The sun., 1919-04-06
VO York Trout Season O Begins IS Pennsylvania and Massachusetts
EXCITING TO CATCH
TARPON WITH PLUG
r. N. Burket Tells of Thrills
With Light Tackle in
Crystal River, Fla.
MOONLIGHT ANGLING FUN
ny FRED A. BISHOP.

BY FRED A. BISHOEs
In THE SUN last spring told Of +.
n. Burket of Lincoln, Neb., taking q 112
pound tarpon in Florida waters while
casting with a 1.702 Heddon minnow. a
bamboo rod usually used for kingfish
and a fifteen thread linen line.
made the prediction that the time
was not far distant when tarpon would
be taken while casting with fve foot
bamboo rod, silk casting line and
plug. I stated then that some who cast
flies or fsh with live or cut bait or troll
from boats 20 so far as to claim that
no true sportsman would use n plug.
but I was OF the opinion that az fly
casting 10 an art so Ii plug casting. sx-
cept that plug casting is in its infancy
though gaining in recruits daily.
will venture a guess that 1t will not
he many years before the outfit of the
majority of anglers who FISH in Florida
waters will contain floating plugs and
many who now fish with live or cut bait
or troll will push aside rods, hooks, lines
and sinkers, used In that kind of fish
ing. for after you get out of the habit
OF losing plugs and acquire the knack
of catching and landing large fish on
light tackle you will take a seat on the
plugEers' wagon which you would not
give UP even to your best girl.
met Mr.. Burket six years ago when
made my first visit to Crystal River.
He had been going to Florida for many
years and had the just reputation OF
being ono Of the best anglers that ever
wet line. AS many q silver king had
been brought to the dock by way OF his
boat / naturally sought his advice as
to proper line. rod. reel. &C.. for while
I had taken many large fish from the
surf never had caught a tarpon or
saw any one else do so.
Imagine my disappointment to learn
from his lips that my foot bamboo tip
weighing 61a ounces, IS thread line and
40 vom Hof reel were out Of the ques-
tfon I'm river fishing because OF the mar
rowness OF the stream. rocks. &c.
Angling Like Music.
In those days Mr.. Burkets rig con-
sisted of 40 Vom Hof reel, with drag
set at 20 pounds. a 80 thread line, and
heavy iron wood tip. but, as I have
stated on many occasions. angling is like
music. Some people remain in the rag
time class all their, lives, while others
take to grand opera. II there Ia any
such thing as grand opera in fishing
the taking of large fish on a casting
outfit and surface plug sure is It and
Mr.. Burket certainly is pretty near the
top.
Mind you he is no relative Of mine
neither does he owe me money, nor am
his press agent or in any way interest
ed Ia him other than that he is an ideal
sportsman who. like many Of the rest
of us, used to still fish and troll, begin
ming with a hand line. then the heavy
rod and reel. and now is so welded to
the five foot bamboo rod and the floating
plug that no other kind OF fishing has
any charm for him.
Let his own words tell OF the taking
Of tarpon by plug casting. He writes to
me from Crystal River Fla, as follows:
Tarpon on Plusr Made Ten Jumps.
ITS hard to convince some Of the old
type of tarpon fishermen that tarpon
can be taken by casting a plug. Some
or my friends at this place rather
thought 1t was only an accident that
landed the 1l2A pound fish last March
In order to prove 1t was not I had to
land another one. Here is a picture OF
n ninety FOUNDER that l caught on jan
uary 10 at the Rocks It was the
first time I did any casting for tarpon
this season, and must say it was a
lively fish that struck, and during the
night, which perhaps lasted over half an
hour. 1t made ten jumps before 1t came
alongside and was gated.
In place OF the regulation ~ ounce,
one piece, five foot bamboo rod. such as
employed when 1 boated the ten channel
bass that weighed 242 pounds. used a
nVe FOOT, one piece. bamboo rod which
weighs a fraction over ten ounces. The
extra weight Ia in the butt, which Is
longer. with large hand grasp above
Inc reel seat and made OF wood, wound
with cord. instead of cork, as regulation
rods have.
The reel is 20 Vom Hof with
Click and drag combined. on which l
had about 400 feet OF Kingfisher SO silk
line. The plug, a white Tango, with
RED head and extra heavy 20 Pfueger
hooks.
ION February 8, while casting at
Wash Island, landed on the same rig
a fifty pound tarpon. which jumped
seven times before it came to gam On
the afternoon of February at the
sa me place tarpon showed its silver
side. l got strike on the second cast
and In less time than II takes to tell IL
the largest tarpon that have ever
hooked was In the air.
The fight lasted over two hours and
the hsh made eight jumps. For about
one hour I had the beauty on a fat.
much of the time not more than twenty
fve feet from the boat and in full view.
When within two feet from the boat
and the guide stood ready with gan in
hand to land nay prize the hooks broke
out and the largest ever said 'au reyoir.'
The fight was witnessed by several
OF our friends. and while I know the
largest fish usually gets away I am
very confident that my record for a 151
FOUNDER would have fallen in the shade
II Strother had an opportunity to set
his gaff.
Thrills With Moonlight Fishing.
"On the night of the full moon, Febru-
airy ~, while casting at the Rocks I
mad the thrill of my young lifetime
when a large fish struck my plug not
over fifteen or twenty feet from the boat.
only got one jump, but the sight of a
large fish breaking water in the moon
light, so close to the boat that plentv
or the water splashed in SO shocked me
Tor an instant that neglected to strike.
and the usual happened. Before I had
fully recovered from this shock 1 had
another strike and this fish was some
six feet long. had it killed and pumned
II in on its side for about forty feet. but
when the gaff went in the fish woke M
and broke away. The next morning soma
hshermen saw 1t floating in the river.
but did not bring it in
We'll, old fellow, this as YOU know
Is what makes the fishing game worth
while, for II every FISH that struck was
landed interest In the sport would soon
ebb away.
ut Is just these cases that we call
hard luck that makes fishing the most
fascinating pastime one could wish for.
DO come down next year and get into