Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-15
WHERE THE BIG ONES LURK.

water the instant he feels the barb.
Two or three feet above the surface
his outraged leap will carry him,
thing of wondrous beauty glistening in
the sun. Sometimes one of above ordl-
nary pugnacity will break two or
three times, but more often. after that
first indignant protest, he devotes all
his attention to the business in hand
to free himself from this strange and
mysterious enemy that seems SO IN
significant as to size but so terrifying
in it's method of attack.
MANY bass is hung that never knows
the landing net If his foeman in the
boat is using tackle that gives the
quarry a sporting chance. the bet on
the outcome might we'll be at evens.
In fact, unless the angler is veteran
of many such battles. the chances
rather favor the bass. No matter II 1t
be his first experience with hook.
nature teaches him how to fight, and
the character of the water he inhabits
gives him tremendous advantage.
Rocks around which the currents rush.
ofte min several directions; alternating
shoals and deep holes, snags and sub
merged logs. make one-pound fish
.as hard to land up in the rapids as
a five-pounder would be in still water.
Give him slack line for just a moment
and the battle is likely to come to a
sudden termination. He may have dis
sorged the hook or. by sudden rush,
have snapped the line.
Don't be fooled when the vigor of
his defense appears to have been ex-
hausted and he permits himself to be
reeled slowly toward the waiting net.
Many a bass still swims the Potomac
because an overconfident angler re-
Taxed his vigilance at the critical mo-
ment of bringing his fish over the
mouth of the net sudden dash. a
flash of silver, and the fisherman. with
a silly grin or violent explet1VeS, IS
examining an empty hook.
Bait-casting is a fair sport when the
bait caster is sportsman. But too
often. alas. he is only a murderer and
a fish-hog Manufacturers or tackle
make. dealers sell and some anglers.
to the shame of the craft-buy and use
artificial bats equipped with as many
as fifteen hooks-fve gangs of three
hooks each. What chance has "a bass
got against such an instrument of de-
struction? No matter how brave his
spirit. he could not cope with such an
enemy Let him but come into con-
he is mangled and tortured beyond
chance of fighting for his life.
The writer heard man boast one
time that with such bait he had
him. He actually seemed to be proud
of the achievement!
The bait-caster often will catch bass
when the live-bait fisherman comes off
the river empty handed, but there Is
a joy in live-bait fishing the bait
caster never knows. The sport is. per-
haps, less strenuous until the bass
strikes" Then comes the thrill which,
once felt never is forgotten.
Take your time! Don't get excited!
Unless your reel is easy running play
out the line. The moment to hit" him
is not vet come. That first short run
resulted only from the momentum of
his rush when he struck your bait.
Now he is going again in a series of
dashes, each little more savage than
the one preceding it. The drag of your
line, no matter how freely you play it
out, puzzles and Anglers him. He never
before captured quarry that offered
such strange resistance.
Now he has stopped. seventy-five-a
hundred-feet from where he started
The critical moment has arrived, but
the earlier advice still holds good
Take your time! Don't get excited!
He is turning the bait. as he always
does, head first. preparatory to swal-
lowing it. If his suspicious have not
been aroused by the weight of the line
and he doesn't feel the point ,of the
hook, he will start his second run in a
minute. Then it will be time to hit him.
There is plenty for you to do during
these few brief seconds of truce. See
that the slack is out of your line. II
his run has been across stream esti-
mate an allowance for the current. It
is no easy matter to. hang your fish
when he is a hundred feet away, with
rocks and rapids between. More bass
than ever were caught have been lost
by bungling here. Your rod is gripped
firmly in your right hand, thumb on
reel Your left hand is ready to re-
ceive it the instant the hit" is made.
that your right hand may be free to
begin reeling in the line.
You know, almost to a certainty, that
he will break water the moment he is
hung but what he viii do after that you
can only guess. He may continue in the
direction of his original run. If he does
you must thumb him down hard to check
his rush. or he will run the line off the
spool until the end is reached. Then there
will be a snap and the bass will keep on
going, taking with him seventy-f yards
of fine silk line that cost a dollar. He
may decide to come toward YOU. Such n