The Washington times., 1923-01-21
MID WINTER
FISHING FOR
JACK OR PIX b
February and March Ideal
Months to Try Your Luck
With the Fighters.
By r. a. ANrLER.

NGLERS who appreciate
/ ~ the fighting qualities Of
the pike family are look
ing over their tackle. preparatory
to making their initial fishing trip
Of 1928. February and March are
ideal months Tor this arm Of the.
angling game, especially III this
locality The fish seem to have
more fight and put up \ stronger
battle in the early months than 1t
/ any time Of the year.
Although the pike may not equal
the bass FOR gameness, neverthe.
less he II i fighter ana VEN de.
serves the class distinction 81
game fish. From the nifnuss IL
| Ii hooked Until the angler finally
brings him within landifak net dis.
lance there Il one continual con-
fIict.
The early months find him near
tine ieadwatsrs Of streams, where
he makes his hor1s and seeks pro-
lection among sths thick grasses.
Al the months bocDnle. warmer and
new groNths Of grass form, he
Iventures out into deep water
where ne remains throuGhout the
summer ana tall
IBArTs USED.
The pike, with his vice-like Jaws.
Iis q quick bitter and win make for
most any object III motion, not
i with the idea Of killing, but to
4 satisfy his everlasting appetite.
Live bait, ninnows and frogs are
lemployed by anglers with telling
Ieffecte. Artificial lures, spoons ana
iplugs, are also brought into play,
but the user must be familiar with
rod and reel to procure the best
results
TACKLE.
Most anglers use the same tackle
for pike fishing that they use for
bassirig, that is 70 say q rod
weighing Ia the neighborh0od Of
six ounces. with b twelve 10 if
1 teen pound test line. The lighter
the outfit, the more sp0rtslnanlike.
lEORE.TEETH DAYS.
There Is d belief among many
Il pike fishermen that the fighter
/ sheds his teeth during the month
.Iof August, but the Bureau 81
Fisheries knows nothing Of the
Hsore-mOuth period.
The late Dixie Carroll said:
About the middle 81 August the
muslky loses his teeth and his
mouth Is tn such shape that II
takes something mighty aegrapat-
Ing to arouse enough anger 70
make him forget his sore rnoIarp
and strike.
september tenth of last season /
examined three llluslxy caught on
that day, and III the mouth 81
leach was q new set Of sIarp-edeed
teeth, firmly set. while. hanging
loosely ii the back, were stiii the
remains of old teeth. which had
not entirely parted company with
their owner.
PIKE FAMILY.
Louis Rhead, Ia .:The Book 81
Fish and Fishing !, says:
/ The pike family are most re-
lmarlable for the larse size az the
head which ID fIattened and the
lower Jaw which projects. They
i have q terrible array Of sharp
teeth OF assorted sizes, ana on the
edge Of each side 81 the lower law
are several long, bayOnet shaped
fangs in the larger fish nearly an
inch long. some Of them curved in
ward like the tusks or = bean"
IKE AND PIKE.
Izaak Walton had this to say
In regard to the pike:
All pixies that live long are
Ichargeable TO their keepers: be-
cause their life Ii maintained by
the death OF 80 many other fish,
ieven those OF HIS own kind, which
has made him by some writer's, to
be called the tyrant OF the rivers.
or the fresh water wolf, BY reason
OF his bold. greedy, devouring dis
position, which is SO keen, as Ges-
ner relates, that man going into
q pond where 1t seems pike had
devoured all the fish to water his
mule, had a pike bite his mule by
the lips, to which he hung so fast,
that the mule drew him out of the
water, and, by that accident. the
owner OF the mule got the pike.
And the same Gesner observes, that
q maid in Poland had q pike bite
her by the foot, as she was wash.
ing clothes in q pond. And / have
heard the like OF a woman in KILL
ingsworth pond, not far from Gov.
entry. But have been assured by
my friend Mr.. Seagrave, who keeps
tanned offers, that he hath known
q pike In extreme hunger, fight
with one of his offers for q carp
that hle otter had caught, ana was
then bringing him out Of the water.
II have told you who relate these
things and tell you they are per-
sons of credit, and shall conclude
this observation by mentioning to
you what wise man has obsefv.
ed: It, is hard thing to persuade
the belly, because it has no ears.
But il these relations be dlsbe-
lieved, it 10 too evident to be
doubted, that a pike will devcur 4
fish Of his own kind, that shall be
bigger than his belly, or throat will
receive, and swallow part OF him,
and let the other part remain in
his mouth till the swallowed part
Is diEested, and then by degrees
swallow the other part also; which
is not unlike the OK, and some other
beasts, taking their meat out OF
their mouth into their belly. but
first into some place betwixt, and
then chew it, and digest It after.
which is called, chewing the cud.
And doubtless, pixies will bite when
they are not hungry. but, as some
think, in very anger, when &
tempting bait comes near them.