The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-04-20
THE HUMBLE SUCKER
HE Is SPORT AND FOOD FOR THE
HUMBLE FISHERMAN
SAVE HIM.

r. w, Stillwell. in Wentworth En-
terprise / noticed in a recent Mad
ison publication a statement to the
effect that certain parties. under the
supervision of the state game war
den. were to be allowed TO seine the
suckers from Lake Madison in car
load lots to be shipped east for sale,
i'm order that the lake may be cleared
Of what is considered a nuisance in
connection with the process Of stock
ing the lake with game fish.
This may be necessary for the
propagation of bass and other aristo-
cratic piscatorial species, but it
seems to me that although the sucker
is a very humble member Of the fin
ny tribe that he al present is doing
as much for the more humble fisher
man as his more high toned brethren.
Just at this time of the year at least
he seems 10 fill a long felt want,
and with the present high price OF
meat he will find a welcome place on
the table of many a poor man.
The succulent sucker may not be
game fish in any sense OF the word,
but as "A food fish he is there with
the goods. He can be smoked or
sailed and when this is properly
done. while he may not be exactly
food for an epicure, he is certainly
able 10 fin a void i'm the system OF
1.-THE ordinary man. Aside from the
fact hat he is rather bony he may
be considered fairly good nourish-
ment.
Another good point in his favor IS
that he is such an easy mark for the
amateur fisherman. the farmer and
he laborer. who rarely get the time
to 20 fishing and who fish Tor Iood
and not for sport. Equipped win q
spear. a lantern and a gunny sack
he can proceed to the creek AFTER ms
DAYS work is done and get all the
fish i'm a few hours, that he and ms
family and his ~neighbor's family can
use Although this mar would I'M
doubtedlv enjoy the thrill caused by
the null of a five pound bass on a
S95 rod and line. he can seldom al
ford 10 spend the time or money TO
J attain this result, and besides MS ap-
natite is not cultivated to the point
where he can eat a fish thai tastes
like q niece Of muddy lake bottom
and saw hat he likes 1t. He VIII
have TO be content then with the
ntahian pereh. bullhead and sucker.
The indictment against the SUCKER
for which he is under sentence u
humiliation. is that he eats the eEe9
of the a%ristocratic game flsh. M
NAV he true and he should certainty
10 ashamed of himself If 1t IS, but
il II not true. on the other hand'
that he himself later on possibly,
when he has attained the length OF
from | to 6 inches. serves TO feeu
The same fish whose eggs ne Is al
legged to have so ruthlessly
T cannot see. however. how TINS car
he true to any large extent since tHe
eggs OF most fish are spawned IN the
shadows and that is where the youns
eieb emain. The sucker freduents
the shallow waters during his spawn
inc season only. when he eats niue
AZ opvthing after which he retires 70
tha denths and sucks his living OUT
of the bottom. bothering no II un-
I'll another spring comes and ne ieels
the call of Mother Nature TO go ou'
and run
If this intended slaughter IS car
ried ont as per schedule | predict
that we will miss the sucker.
when another springtimes comes
and the plum trees are In blossom
and all nature Is awakening from her
long winters sleep. when that desire
10 go a flashing" which is the nat
ural inheritance of every man. steals
ovar ne we will lust naturally have
n steal ont TO the shed and look re
gretfully at the now useless spear
and empty gunny sack and heave 2
heavy, heartfelt sigh as we wish thal
the bass were i'm hades or some other
seaport town. Then we can send
down and get some 40 cents per
pound SOW belly for dinner.