FISHING FOR BIG-MOUTH BASS 



carried on to an extent hardly to be esti- 

 mated. And, notwithstanding the incessant 

 fishing, the hardy bass manages to thrive and 

 keep its numbers up to an average from year 

 to year. 



The big-mouth bass will strike at a frog, 

 a metal spoon, a minnow, small perch, or a 

 shiner, the different bass flies, and, sad to 

 say, at a piece of pork rind cut in a crudely 

 shaped imitation of a minnow. The " pork- 

 rind " fishermen often get large strings. The 

 big-mouth will also take crawfish, angle- 

 worms, a live mouse, or a piece of perch 

 meat. Early in the season he will " strike " 

 at the " spoon/' or spoon-hook, and many 

 are caught in that way. It is a good, sure 

 way to get fish for the pan, but the " bait- 

 casters " despise it. 



Fishing with a spoon may be by " troll- 

 ing " or trailing a " thumb-nail " spoon on 

 the water some distance from the boat, or it 

 may be by " casting " the spoon and dragging 

 it in circles and lines, or by letting it sink and 

 reeling it up after it has gone down a few 

 yards under water. It requires skill to land 

 a three-pound fish with one of these toys, 

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