The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-01-26
FISH AND
FISHING
CHARLES K. MAYER
SEEMING OPERATIONS AT LAKE
MADISON
CHARLES X. MAYER

A visit to Lake Madison while
one of the large nets which are now
used in this work is being drawn
will prove time we'll spent for any
one who has never before witnessed
this interesting sight. The writer
had the pleasure Of making such a
visit with a number Of friends a
few days ago and it proved to be a
very enjoyable and instructive
trip.
Leaving the main highway just
at the foot of the hill before enter
ing the village of Madison Lake and
turning onto the lake a. most beau
tiful sight was unfolded before US.
The long eXpanse Of snow covered
ice stretching out for a number OF
miles made a beautiful foreground
for the winter garbed forested shore
on all sides. The stiffness and the
openness of it all brought the feel,
ing that we were indeed in one OF
Gods open spaces" and as we
looked out upon this pleasing pic
ture it was not hard to realize why
such Fascinating environs make a
lake equally as attractive TO some
people in mid winter as Ii is in
midsummer. AS the car rolled noise
lessly and without seeming effort
over the frozen surface it gave US
a slight thrill to know that there
was only some Rfteen or eighteen
inches of ice between US and thirty
or forty feet OF ice cold water.
After about a two mile drive
across the lake we found Hub
Miller of Saltwater. Minnesota's
most expert seiner, at work with
large nets. MI. Miller has been
secured by State, Game and Fish
Commissioner Avery especially to
seine Lake Madison as he is consid-
cred to be one of the best men in the
business. Mr.. Miller has had many
years of experience as Sefner and
has SEEMING crew on the st. Croix
river between Saltwater and Hud
son that is SEEMING all the year
round. His crews have fished there
for fifteen years or more.
One of the nets which Mr.. Miller
is using at Lake Madison is $500
great width insures it's lower edge
, touching the bottom of the lake at
all times while being hauled SO
that fish cannot escape in that d.
rection and its length makes it pos
sible to reach out long distance
into the lake. The deepest water
in Lake Madison, according to
soundings made last summer, is
about forty five feet.
= To the writer the method Of lay
ing or spreading the net under the
ice is perhaps the most interesting
part Of the entire operation.
4 hnlnc ahnfpf fw0nfV
by twenty feet are cut In the ice;
one near the shore where the water
is about three or four feet deep and
the other at such distance from the
shore as it is thought advisable in
order to cover the water in which
the rough fish are most likely to
be. This distance may only be
thirty or forty feet or it may be
the entire reach of the net. For the
haul which was then being made this
hole was out about 1000 feet: From
in both directions to make as near
ly circle as possible toward the
hole nearest shore small holes OF
a foot or so in diameter are cut
at intervals of about hundred feet
Beginning at the large hole farth
est from the short, a long, narrow
board about a hundred feet long
to one end of which is attached q
long, strong cord, is pushed undel
the ice to the first of the smaller
holes where the cord is anchored
to a small branch or something
stuck Into the hole so it can be
picked up when wanted. The branch
or article, sticking up above the ice
serves also as marker in locating
the hole. The board is then shovet
on to each of the succeeding hole;
and the cord anchored until the en-
tire circle has been completed. Tn'
accuracy and skill with which thi.
board is pushed along under the ic'
from hole to hole, a hundred fee
apart is remarkable We were tolt
that man skilled in this work sci
dom misses one of these holes ant
then by not over few feet, II
which case the board is 'fished" ant
pulled to the hole with hook. !
was said that such an expert viii
push this board along from hole Il
hole around the circle nearly as fas
as a man can walk. AS l write thi
the distance seems small but to SCI
it on the ice 1t looks a long wa!
around.
"A rope is then fastened to- tn,
end of each of the cords at the out
! er hole and they are drawn eacl
way around the semicircle to thu
, landing hole The brazil of the sein