Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-06-19
LITTLE PAN-FlsA FUN.

My Dear Buck:
There's a great big army of little
fish that don't seem to get the proper
credit for ali the fun and pleasure
they have given fishermen. OF course,
old man, great big chunk of this fun
happened way back in the knee-pants'
stage of most fellows fishing days,
but at that, when the real game fellows
are off the feed and prospects appear
good for an empty stringer, and it
looks like bacon and fiapjacks for the
evening meal, just toss out line and
give the little fellows nibble at your
bait. These little old nibblerS include
in their ranks the crappie, rock bass,
blue gill, sunfish and yellow or striped
perch.
AS pan fish you can't beat 'em.
Drowned to turn in plenty of bacon
grease or broiled over the open camp
fire they are dish that would make
even ]. ID. forget his stomach, and after
an hour on the trail or a particularly
hard portage, you thank your lucky
stars when the feed bag has generous
portion of ''little fellers" done to turn.
Get EN- Any Old Time.
OF course, they don't put up
scream of fight like their cousins
the basses, but they are accommodate
ing little cusses and bite any time in
the day and most any time in the
season, especially when at time the
folI 70
overlook a good thing in the shape of
bait or lure. Although they only make
short little fight, there's way of
| fishing for them that will give you
quite bit of fun and please even the
sure-enough fisherman who is seeming
ly shocked when you even mention pan
fish to him. OF course, most of that
disdain stuff is merely bull on the part
of the fellow that hops up in the clouds
when you mention little pannies. a
Light Fly Rod Best.
Here is the tackle that put pep in
the parrish game. Get the lightest,
whippieSt steel fly rod you can find,
about ten feet in length; use an ordi
nary soft-braided silk casting line and
a number eight or ten hook, and do a
little still fishing. With this rigging
you will be pleasantly surprised at the
sport in landing a fair-sized panner.
They start out with quite a SNOWY
fight, but it don't last long. However,
with this tackle, old scout, they'll play
better and show more spunk than with
the ordinary casting rod, and take 1t as
a side tip you won't land everyone you
hook at that.
The crappie is found in most ponds,
1agoons, and lakes, as well as the
more sluggish streams, and they like
the quiet waters. They bite best In
the early spring, in June and the fall,
although you get them most any time.
For still-fishing bait they like grass
| hoppers, worms or live minnows, and
you can catch them trolling with min
now or very small spoonhook, while
at times they will rise to the trout fly
The rock bass prefers the clear, cool
water, and is not only found in nearly
every lake, pond and river, but also
| in the little creeks and streams. In
the lakes you will find him where the
reeds and underwater grasses grow
and in the streams he dotes on the
deep holes among the rocks and bowl
! ders or around stumps, brush or wind
/ falls. Most any kind of bait suits him,
but small mlnnows, angleworms and
white wood-grubs make him swim
around and take notice. They put up
| quite a Stagger at fighting when first
| hooked, and make final effort when
brought up to the boat. A small red
ibis or white miller fly often tempts
them, and very small frogs or craw-
| fish interest the larger ones.
Striped Perch Good Bitter.
The yellow or striped perch Is prob
ably the best little bitter in the whole
outfit, and although he does not as a
rule fight like a heavyweight, IL you
get a two-pounder on light fly tackle
you know there is fish on the far end
of the line. Go after him in about
| thirty to forty feet Of water and you
get the big ones. With any sort Of bait
| you can land him in good numbers
most any time, and even through the
ice in winter he Is an accommodating
fellow. The perch is great little ia
vorite with the women and children
who don't go after the gamer fellows,
| and many pleasant days can be spent
for this popular little panner. A bait
that looks good to a bluegill tickles
the fancy of the perch, and any old
kind of a hook and line is tackle
enough to get him, although the real
sport is to be had with the long, light
| steel fly rod.
Taken as a whole, the pan fish are
a gentlemanly little bunch Of good fel
lows, always eager to take nibble
and save fisherman from ringing up
a goose egg" for the days fishing, and
to his good, clean method of living we
can thank him for his fine flavor, and
crown him king of fresh water fish
| food.