ir
this country Of the real thing in the spor,
line. where most men are as blase so fal
as field and flood trophies are concerned
as a city degenerate amuses himself by
thinking he is as to life in general; ar
unusually fine lot of bass, or more thar
commonly great muskie will attract the
delighted notice, and inspection, Of mer
who would turn their heads if a mixed
,wagon-load Of moose, deer, and bear wen
down the street.
Now among the delighted lockers at tn,
result Of Tony's prowess was a gooc
brother OF the angle-that is when he ha
:time-who was here on business, and hat
to wait a day or two for the owners O
some timber land he intended to pur
chase to make up their minds to accep
or reject his offer. And of course thu
sight Of those goodly bass set his sportin,
blood aboil,, and sale, or none, he wa
Just obliged to take a day off, and HE t.
the lake where they ripened to see /
more of the same kind were left, an,
could be captured
Now Tony was going back the mex
morning, and Dan Gum had an extra ro
and reel, so by the next noon the goo
man of business and sporting blood was a
5Tony's camp. where John Carroll pre-
sides, and SCarrill's boys were CATCHING
frogs for him, while Tom "Fitz" wa
pitching birch bark canoe, the onl
craft that could be gotten to the lake 70
his use. Tom carried the canoe to til
water that night and "blazed a ira
for the good fisherman to follow, so tina
before daybreak the next morning, whe
John routed him out, all that he had to d
was to follow his nose to the water, an
fish to his hearts content.
He was good canoist and had no diff
Guilty IN handling his tricksy little Graf
and the fish did their part so nobly ths
what bothered him most of all was a
embarrassment of riches. Strike followe
cast every time and heart warmin
fight followed strike, and so rich was til
luck that our sportsman conceived til
idea OF making the record catch of til
whole bass-catching history of the worl
and, by his own account, he did it.
That is, he started in to accumula1
fifty bass, not one of which should weis
less than five pounds, and to that en-
weighed each one before it recovered fro
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