TIPS FROM THE GUIDES 141 



larger the spoon the larger the fish, but I've caught 

 'em up to 40 pounds with a little fellow, and I stick 

 to that kind because it gets the fish. 



" Striking at the right time is another point," he 

 said as we started work on the piping hot grub, fit 

 for a king at least it tasted so after a day's steady 

 work at casting. " With the plugs they don't strike 

 soon enough and with the natural bait they strike too 

 soon. Unless a fish hooks itself by accident when 

 he hits the artificial plug, the majority of fishermen 

 are not ready to strike at the right time. You've 

 got to strike 'em the minute they hit the plug or they 

 throw it out. I think where the fall-down comes is 

 in not practicing the transfer of the rod from the 

 right to the left hand. Just before the plug hits the 

 water, the reel should be stopped, and, while the rod 

 is being swung from the right to the left, the retrieve 

 of the plug should be started by a backward move 

 of the rod. This takes up the slack at the start, 

 gives your lure the right position, and still you have 

 enough space to swing the rod farther back to strike 

 your fish quickly if you get a strike. With the live 

 minnows, however, these same fellows never give the 

 fish a chance to swallow the bait. The bass, pike, 

 pickerel or wall-eye generally takes but a small hold 

 on the live bait and striking at that time, before he 

 gets a chance to take it away for a short run, just 

 pulls the bait out of his mouth. I say let 'em swal- 

 low it they ought to at least have that pleasure 



