44 FISH AND GAME. 



The fish is a most excellent game fish, and furnishes great 

 sport to all lovers of angling. In 1912 a bass hatchery was 

 constructed in the town of Palmer, and in 1914 the propaga- 

 tion of this excellent game fish was begun in earnest. At the 

 present time there are brood fish in the ponds, and a large 

 number of small bass should be shipped from this station 

 during 1915 for distribution in suitable waters which already 

 contain bass. 



It is the aim of this department to give all sections of the 

 State as many kinds of fish as is consistently possible. Cape 

 Cod, for instance, should have good salmon and trout fishing 

 as well as white perch, and Berkshire should have white perch 

 as well as trout and pickerel. Waters suitable for salmon will 

 be stocked with salmon, for trout with trout, and so on for 

 white perch, yellow perch, black bass and bullheads. A large 

 number of lakes, shallow but well supplied with good, clear 

 water, rocky bottom and sandy or gravelly shores, are per- 

 fectly suited for small-mouthed black bass, and other shallow 

 lakes, with warmer water and muddy bottom, are ideal for 

 large-mouthed bass. Both species are splendid game fish, and 

 when taken in the same lake afford about the same amount 

 of sport and have similar edible qualities. Large-mouthed bass 

 are mostly taken in muddy, weedy ponds, and when cooked 

 have a flat, muddy flavor. The same fish, if transferred to a 

 cold, clear lake, free from mud, will taste entirely different, 

 and prove a hard, sweet table fish. 



Your commissioners are satisfied that by propagating and 

 planting black bass they will satisfy a large number of anglers. 

 Naturally it will not be policy for the State to supply bass for 

 all lakes and ponds, and it must be left to the discretion of the 

 commissioners to decide as to what waters shall be stocked for 

 the benefit of the bass fishermen. 



The first introduction of black bass into Massachusetts oc- 

 curred in 1850, when 27 specimens from Saratoga, N. Y., were 

 placed in Flax Pond, Wareham, by Samuel Tisdale. Later in 

 the same year 100 others were distributed in White Island 

 Pond, Pickerel Pond, Agawam Mill Pond and Sturtevants 

 Pond, in Wareham, Plymouth and Bourne. This was repeated 



