Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-25

Rock bass are extremely pugnacious
and sometimes seem to take the hook
rather on this account than from a desire
for food.
The calico bass is fairly game fighter.
and its firm white flesh has fine flavor.
1t seems to resent captivity, and when
taken from warm waters Is extremely ten
der and quick to yield to attacks of
fungus, and liable to become blind and die
There is n wide difference in the rate of
growth of black bass, and there is no way
by which the age of black bass can be
determined from its size. Some are COM
paratively large from the moment they are
Matched, and grow much more rapidly
than other members of the same school
The average size Of adults varies in diff
ferent localities. The variations depend
upon initial vitality. upon the scarcity or
abundance of food and upon the range or
space given to the fish.
The open seasons for game fish in the
States named are as follows:
pennsylvania - Black bass, pCkerel
wall-eyed pike or Susquchanna salmon
June Is.
New Jersey-Pike and plckerel. May 90 /:
black bass. Oswego bass, white bass, cal
leo bass, crappie and pike-perch or wall
wall-eyed pike. June 10.
Delaware-Blacli bass, calico bass pike
May 25.
Observation-Disclosures bass. picierel, pike,
well-eyed pike, June 5.
In the Potomac River and its tributaries
the season opens June /.
JERSEY FISHING.
Local anglers have had their first go
with the trout and are now planning for
the ptckere fishing season in the lakes
and streams of this State, which opens on
May 20. Crowds of anglers lined the
banks of tide-water streams in the lower
counties of this State and the smaller
trout streams the past weekend, and
many good catches of trout and food fish
were made. Some of the high rods among
the trout anglers got 12 fish each while
perch, sunhsh and white catfish bit freely
enough to gladden. the hearts of the hook
and liners.
Anglers who have been trying for trout
in some of the larger ponds and lakes in
South Jersey. report hooking large num-
bors of black bass. which readily took
their casts OF live worms.
WHITE CATFISH ARE BITING.
Hook and line fishermen took good mum.
bers of large white catfish from Alloways
Salem. Cohansey, Mad Horse, Stowe and
Straight Creeks, and from the Maurice
River, at Maurice River station and just
below Bivalve, last weekend. All of the
above-named are Jersey streams. Num-
bers of Inquiries are heard these days
whether the catties "are running" and the
small boy is getting busy with that pro-
verbal bent pin to hook the festive bull.
heads from the nearby ditch or pond
This maJ hold good, perhaps, to the In.
offensive yellow or black cattle, but il is
quite another story with the white cat
tish-the tide-runner of the Delaware and
its tributaries. A bent pin might take a
pound yellow cattle, but II needs good
tackle and a cool head to handle a big
white catfish. There is no hesitating nib
BILE, as is the case In his inferior brethren,
but one stout pull, then a yank that leaves
little doubt of the intention, and away he
goes. If there are any weak places In the
tackle, should the fish be of the two.pound
or over class, he is sure to find It,
A killing bait for white catfish at this
season of the year Is a strip OF fresh
herrlng-better yet of mackerel, and, best
of all. especially in braclSish water, a
small disk Of cream cheese.
A number of fishermen journeyed to
Warrington's Pond, at Tomlin. last week
TO angle for yellow perch. Fishing In the
foodgate hole, they were surprised to
find it full of large piclserel which took
their lures freely Those caught were
carefully unlocked and placed in the pond
above, where their captors will try for
them when the season opens on May 20.