The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-17

Perry and hgg Bring Back Some
Choice 0nes-Not Fish,
But Stories.

Men VINO nave SUFFICIENT lnulILSIeICS 10
cold to enjoy fishing during Minnesota
winter have been enjoying great sport
with the crappies during the last month
The fish are biting freely at Minnetonka
and occasionally good sized pickerel is
secured. Among the most successful lo->
cal anglers were Perry Werden. Frank
Figgemeier and Pete Bonander, who spent
two days at Zumbra Heights recently
and met with great luck, capturing lis
crappies and few pickerel, In the two
days. + .>
This is the best time to fish for crap
pies said Figg. Everyone who has
been out in the last month has had good
SPORT. Most of those we caught were
ten inches long. and we got twenty or
thirty that went over a foot" -.
Yes" said Bonander, land took six
that measured twenty inches apiece
"Oh, now you're stretching it, re-
piled Figg. "They really were over
foot, though
"Well, wasn't going to have, you tell
. bigger lie than I did," retorted Pete.
Perclval the Truthful Speaks.
Then Werden, the apostle of truth, cut
In. 1t was a solemn breasted fact.
averred Perry, that the party had taken
a pickerel weighing twenty-nine pounds,
six ounces. Figg had just caught a
crappie, the first Of the day for the party.
The fish was strung upon small rope,
upon the end Of which was heavy hook
of bent wire, and the string was then
let down into the water to keep the fish
from freezing. The end of the rope was
tied to the sled upon which Figg sat.
Suddenly the sled shot out from be-
meath Figg, and that persistent angler sat
down heavily upon the ice. Perry and
Pete finally recovered from their aston
ishment and grasping the sled, with
Figgs assistance. lifted up the huge pick
erel after hard struggle. The voracious
fish had swallowed the crappie whole,
and tried to run off with the rope, hook,
sled and all.
You see" concluded Perry, the hole
in the Ire through which we were fish
ing was too narrow to let the sled through
and it bridged on the edges, and kept the
pickerel from towing it down and Off I'M
der the ice. 1t was a lucky thing, because
we needed the sled to carry our fish
home.'
II should think the line would have
broken" said of Perry's auditors.
mo, it was very heavy piece Of ma
nila." replied Perry Of the veracious
tongue. But in his struggles to get
away, the fish pulled SO hard that the
pressure Of the sled on the edges cracked
the ice for fifty feet around there. 1t
wasn't safe any more, so we got back to
the firm ice and cut a new hole
"And we counted seventeen hooks with
broken ends of fish line on them in that
pickereps jaw" added Figg. IF it isn't
true, I hope I may never see another
crappie."
Not Much Illegal Fishing.
Executive Agent Fullerton reports thai
there has been less Illegal fishing this
winter than in most previous years. Few
''tip-ups'' have been discovered by the
deputies Of the game warden's office, but
recently Mr.. Fullerton received word from
Wayzata that this form Of set line was
in use on Minnetonka, and the lake " III
be carefully watched in the effort to break
up the practice Or apprehend the offend
ers.
The law permitting the spearing OF
pickerel, red horse and suckers has beer
abused considerably, according to thu
game wardens. They assert that" til.
fishermen strike every fish they see. ant
keep what they like. A year ago, it will
be remembered, the game wardens hat
considerable trouble with illegal fishing OF
Lake Pepin, and the efforts to apprehent
the offenders led to a collision Of author
1ty between the Wisconsin and Minnesot:
wardens. This was fine for the fishers
who erected their huts on the lake, ant
by keeping a sharp lookout, always man
aged to be on the safe side of the bound
ary line when a game warden appeared.
Finally the Wisconsin authorities agree,
to let Executive Agent Fullerton of Min
nesota have a free hand so far as LAX
Pepin was concerned. Mr.. Fullerton i'm
medlately sent a force of, deputies out
but the news had travelled fast for tn
huts at Lake Pepin were found deserted.
So far only few complaints Of ilega
fishing have been made this winter. A
this time of year it is illegal to catch an
kind of fish save trout and bass with
hook and line. Set lines, however, ar
illegal