422 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



amusement, and as a table fish is infinitely its superior. With a 

 light rod, weighing from five to nine ounces, a four-foot leader, and a 

 bass-fly, this fish may be readily taken. The angler should whip 

 the white foaming water below a dam, on some frosty morning 

 using a dark fly or cast upon the same water toward evening with 

 a light fly. He will learn that there are new possibilities for him 

 in the way of sport with a rod." 



One of the most interesting historical notes concerning the lake 

 relates to this fish. A resident of the place writes : 



"As for the salmon (wall-eyed pike) they are a native to Lake 

 Maxinkuckee, also to Yellow River, Mr. - tells me he speared 

 them in both places 30 years or more ago. Other parties tell me 

 the same. I met a Mr. Cobin at Rochester in 1892, and he told 

 me that in 1838 or '39, he and Attorney Entline came by our lake 

 on a return trip from Illinois, and found a band of Indians camp- 

 ing on a hill west of the lake and that the bucks were killing fish 

 with clubs and bows and arrows ; that he never saw the like of fish, 

 and that the squaws were smoking and drying some for winter 

 use." 



The Wall-eye is one of the principal fishes planted in the lake ; 

 they have been planted in large numbers on several occasions; on 

 May 14, 1902, 10,000,000 fry were planted in the lake. 



A sudden chilling of the water seems to benumb these fishes 

 even more than the other fishes of the lake. In the winter of 1900 

 (December 10) when the first skirt of thin ice was formed about 

 the edge of the lake, a large Wall-eye was seen swimming along 

 under the ice on its side. It was easy to kick a hole through the 

 ice and take the fish out. It made very little resistance. On No- 

 vember 14, 1904, which was about the time the lake began to 

 freeze, while rowing to the Weedpatch a fine Wall-eye was seen 

 floating belly up. It was able only to flop feebly when lifted into 

 the boat. 



The nature of the food of the Wall-eye can be best judged by its 

 sharp strong teeth. No other fish in the lake equals it in this 

 respect. Nearly all the stomachs examined, however, were empty 

 or nearly so; a few contained half digested minnows and some 

 contained crawfishes or their remains. One specimen contained 6 

 crawfishes. It is claimed that this fish while being brought 

 through warmer surface water during the process of capture gets 

 sick and disgorges its food. 



Nothing was learned of their spawning habits at the lake. Its 

 habits are, however, well known in this respect, as it was one of 

 the first fishes experimented upon by American fish culturists. 



