The Washington times., 1923-02-11
PRIZES GIVEN
TO WINNERS IN
ANGLING GAME

lVictors Show Ability With Rot
and Reel During 1922 ant
Garry Off Top Honors.
BY r. A. ANGLER.
IUVHE winners In the 1922 fish
| ing contest, conducted by tht
Atlas Sporting Goods House
have just been announced by thai
firm. The victors should feel {
bit chesty in putting it over theil
opponents, as the past seasor
brought out more contestants thar
has ever before been recorded
Three valuable and useful trophies
were offered for the largest fish
caught in their respective class
namely large-mouthed bass, small
mouthed bass and striped bass ol
rockfish.
Luck. Of course, plays an i'm
portant part In the career OF every
fisherman, but he must be familiar
with the art Of angling II prize
fish are expected to be landed. II
is not merely a case OF casting
ones lure into the unknown deer
and trusting to luck. For very
few big game fish are ever landed
by the inexperienced. He may
hook the big ones, but bringing
them to hay Is an entirely differ.
ent proposition. Therefore, let ii
be understood that the winners in
the contest were all proficient ang.
lers and deserving Of top honors
While the prize fish were OF
extraordinary size and might well
be termed giants In their several
tribes, they failed by several
pounds to equal the offerings that
carried off high scores in the 1921
contest.
The contest was conducted under
the following rules TO make sure no
ringers" would slip in. The fish
must be caught with rod, reel and
line or hand line, weighed in with
satisfactory proof OF the catch, not
later than forty-eight hours after
being caught. anywhere on the
Potomac river or tributaries, from
Occoquan to Harpers Ferry.
STRIPED BASS.
Charles Bennett, known among
local anglers as one OF the best
handlers OF big fish that frequent
the Potomac, was declared winner
in the rockfish class. His ten,
pound striper was landed on Decor,
alton Day opposite Fletchers boat
house. An eye witness to the land
ing said: 1T was the cIeanest BIZ
of angling seen during the rockfish
season."
Joe Fletcher, who was crowned
king Of rock fishermen the year
previous. threatened to repeat his
performance again in 1922, but fell
short several ounces. Fletcher's
prize rock in 1921 weighed eighteen
pounds, proving conclusively that
last year was not up to the stand
ard for monster fish.
BIG-MOUTHED BASS.
Piscataway creek furnished the
fall anglers some wonderful sport
last year. In fact one Of the best
catches ever made in the creeks OF
the lower Potomac was registered
on November 5, by party OF
anglers consisting of John Buck
ingham, Glib" Poole, Dave Poole
and Harry Wendle. This quartet
landed over twenty-seven fish that
weighed three pounds or better.
Two weeks later A. p. Hare, OF
Fontanet Courts, fishing in the
historic creek, landed his prize fish
OF the season, q four and one-quar.
ter pound big.mouthed bass on
live bait. The fish was kept alive
and weighed in the following day
when 1t was presented to the Blu,
reau Of Fisheries.
When last heard from the bass
was thriving nicely In his trans.
parent home at Sixth and 3
streets. In fact, 1t was the ONLY
fish. Of it's species on exhibition al
the Fish Commission, the other
slow gamesters having died from
one cause or another.
As / have previously stated. the
game fish Of last season failed to
measure up to the high mark SET
in 1921. This is shown In the big.
mouthed bass class. The winninR
fish In 1921 was landed by Paul
Barstow and weighed six and one
half pounds. Paul also landed an
other creditable fighter during the
same season that balanced five
pounds, seven ounces. Both fish
were taken on artificial lures.
SMALL-MOUTHED BASS.
In the broken waters of the
upper Potomac at Pennyfield's, Ed
Kemper hooked and successfully
landed his best bet of the season, a
three-pound, thirteen-ounce small
mouthed bass.
He also landed two other bass or
TINS same day, which by way of rec
ora was November IL. The smaller
orace OF brethren weighed two
pounds and one and one-halt
pounds each. The three fish were
taken on live bait, smelt.
Ed has made quite a record TO,
himself in recent years as a "get
ter OF big fish. In 1921 he ran
third, his three pound, two ounce
bass being beaten by w. r
Knowles prize four-pound, three
ounce bass and Paul McKfnney's
three and one-half pound gamester
1t was in 1920 that Ed beat al
competitors In the small.mouthef
bass class, with a record fish tbat
weighed four pounds and fourteen
ounces.