270 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



the grasshopper boy sold 140 dozen white grubs at 5 cents a dozen, 

 or $7.00. The grubs are a very kilHng bait as long as they last 

 for any fish with mouth large enough to take them. Of all species 

 perhaps the rock bass is the one that likes them best. 



Angleworms are always in demand and can usually be depended 

 on to appeal strongly to rock bass, crappie, calico bass, yellow perch 

 and bluegills ; and, when properly impaled, they are not without 

 attraction to bass and walleyed pike. Perhaps they possess the 

 greatest charm to the goggle-eye and yellow perch, and it is a poor 

 angler, indeed, who, when armed with a liberal supply of angle- 

 worms, can not reach the lawful limit of these species. Fortu- 

 nately for the fish, the region about Lake Maxinkuckee is entirely 

 too sandy for angleworms, and those who wish to use this old 

 familiar bait must bring them from other more favored localities. 



Frogs are not much used for bait at this lake. Small examples 

 of the common leopard frog (Rana pipiens), and the little cricket 

 frog (Acris gryllus) , are the species most used. At times good 

 catches of straw bass have been made with these by casting along 

 the edges of patches of Scirpus or lily-pads, particularly in Lost 

 Lake. In the fall of the year when it is a little too cold for grass- 

 hoppers and a little too Vv^arm for minnows, black crickets (Gryllus 

 abbreviatus) are sometimes used with good results. These crick- 

 ets can be had late in the fall after grasshoppers have practically 

 disappeared. Favorite places to find them are in tiles lying on the 

 ground or under pieces of old canvas or tarpaulin lying spread out 

 on the ground. By examining such situations early in the morning 

 large numbers may often be found. Crickets are most attractive 

 to bluegills and goggle-eyes. 



Of the various kinds of cut bait cut fish is probably most used 

 and most popular, as well as most easily obtained. An eye, a 

 pectoral fin, or a piece of flesh of a yellow perch, is quite attractive 

 to goggle-eyes, yellow perch and sometimes, to bluegills ; occasion- 

 ally good catches of crappie, calico bass, and even small-mouth 

 bass can be made with this sort of bait. 



Mussels or freshwater clams are not much used except by the 

 long cane pole fishermen who are after goggle-eyes, bluegills and 

 yellow perch. The "foot" is the part of the mussel generally used. 



Crawfish are frequently used for bait. Small soft ones are 

 often used whole; larger ones are cut up and only the fleshy part 

 of the tail made use of. This sort of bait is of course used only 

 in still fishing. 



