Part III.] Pond Fish Culture. 109 



The frogs fed were usually from six to twelve inches in 

 length. These the bass took the instant they struck the water. 

 They would then immediately retreat, leaving the surface of 

 the water a swirl of waves. After throwing a few minnows 

 and frogs on the water, we would follow this up with a few 

 pieces of fish, carp or hickory shad, cut in strips, and these 

 would be followed by a few pieces of meat cut in strips three 

 or four inches long, one-half an inch wide, and a quarter of an 

 inch thick. Being fed as above described, the fish soon learned 

 to take strips of bacon, liver, and even beefsteak. At first they 

 were rather shy about taking the meat, but eventually they 

 lerned to take the meat, and seemed to enjoy it. It would take 

 from three to ten pounds of liver or fish cut up to satisfy the 

 appetites of some twenty to fifty fish that might be congre- 

 gated at the feeding station waiting for food. 



After the bass learned to eat the liver and fish (usually Ger- 

 man carp, suckers, quill backs or hickory shad) it was not 

 necessary to cut it in long strips ; it was simply chopped up in 

 small pieces and thrown into the water. Meat and liver were 

 fed in the same manner. Thus, these fish that had not been 

 trained to eat artificial food when young were gradually taught 

 to take a meat diet. Ordinarily, as you will find out for your- 

 self if you carry on experiments. Black bass that have not been 

 taught to eat when young do not care for meat or any kind of 

 food that is not alive. In their native haunts they feed almost 

 entirely upon live animals such as crayfish, frogs and other 

 fish. The younger and smaller specimens eat many insects 

 and crustaceans, but they usually watch for them and catch 

 them while they are alive and in motion. 



Feeding Young Bass. 



We have already given more or less information concerning 

 young bass and their food habits. We found by experimenting 

 that we could feed young bass if we used the proper kinds of 

 food. The feeding was done at places along the shore where 

 the young fish naturally congregated while searching for food. 

 We have fed grasshoppers in the following manner: a bunch 

 of grasshoppers were caught by the use of a net. When we 

 desired to feed them alive they were slightly squeezed in the 

 net until they were crippled so that they could not get away 

 easily. When we desired to feed them dead or cut them up, 

 holding them under the water while in the net and drowning 

 them proved a better and more humane method. The hoppers 

 were then placed on a chopping block and cut up fine with a 

 long, heavy butcher knife. Small bunches of this fine material 

 were thrown upon the water. Little sunfish and other fish 

 would begin feeding on this grasshopper hash, as the boys 

 called it, and it was not long before the little bass would do the 

 same thing. After a few days they took very readily to this 

 kind of feed. 



