ii2 LAKE AND STREAM GAME FISHING 



husky constitution, is a prime favorite. Besides be- 

 ing an attractive lure for bass, he seems to have as 

 many lives as the proverbial cat, and he is sure on 

 the job every minute he is in the water. The small 

 sucker, redfin or silver-side, darter, slender silver- 

 side, and the blunt-nose minnow will be found good 

 for bait. 



CATFISH AND PERCH AS BAIT 



The small catfish, called by some the stonecat, 

 mad-torn, bullhead or pout, is a bait that will sur- 

 prise the bass fisherman who has never used it. 

 Early and late in the season young yellow perch can 

 be used to advantage in lake fishing, but to get the 

 best results from the perch bait the dorsal fin should 

 be clipped off. This operation does not impair the 

 vitality of the young perch, if done quickly with a 

 pair of scissors or a sharp knife. 



For bass or wall-eyed pike a minnow four to five 

 inches long is about the right size. This size min- 

 now is livelier and will last much longer on the hook 

 than the smaller ones. Even a small bass, a half 

 pounder for instance, will make a drive for this size 

 bait, while it is sure the happy medium for the old 

 granddaddy who has a man's-sized feed bag to fill. 

 As a general thing the big bass like a good mouthful 

 and there is not much chance of using a minnow 

 they cannot handle. Bass seem to have a fancy for 

 minnows from other waters than their own. 



