HOW PIKE AND PICKEREL ARE CAUGHT 151 



brought to net. A No. 2/0 or No. 1/0 wire or gimp 

 snelled hook is the safest and best to use. 



It is a fact that trolling of any kind can be better 

 performed with a rod, no matter what variety of fish 

 is being caught. It gives a spring that a line held in 

 the hand does not, and a reel is of the greatest benefit 

 in addition. 



In good waters, still fishing for pike and pickerel 

 is often practiced, minnows being used, and allowed 

 to swim about by using a light sinker. This fishing 

 requires a great amount of patience ; therefore it is 

 much preferable to troll, to seek the fish if they will 

 not seek you. 



The majority of spoons, as made, have a tuft 

 of feathers fastened about the hooks, and the best 

 advice to give is to remove them at once. A small 

 spoon or spinner with these feathers or a fly attached 

 is particularly good for bass, but not for pike or pick- 

 erel. If any addition to the spoon is needed, which 

 is very rarely, use a minnow, alive or dead, or possi- 

 bly a trailing piece of pork or fish. Several worms 

 looped on the hooks make the spoon much more 

 attractive for pike perch, and occasionally for pike 

 and pickerel as well. 



When winter comes, and most of the fishing 

 waters are frozen over, the majority of fishermen 

 put away their tackle, regretting that their sport is 



