Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-07-30
WHY FISH TAKE SPOON BAIT.
lmpeled by Curiosity Rather Than
CreduitY.

lmpelled by Curiosity Rather Than
Creduity.
New York Sun.--A jeweler in the
eastern township had an experience
last year which is worth recounting,
now that the spoon baitfishing time
has come around again. An acute
looking summer visitor to the village
entered his store one fine morning and
after looking about bit bought one of
his souvenir spoons, which were gold
plated upon the inside. Then he
asked the proprietor to nip off the
shank of the spoon and to bore two
holes, one at either end of the bowl.
Then he asked for two small split
rings, which were fastened into them.
To the ring at the tapering end of the
spoon he Joined a small triple hook.
"a swivel next?" inquired the jew
eler, who had caught on to the fact
that he was dealing with an angler.
Swivel? No." replied the man.
This rigging is for catching fish, not
for giving them something to laugh
at" And he paid his bill and marched
away
Now this jeweler was something of
a fisherman himself. So being Curl
Gus to find out what his acquaintance
might be at, he left his shop to his as
sistant and followed him. From his
punt he watched the man and a friend
at work on the lake, and in spite of it
being an off day for bass the two ap-
peared to be having the very best of
luck and to be taking some particu-
larly large fish. In the smoking room
of the hotel that night, when the time
for fish stories came around, the pair
of successful anglers pleaded guilty
to catching 80 pounds of fish, on what
had been a blank day to most of the
others. To the jeweler his customer
contided his secret later on.
Il was convinced long ago that all
of the artificial bats | had ever seen
must appear pretty poor imitation
of the real thing to the sharp-eyed
denizons of the waters" he said.
Then | noticed on more than one oc-
caS1on that the spoon was taken when
drawn right through shoals of small
fish, probably of the very same species
the bait most resembled, while the lit
tie fish themselves were let alone. And
so | finally figured out that it is one
of two things which makes bass and
other big fish take our bats. Firstly,
curiosity of an intense kind, and Sec
ondly, the notion that the bait is a
badly injured and greatly disabled
fish.
What else but curiosity could make
a luminous bait, something unnatural
to all fish life, so deadly a lure at
night? Or why do fish at once and
invariably congregate about an cleo
trio light let down into a hole. if it is
not to satisfy curiosity? My theory is
that the fish big enough to have sense
sees something strange passing by
and runs along to have a look at t.
You have noticed how often fish,
especially if they are of good size, will
follow the troll before they catch on.
Well the spoon keeps moving along,
the fish cannot nose it over, TO smell
and otherwise examine it, so perhaps
in bit of rage lays hold of it to keep
it still, and is caught.
Take flies, too. What are the best
flies you know Of common. everyday
bass or trout fishing? l just thought
you would say Jock Scott and Parma
cheene Belle, for they are my favor
ties, too. But you must know it is
not because they are really good imi-
tations of anything that flies over our
waters that they are so taking 1t is,
l believe, simply because they are
cunningly built just about right to
excite the curiosity of most fish that
we use them so much. 1t is from the
same cause that the common spoon
bait is so often successful and not be
cause it is particularly like any fish
that swims