Fish and Fishing 



more hardy and lively than the shiner; for that 

 reason many anglers like them best. If the two 

 mentioned are not available, young perch are 

 good bait, but their spines should be clipped off 



with scissors. 

 This operation, 

 if done neatly 

 and with dis- 

 patch, does not 



impair their vitality. They are better in the early 

 part of the season. Young suckers are also very 

 good bait in low, clear water, and their tough, 

 leathery lips hold well on the hook. The com- 

 mon striped minnow found in little brooks, if a 

 good size, is a very enticing bait, and especially 

 good for trolling or spinning; its lips are too 

 tender to hold on to a single hook, so that it is 

 best to hook it fast through the 

 body. The best length for these 

 baits is about four or five inches. 

 Even a small bass will go for that size, but the 

 big bass like a 

 good-sized bait. 

 In baiting with 

 minnows the hook 

 should be entered 

 through the low- 

 er lip and out Tw - nook minnow, live bait spinner. 



through the nostril ; in this way they will live for 

 some time though a dead one, thus hooked, floats 

 in a natural way. On small streams, while wading 

 the shallows and bars, the bass being very shy, 

 164 



