Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-06-07
OPENS THE FIFTEENTH
Bass Season for the Big
Woods Region Opens Next
Week Thursday - r e a |
Game Fish.

Game Fish.
Without any fear of the game
wardens nabbing you if you angle
for any member of the bass fam
lily beginning next Thursday morn
ing, it is hereby stated that you
may seek the taking of members
of the bass family in any of the
lakes in this region. Go to it.
However, numerous arguments
nave arisen from time TO time ow-
ing TO the opening of the bass
season fifteen days later than the
other game fish. The old bass
fisherman understands the reason
for this. While many people who
have not had a chance to acquaint
themselves with conditions in re-
gard TO these fish do not.
The bass is the only inland wa
ter lake fish in this section that
watches its sprawn. They spawn
later than any of the other game
fish. They come from their win
ter quarters in schools along about
the latter part of April and work
leisurely along the shores of the
lakes. Generally when the ice is
just going out. Along about the
10th of May they pair off and
find a suitable place along the
shore and make what is known as
spawning bed. The large mouth
black bass generally make their
bed in a slew or low muddy locali-
", while the small mouth black
bass seeks entirely different quar-
ters. They can be found making
their spawning bed on a gravel bar
in two or three feet of water. The
bass beds are from two to three
feet across. They can easily be
noticed 10y any fisherman who un-
derstands their habits. The
spawn is deposited on these beds
by the bass and watched very
closely by both the male and fe-
male bass. One of the bass swims
over the bed tanning the eggs
with its tail all of the time the
eggs are Matching, while the other
swims i'm a circle around the bed
They fight everything that comes
anywhere near this bed. Along
about the 5th of June the spawn
is Matched. The bass still stay
with their young for ten days
after they are Matched. If these
bass are caught and taken from
the bass bed before the eggs are
Matched, a fungus forms over the
eggs and they do not hatch. If
the bass are caught within the
ten days after the eggs are hatch
ed the young bass are so small
they are generally destroyed by
perch and pickerel or other larger
fish which can be seen along the
shores.
The early bass fisherman gen.
orally uses a wooden minnOr or
a plug. Attached to this plug
is from nine to fifteen hooks.
The bass strikes to drive this in
vader away from its young, and
naturally is caught and generally
killed and the small bass are des-
troyed. 1t requires no skill or
special bait to lure the bass from
their beds and strike; any form
of moving bait near their bed and
they will hit it to drive away from
their young.
If we are to continue to enjoy
fishing one of the gamiest fish
in our inland waters, we must
respect and honor the black bass
law. Anyone who catches a black
bass before the 18th of June will
be preserving thousands of small
bass if they will return this fish
to the water, and naturally IN
crease and preserve our bass so
that the future generations may
enjoy one of our greatest and
healthiest pastimes. Hunting and
fishing is an essential part of our
life and it is the duty of every
American citizen to help protect
and preserve our game and fish.