The Springdale news., 1917-04-06
HIS HONOR, THE WALL-EYEO PIKE
My Dear Buck:

Right at the start, old man. I must tell you that the wall-eyed pike is liy- ing under an assumed name, his real monicker is pike-perch, but the boys have sort of acquired the habit of calling him wall-eyed pike, and so We leave it go at that. Fact is, however, he is also known as the jack-salmon, glasseye pike, yellow pike, and blue pike. He probably fell heir to these names on account of his habit of bumming around, making no particu- lar spot his home. After he fathers his spring family of from one to two hundred thousand husky youngsters, and the little pikers have learned to wag their tails he leaves home and hikes out on still hunt for food, as he is always hungry, having the repu- tation of being the heavi@t eater of the fresh-water fish. He lives almost entirely on other live fish, and often eats his own progeny to satisfy his lust for food.
 Where you find the wall-eved in good numbers one day, does not guar antee that they will congregate there the next. There is no dope on his route and he has no schedule. At times he frequents the very deep pools and the next day he may be lying off a shoal or sandbar. In no matter what depths of water you To- cate him. however. you will find that he is close to the bottom.
 .Wal-Eye Travels in Schools.
 He can be coaxed into the ereel with live bait such as mud minnows, clubs, sinners CT small white-bellied frogs. or you can use an underwater plug weighted with sinker or troll with a spoon. The wall-eyed seldom trav- els single, invariably they run in schools, habit acquired no doubt from fear that he may miss feed, Where you catch one, you can figure on more fish from the same spot un- til they hustle off to locate better feeding grounds. This hungry feel ing, Buck, makes him a great little bitter, which feeling has made him boon to the fisherman who can always count on bringing home the
 
 ground
 In the rivers he hangs out below rapids, dams and log jams, where the current is swift, gorging on the min- nows, which are easy prey as they are tired out with their battle with the swift waters. This is a fine place to cast for him, using live or artificial r,s r;v1l,A take the bait down deep in the water. He also has fancy for sandbars in the rivers and wading along a bar, casting on both sides, brings good results
 Troll for Him in Lakes.
 In the lakes you will be more suc- cessful in trolling for the wall-eye. Live bait, plug or a spoon with buck tail gang hook makes an attractive lure for him. Use your bait-casting rod with a trolling tip to add strength and reel out about hundred feet of line. Don't make the common mis- take of moving the boat too speedily; just go along fast enough to keep the bait moving, about one and half miles an hour is right. When you get strike you will notice the difference between the action of a bass and a wall-eyed pike. The pike will give a 1 firm and decided tug at the line, he will not dash away with the bait, right then is the time to strike with a strong, quick jerk, as the large amount of line out makes this necessary. Buck, if that wall-eye is a ten or fif teen pounder, you are due to have as game piece of fish work" on your hands as you could wish for
 Caught Big One Accidently.
 Last summer I was actually forced by accident to land twelve and half pound wall-eyed pike, and the way this happened illustrates the fact that one must study the action of the different fish, especially the manner in which they take bait. It was one of the hot test days in July when Charley and were crossing Black lake in northern Wisconsin, so hot, in fact, that 1 only put a line out after old Henry the local fishing expert insisted that he hated to waste a minute on the water. We were in about thirty feet of water when my reel began to sing. there was no other action, and after striking. Hen padded back, thinking | was snagged. Charley ran his hand along the line and gave it jerk to loosen it. and right then things sure opened up. Splash out of the water, at the side of the canoe, flashed the pike. and down again to the bottom. It was some sport with a light rod, ten- pound test bass line, and a husky wall-eye. Three times I brought him up to the canoe, fighting back and forth without any long runs, but 8 continuous bunch of snappy jerks fol lowed by dives to the bottom, before Hen could gaff him.
 DIXIE.