The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-28
GOT MIR. PIKE MAD.
Then He Became Easy Prey for the
Crafty Angler.
From the New York Sun

From the New York Sun.
"All members of the pike family
from the pond picierel 10 the giant
! muskellongs." said an observant
/ French Creek angler. are actuated
by three emotions in taking a bait
| or Iure-hunger, curiosity, anger.
When a pike goes for your bait or
troll because he is hungry, he does
it with a rush and a swoop. and sell
dom misses it. If it is curiosity that
impels him to look the lure over. he
approaches it slowly and almost with
out moving a fin.
IF mere inspection of it does not
satisfy him as to the character of the
object, he will grab it on the chance.
as 1t would seem, that if he let it go
without the test of a bite at it he
! might lose something good.
But If your pike is neither hungry
nor curious, get him mad. Then YOU
may be sure of adding him to yoIr
| score. L found that out in this way:
Il was lying on the bank of French
creek one day, resting from a hard
and not very successful half days fish
ing, when l saw a big pike moving
like a shadow into an open space
among some weeds near shore. He
stopped we'll within the opening, with
MS head upstream, and without a fin
in motion.
the hole where the pike lay. 1t play-
ed all around him, but the big fell
low never noticed 1t. l knew from
that that the pike had dined we'll
and had no use for live minnow Just
then
Il tore a strip off an old red hand
kerchief / had, and fastened il to NV
nook so that its ends flowed loosely
IN the water. This strange object.
thought, would be sure to excite the
PIKE s curiosity, but he simply backed
away from 1t into the weeds. Then I
resolved to snatch him out by getting
a nook under him some way and yank-
ing 1t into him
i put three-hook spoon. troll on
my line l got this within almost
hooking distance Of his head time after
time but he Invariably defeated me by
sliding away a few inches.
Ihen l tried to get the hooks
against him by drawing them toward
MIN from below. I succeeded in get
ting the troll up to him until it touch
ed his side. but with the hooks on the
outside.
The pike hitched away with a Quick
and testy movement the instant the
ton touched him, and he agitated his
ms nerNously, something he had not
done before. A second time [ got the
troll against his side and with tho
same strange perversity, hooks out
ward.
This time the pike ierked away saw
agely, and stopped in a duarterinR no.
sition across the opening. thus bringing
TO his view the object that was an
noying him. He glared Al it, his big
p Jaws half open. and every I'm now
working IN a manner that showed he
was in great rage
Then 1 dropped the spoon down on
the upper side Of him and brought IL
against him as before. That was the
climax. The pike turned like a fash.
s"ooped down on that spoon. seized
u as a wolf might seize its prey. and
before he discovered the hx ne was In
shook n as a terrier shakes "A rat.
J landed him. of course. and 7 had
made discovery that has been of
good service 10 me in pike fishing ever
since. Tor many "a grand old fellow. IN
different 70 food, and REFRESHING his
curious bent have ] worked into such
temper us that ana lifted from his
retreat, among the woods or lily pads
70 my delighted custody on the bank"