H2 CASTING TACKLE AND METHODS 



avail and surface-underwaters, unless weighted to 

 make them absolute underwaters, are almost lureless. 

 I speak from years of experience and experimenta- 

 tion. I can take almost any surface lure, attach a 

 sinker in front of the gimp of sufficient weight to 

 attain the required depth, and catch fish when they 

 haunt the bottom. However, there are underwater 

 lures that will perform the service more satisfac- 

 torily. The angler can govern the depth at which 

 the lure travels by reeling slow or fast. Of course 

 the heavier the lure the faster it needs must move 

 in order to keep free of the bottom. 



It is surprising what a slow-moving underwater 

 will accomplish deep down on a hot mid-summer day. 

 Cast it out into deep water and let it sink well down 

 before you begin to reel, then slowly retrieve the 

 lure. I need not add that "any old place" will not 

 do, bass have hot weather lurking places even as 

 they .have preferred shallows for surface feeding. 

 I am acquainted with one bass-lake, twenty rods or 

 so from the outlet of which there is a deep hole 

 the natives say "bottomless," of course where bass 

 retired during hot portions of the day. I discovered 

 accidently that to slowly troll a spoon, thirty feet 

 under water, was to stir those lazy bass to attack. 

 Naturally it was only a step to underwater lures of 

 the minnow type : they worked. On rivers, too, the 

 angler often discovers that his minnow type of lure 

 will bring net results in a manner truly surprising. 



