396 Rooscirll Wild Life Anmils 



such as phantoms, spoons, and spinners, which may Ije used with or without hait. 

 Casting and 'skittering' is perhaps the favorite method with sportsmen, who use 

 a long rod or pole and casting spoon or fish or frog bait. In this method the bait 

 may be a whole shiner or a strip from the white belly of any fish; a whole small 

 frog, or the skinned leg of a large one, or at times a piece of pork, red flannel, or 

 white cloth, when nothing better is available. In fishing with artificial lures of 

 any kind the pickerel should be struck the instant it bites : with natural bait the 

 line should be slackened and the fish should lie allowed to retain the bait until it has 

 swallowed it or got it well into the mouth, as it usually takes the bait crosswise, 

 then stops and works it round endwise to swallow it, and does not get the hook 

 into its mouth until it has begun to swallow the bait. 



"Still fishing with live shiner or frog is another method suitable to anglers 

 with less strenuous dispositions. In still fishing the shiner should be hooked 

 through the back just in front of the back fin with the point of the hook toward 

 the head, with care not to injure spine of the fish. A frog should be hooked 

 through the tip of the lower jaw and nose. Fishing through the ice with set lines 

 and hand lines is a common pastime or occupation in many localities. The set 

 lines are used with a "tip-up" flag showing when there is a bite. Hand-line fishing 

 in winter is much the same as still fishing in summer." 



In small bodies of water this fish may have its numbers seriously depleted in 

 a short time by fishing for it through the ice. for at times all seem to gather at one 

 place and take the bait voraciously (Kendall. '13, ]). -'3; '17, p. 33; '18, p. 584). 



References. Baker, '16. '18; Bean, '03: Knihody. '15. '18; Evermann and 

 Kendall, '96; Goldberger. '11 ; Greeley. '27; Jordan and Evermann, '96; Kendall, 

 '13, '17, '18; Kendall and Goldsborough, '08; LaRue. '14; I.cidy. '04: Nash. '08; 

 Pratt. "23 : Rvder. '87 ; Smith. '07 ; Stiles and Hassall. ' u ; \'an Cleave. '23 : Ward, 

 '10, '11, '18; Wilson, '92; Wright and Allen, '13. 



Esox lucius Linnaeus. Common Pike, Lake Pickerel. This species is 

 common in Oneida Lake but not so abundant as the Chain Pickerel. It appears 

 to attain a large size there. Fishermen recognize two species of pickerel in the lake 

 and this larger form is called by them the "Common Pike, or Laker," and some- 

 times the "Spotted Pickerel," in distinction from the reticulated Chain Pickerel. 

 Mr. George H. Travis of Cleveland told us that these pike are sometimes taken at 

 the present time weighing from 15-20 pounds, and that there are quite a few 

 caught that weigh around eight pounds. About thirty-five years ago one weighing 

 25 pounds was taken in Oneida Lake. 



Breeding Habits and Life History. This species breeds in early spring, 

 shortly after the ice leaves, or even in winter (Bean, "03, p. 301). According to 

 Embodv ('18, p. 253), the pike spawn at the southern end of Cayuga Lake a week 

 or more after they begin to enter the marshes, which takes place at the time the 

 ice leaves (about the middle of March). Allen ('14. ]>. 5S ) also notes their run- 

 ning at Ithaca with the disappearance nf the lev. inid while the inlet nl ( ayuga 

 Lake is still full of floating ice the I'ike are along the shore trying to enter the 

 marshes, and here they spawn in large numbers during March and April. Embody 

 notes that temperature seems to determine the spawning time because the act occurs 

 when the water a])proaches 8° C. (46.4° F.). They appear to begin sjiawning a 



