92 PRACTICAL BAIT CASTING 



at unexpected times usually when you have hooked 

 your biggest fish. 



The products of reputable makers are always well 

 made. The wood is flawless cedar, treated to pre- 

 vent warping, the colors are permanent and the cellu- 

 loid enamel, besides giving a desirable flashiness, will 

 stand a lot of use and abuse, before chipping. The 

 spinners spin, the hooks are strong and properly placed, 

 the weight and size are so related that the bait rides in 

 the water properly and the metal is heavily plated to 

 guard against rust. Metal baits are not so easily 

 imitated cheaply and most of them can be relied upon. 



With a reasonable amount of care, a well-made 

 plug will last several seasons. Slamming it against 

 rocks or pilings is bound to put the hooks and spinners 

 out of commission, and eventually to crack the enamel. 

 Keep the hook points well filed, and beware of rust 

 it dulls the hooks, loses fish, and there is less danger 

 of infection if you accidently get caught on a bright 

 hook. Incidentally, if you should get hooked with the 

 barb well in, heroic treatment is necessary push the 

 hook all the way through and then cut it off with a 

 pair of pliers. Tincture of iodine is a good antiseptic 

 and a small vial of it should be carried on trips into 

 the wilderness. 



Many theories have been advanced as to why a 

 fish will attack an artificial bait. Some think it arouses 

 the appetite of the fish, that the fish that strikes some 

 time or other has eaten something of the same color. 

 Others say that the fish's fighting or killing instinct is 



