The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-05-17
HOME LIFE OF THE BASS.
My Dear Buck:

hJ OSdE DuCE.
You ask for a little info on the
habits and home life of the black bass
and when and where to find him. The
bass, both large and small-mouthed,
is a roamer, lively, active hunter for
the best place to gorge himself on the
choice minnows, crawfish and helga-
mite, with dessert from the surface
or the water of moths, flies and frogs.
He is great little traveller, and soon
becomes big chief of the waters In
which he lives. With such a varied
menu, you will find him ever ready for
a fight, equally eager for fly-hook,
trolling-spoon, live bait or plug, right
on the Job to put up a struggle that
will test your skill. You can fish for
him night or day as he is 24-hour
feeder, but early morning and late
afternoon is the surest time to get him
right. He is an active rogue and
continually rising from the bottom to
the surface, at times jumping above
the water in pursuit of his feed. He
changes his home and feeding ground
as the season passes. In the spring
he is found in the shallow water in
the streams and rivers, below rapids
and rifles, as the water warns up he
moves to the deep pools lying along
side of windfalls and logs, rocky
lodges and weedy spots. During the
hot summer he migrates to greater
depths where the water is cool. Like
wise in the lakes, the bass are at
home" in the spring, in the shallow
est places, lying off of the sand bars
and gravel formation, you can count
on a good catch, close inshore in the
very low water. A little later when
the weeds, lilies and reeds are we'll
grown you will find him in that vi
entity. Both the large and small
mouthed bass are often found in the
same lakes, but in different locali-
ties. The small-mouth favors the
stony bars or shoals varying in depth
from two to forty or fifty feet, while
the large-mouth prefers the weeds and
muddy bottoms.
East Wind Not So Bad.
Weather conditions have been
blamed since the time of Noah for an
empty stringer or creel. Rainy days,
pleasant days, all kinds Of winds and
especially an east wind have been
cussed as the cause of "fisherman's
luck" Remember this, the bass
keeps on filling the feed-bag just the
same, and an east wind is better than
no wind at all. You will get more
bass WREN the surface Of the water Is
slightly ruffled by a breeze than when
fishing on clear still day. Last year,
at the opening of the season in Wis
consin, Jim and landed 10 fine large
mouth bass from little bay
in something less than an hour,
one casting while the other held the
boat off shore. There was quite
stiff east wind blowing and the sur
face of the water was broken by a
continuous roll of small waves. The
bass ranged from two and one-half to
five pounds and were caught between
five and six o'clock, after we had
fished all day with very poor luck.
These fish, Buck, were caught with
white Wilson wobbler with a red
head and with Jamison Coaxer plug.
Bass Have Keen Sight.
While playing the game, don't for
minute forget that a bass has eyes,
and he sure knows how to use them.
Once he lamps you, your bait or lures
are not for him, he has moved to
other quarters. Don't stand in the
boat and open up with personally
conducted sightseeing tour before
you cast. He also hears, and often
you will think that he is exceptionally
keen in both of these senses. While
in a boat bear in mind that sound vi
brations carry farther In the water
than you cast, and under water sounds
mean frightened fish. Save useless
casts in a pool from which the fish
have vamoosed, don't telegraph the
bass before inviting him to come in
out of the wet.
A bass will always gorge his food,
but there is quite difference In
his mouthing of bats. If you are
fishing with live bait, a minnow,
crawfish or frog, he will strike without
much force and will null the bait
around in his mouth bit before swal-
lowing it, in fact with live min
now he will turn it around in his
mouth and swallow it headfirst. In
this case do not strike him too quick
ly, but give him little time to play
the bait before striking. A bass ham
dies live bait somewhat similar 70
the play of cat with mouse 1t has
caught. Many a time have torn a
minnow in half through striking too
soon, having the pleasure of batting
again instead of landing the bass that
had half hold on my bait. If you are
using wooden minnow or plug, how
ever, strike Aluickly right after the
bass strikes, as he Immediately dis.
covers that it is not choice morsel
IF food, and disconnects.
DIXIE.