Fish and Fishing 



pike have reached a fine art, and much of their 

 tackle is in common use here; but their methods 

 are not copied, I think to our disadvantage. 

 They lack the splendid array of artificial lures 

 invented, and now in common use here. 



Pickerel fishing is miniature pike fishing, with 

 everything on a much smaller scale ; the length of 

 minnows should not be more than three inches; 

 frogs same size, with legs stretched, 

 or large frog legs only if skinned and 

 hooked in the centre, are good bait. A piece of 

 bacon rind, cut in the shape of a minnow, often 

 does good service; the cut-out lower belly of the 

 perch with two red fins at top is a good trolling, or 

 skittering, lure. Skittering is a method favorably 

 known and in use all over the country. It is 

 merely skittering or fluttering the lure on the sur- 

 face of the water near lily pads and pickerel 

 • weeds. The movement is made by 

 sharp wrist twitches, to which the rod 

 responds smoothly, moving the lure in jumps 

 of about a foot. Cast from open water, or from 

 the shore, in a light and delicate way, so as not to 

 kill the bait. Drop it just as if the frog or min- 

 now was jumping, not with such force as to smash 

 the life out of it, or send it spinning away from 

 the hook. In trolling keep the boat always 

 on the move, slowly and steadily; if a stoppage 

 occurs reel in, because the bait sinks and is likely 

 to get fast to snags and stumps. If the fish goes 

 for the lure, and misses, go right on; don't stop, 

 but return on the round to the spot it was taken 

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