86 



in late spring or early summer. The gall worm is a 

 winter bluegill bait. 



Wood borers 



Two types of wood-boring beetle larvae are occa- 

 sionally used as fish bait. One, the flat-headed borer 

 which makes a burrow that is oval in cross-section, is 

 the larva of the metallic wood-borer beetle. The other, 

 the round-headed borer, which makes a burrow round in 

 cross-section, is the larva of the long-horned beetle. 



The female flat-headed borer lays her eggs in bark 

 crevices or injuries on a wide variety of shade, forest, 

 and orchard trees. The larva grows rapidly, feeding 

 first just under the bark, later burrowing into the 

 wood to the depth of an inch or more. When mature, 

 the larva is between 1 and 1^ inches in length, pale 

 yellow except for a dark head, and shows a curious 

 widening and flattening of a few body segments just 

 behind the head. There is one generation yearly; adult 

 females lay eggs throughout the summer. There are many 

 species and a wide range of size. The species just 

 described is typical and is the one most often used as 

 fish bait. 



Many species of round-headed borers exist. A 

 typical life history follows: eggs are laid throughout 

 summer in bark crevices on tree trunks, from a few 

 inches below the soil to several feet above it; larvae 

 require 2 years to develop, during which time they 

 burrow through the wood to a depth of 1 or 2 inches. 

 The full-grown larva is from 1 to li inches long, has 

 a yellow body and a dark-brown head. 



Wood borers are winter bluegill bait and can be 

 obtained from rotten wood, especially dead trees. 



LIFE HISTORIES OF IMPORTANT BAIT FISHES 



Maximum production of minnows in ponds can be 

 achieved through knowledge of the life history of each 

 species being propagated. This knowledge aids in the 

 selection of the species for each pond, in the choice 

 of spawning facilities to be supplied, and in deter- 

 mining the amount and kind of fertilization to be used. 



Pish, like most animals, have definite food 

 preferences. Many feed entirely on tiny drifting 

 plants, others feed on animals, and some feed on both. 

 Some eat only small drifting plankton, others prefer 

 insects, and some take whatever comes along. Food 



