Part IL] Pond Fish. 59 



WHERE FISHERMEN FIND CRAPPIES. 



Crappie like to stay near old logs, brush heaps and tree 

 tops, and it is around such places that the wise crapppie 

 fishermen seek for them. At Lake View some of the more 

 enthusiastic piscatorial artists spend considerable time and 

 patience (combined with some labor) in building what they 

 are pleased to call "crappie blinds." Posts are driven one, 

 two or three rods from the shore to which logs. limbs of trees 

 and piles of brush are anchored. Around these improvised, 

 deceivable, would-be shelters many half-witted, unsuspecting 

 and unwary crappie are actually flustrated, deluded and caught 

 by certain semi-professional, somewhat-tricky and none-too- 

 sportsman-like methods that are sometimes employed in cases 

 of emergency by the none-too-partriotic and none-too-scienti- 

 fic fisherman. 



Many times at Lake View the crappie fishermen have their 

 best luck when they fish in the water made more or less roily 

 where buffalo and carp are feeding on the bottom. We have 

 often tried to discover why crappies were found in such 

 places ; whether they sought shelter in the turbid water, natur- 

 ally liked that kind of water, or visited such places for the 

 food that other fish were stirring up. The latter reason 

 seems plausible. 



CRAPPIE AS FOOD FISHES. 



I think that most fishermen and lovers of fish will agree 

 with me that the crappies are to be classed among our best 

 food fishes. When taken from decently pure and clean waters 

 there is nothing in the state of Kansas that equals them, with 

 the possible exception of the Wall-eyed pike, medium-sized 

 Black bass and Channel cats. The flesh of the crappie is 

 white, firm and clean, being free from certain parasites that 

 are frequently found in other fishes. The bones are not 

 troublesome if the fish has been properly dressed, with fin 

 bones and rays removed and nothing left in the flesh except 

 the back-bone and a few ribs. When properly cooked the 

 white, flaky, juicy flesh can be removed from the bones with 

 a fork, and it has an exceptionally fine and delicate flavor, 

 suited to please the most fastidious palate. 



CRAPPIES GOOD POND FISH. 



In view of what has been stated concerning our knowledge 

 of the crappies and their ability to adapt themselves to the 

 various waters and climatic conditions of Kansas, they must 

 be considered as among our very best general-purpose pond 

 fishes. The Black or Calico crappie is generally considered 

 to be a fish that naturally likes and belongs to the clearer and 

 cooler waters of regions further east and north, yet it has 

 done well in Kansas ponds and streams. At Lake View the 

 Black (or Giant crappie, as fishermen call it) does exceed- 



