CHAPTER XV. 



ARTIFICIAL BAITS. 



"And therefore I have, which I will show to you, an artificial minnow that 

 will catch Trout as well as an artificial fly ; and it was made by a handsome 

 woman that had a fine hand, and a live minnow lying by her."— Izaak 

 Walton. 



Trollixg-Baits — Spoon-Baits. 



The most commonly-used trolling-bait for Black Bass 

 is the sj3oon-bait or trolling-spoon. It is now made of 

 all shapes, and many sizes ; but all are made upon the 

 same general principle, and are merely variations of the 

 original trolling-spoon, which was fashioned like the 

 bowl of a spoon, a single hook being soldered to one end, 

 and a hole drilled in the other end for attaching the line. 



By trailing or trolling such a spoon at the end of a 

 line from a moving boat, it revolves gracefully beneath the 

 surface of the water, the burnished surfaces flashing at each 

 revolution, and proves quite an effective lure. 



Manufacturers vie with each other in producing novel 

 shapes and so-called improvements, but there is nothing 

 better than the original spoon-bowl with a single hook. 

 The double and triple hooks, usually attached to the mod- 

 ern spoons, are liable to be crushed and broken by the 

 jaws of a large fish, if hooked in a position favorable to 

 this contingency. 



Trolling-spoons are all made with a concave and a con- 

 vex surface ; the latter surface being brightly polished or 



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