CASTING LURES 113 



I am not telling you which lure to employ; that you 

 must determine for yourself; all have taken fish and 

 will take fish again. 



It is truly surprising how attractive a simple 

 wooden or metal minnow, unadorned by spoon or 

 feather, will prove occasionally. Unfortunately the 

 makers of that type of minnow apparently are not 

 bass fans, for the hooks attached are trailers, while, 

 as pointed out before, black bass always strike from 

 the side. Not always, therefore, will the eager 

 angler hook his fish, saying, perhaps, that the bass 

 are "biting short," when they would be captured if 

 only his lure were provided with a body hook. A 

 rear hook is all right for pike, pike-perch and trout, 

 but almost useless for side-striking bass. I have 

 taken a well-known metal minnow German silver 

 bored a hole just aft of the pectorial fins, or 

 rather where those fins should be, attaching a hook. 

 For the reader's information I will only add, it 

 worked. The simple minnow, wood or metal, is a 

 good lure for deep fishing, casting or trolling. 



It is only a step, and a natural one, from the sim- 

 ple minnow, to the minnow shaped lure provided 

 with whirlers, scintilating bits of metal fore and aft, 

 which adds wonderfully to a lure's attractiveness. 

 The angler can not help being impressed with the 

 constancy of the minnow form in this class of lures, 

 some round, some four-sided, others almost flat; all 

 appearing fish-like when drawn through the water, 



