322 GAME FISH OF NORTH AMERICA. 



visits under like circumstances, to the same locality, have failed to 

 find the fish. Owing to the uncertainty of their feeding grounds, 

 not a great many of these fish are usually taken in the summer 

 season. Sometimes we take them with the spoon trolling, but as 

 they are a bottom-feeding fish, they are more generally taken with 

 minnow or piece of fish still-fishing. I have taken a number with 

 the fly ; it must be gaudy, larger than a bass fly and shotted with 

 a buckshot put on as near the head of the fly as possible. As soon 

 as the lake freezes over the slaughter of these fish begins right on 

 the grounds selected for spawning. They are taken through the 

 ice by the thousand, and the slaughter continues until the ice is 

 gone ; by this time the breeding season is over, and what were not 

 taken by the hook have departed to other waters and resumed 

 their roving habits. Live bait only will answer for winter fishing. 

 [For description of pike-perch, see Northern Inland Fishes.] 



Jack Salmon or Sand Pike. — Lucioperca pepiniis. Estes. 



A fine food fish weighing from one-half to three pounds. 

 Color yellowish brown, and spotted very much like the rattle- 

 snake. Resembles very much the pike perch ; in fact its specific 

 characteristics are almost identical ; so much so, that one is often 

 taken for the other by those not fully conversant with both. They 

 are free biters and are taken with minnow bait. Spawn in April 

 and May, Dr. D. C. Estes first discovered this fish in Lake Pepin 

 and because he had never seen him described or named, called 

 him, years ago, Lucioperca pepinus. He must certainly be 

 classed with the pike-perch. 



Buffalo Perch or Grunting V^^cu.—Ha^loidonotus grunniens. Raf. 



A large stout shouldered fish of bluish grey color ; scales 

 large, fins greyish olive, with sucker mouth ; snout very thick, 

 blunt and short ; meat very coarse and hard ; not fit to be eaten, 

 but the pot-fishermen sell numbers of them to the uninitiated. 

 The grunting habit of this fish is well established. It is not, 

 however, a grunt, but rather a kind of drumming or gurgling 

 sound. Size from five to fifteen pounds. 



