II 



A Day's Still- Fishing for Great Pike 

 With Live Bait 



It seems wise, even though I have written of still- 

 fishing for muskellunge, to recount the happenings of 

 a day's still-fishing for great pike, with a few sugges- 

 tions regarding the tackle and methods employed. 



I had long considered the great pike a fish to be 

 taken with cast lures, cast live bait, and trolling spoons, 

 though I had never resorted to still-fishing methods 

 with minnows. Just why is not exactly clear in my 

 own mind, as I look back over my ichthyic experiences. 

 There was no thought in my mind that still-fishing 

 was unsportsmanlike, for long ago I came to the con- 

 clusion that sportsmanship consisted of something 

 other than tackle. Probably the chief reason why I 

 had not resorted to still-fishing was because action, 

 movement, effort, have always appealed to me. I got 

 to thinking over the matter, the result being that I 

 resolved upon investigating the merits of still-fishing 

 for great pike. The lake to which I turned my atten- 

 tion was a much-fished Middle West body of water, 

 one from which now and then a good fish was lifted, 

 but only semi-occasionally, because the great pike 

 were very wary as the result of much persecution. I 

 got my minnows, then waited for a "pike day." 



The securing of good minnows for still-fishing for 

 so large a fish as the great pike is something of a 

 problem. In still-fishing the angler can use com- 

 paratively large minnows, from six to eight inches 

 long — young fish in fact. One will not undertake to 

 catch such bait with a minnow dip-net, nor will he, 

 unless, fortunately situated, resort to a seine. About 



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