84 Fish and Game Warden. [Bull. No. 1. 



pression to some fisherman's lore and divulged some secrets 

 that every member of the Catfish Aristocracy Club knows 

 and cherishes as gems of knowledge that never fail in their 

 ominous portentions : 



"No use fishing during thunder storms; better dig bait, for the 

 "catties" are hid away in deep water and do not bite. 



"No better bait in the world than big, fat fish worms. 



"Old, strong cheese is a powerful good bait to attract them. 



"A little anise oil or asafoetida on the bait works wonders, but don't 

 tell the other fishermen. 



"The dark of the moon is the best time to fish for "catties." When 

 caught in the light of the moon the meat shrinks up on the bones 

 powerful bad, same as it does with chickens and pigs. 



"The bullhead ain't worth nothing during dog days. 



"They bite least when the wind is in the east; they bite best when 

 the wind is in the west; but they bite good when the wind blows up 

 stream. 



"Nothing better — not even possum meat — than bullheads fried brown 

 in bacon grease and eaten with hot corn-pone." 



The Bullhead as a Game Fish. 



The bull head does not take the hook with a quick, active 

 dash like the sunperch, but is slow and deliberate in its move- 

 ments. The cork that is being closely watched by the anxious 

 fisherman will move off slowly and it frequently stops a num- 

 ber of times before it is finally. pulled under and out of sight. 

 Just as the cork is going out of sight is the time to jerk, so 

 my small boy George, (who has become quite an expert bull- 

 head fisherman,) tells me. This same rule held good among 

 boy fishermen forty years ago. However, it is a poor rule, as it 

 frequently allows the fish to swallow the hook. When the 

 fish is hooked it puts up a stout, persistent, bull-like or bull- 

 headed fight for one of its size. When caught these fish must 

 be handled with care, as their stout, sharp pectoral and dorsal 

 spines have inflicted many a painful would in the hands of 

 the inexperienced. 



The bullheads have not only afi'orded pleasure and sport 

 for thousands of enthusiastic boys and old-time hickory-pole 

 fishermen, but have also furnished them with millions of 

 messes of good fish. Dr. G. Brown Good, former assistant 

 secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and one of America's 

 greatest authorities on fish, says, speaking of the bullhead: 

 "If taken from clear, cold water, it is very palatable when 

 properly cooked, even delicious, in texture and flavor resem- 

 bhng the eel." 



Dr. Jordan, of Stanford University, says : "All the species 

 are good food fishes." 



