GREAT PIKE AND LIVE BAIT 



continuous "boom." The deep water lay within the 

 boom and I was upon the shore. So I cast some fifty 

 feet beyond the boom and, as luck would have it, 

 hooked a big — for the water — great pike. Fortunately, 

 the bank upon which I was standing was somewhat 

 elevated above the surface of the water. Reeling in as 

 rapidly as I could get the fish to travel, I waited until 

 he was at the edge of the boom, then, holding the tip 

 of my rod high in air, I gave a sudden strong jerk of 

 the line, with the result that the great pike leaped out 

 of the water and fell upon my side — the shore side — of 

 the boom. "Luck?" Well, perhaps, but it worked 

 out as I planned it. The fact of the matter is, the re- 

 sourceful angler can overcome almost any difficulty, 

 circumvent the most crafty great pike, if he only 

 thinks he can and keeps his head. 



Naturally, not all rivers, and few lakes, can be 

 fished from the shore. Ofttimes, usually, the water 

 near the shore is shallow, or obstructions upon the 

 bank make casting impossible. Yet it is surprising 

 how much fishing the shore angler can get if he but 

 keeps at it. I have even waded out into a lake waist- 

 deep and cast successfully, something of a trick, as 

 the reader will find if he undertakes.it. Once I hooked 

 a goodly great pike, so standing, and the fish dashed 

 between my legs, to the travail of my soul and the 

 fish's liberty, not to mention the result of the taut 

 line against my bare legs. 



Still-fishing for great pike with live bait has not 

 been productive of results with me. I can count the 

 fish so caught upon the fingers of one hand, perhaps 

 because the waters fished were not adapted to the 



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