BAIT-CASTER AND BASSES 89 



but principally to the fact that at this time the fish are 

 in very deep water. August, especially, is a very poor 

 month; a succession of still, sultry days and nights is 

 the usual thing for almost the entire month. By day 

 the lake or river lies quiet and glassy in the blazing 

 heat of the sun, and often the nights in the full of the 

 moon are nearly day-light. As a consequence the bass 

 seek the coolness to be found only in the deepest water 

 and are distinctly off their feed. Successful bass fish- 

 ing under such conditions should not be expected, and 

 yet it is probably a fact that more bass fishing is done 

 in August than in any other month. August is the 

 generally accepted and duly accredited American vaca- 

 tion month. The summer bass angler who confines his 

 fishing to the early morning hours, and again from sun- 

 down until dark, when the bass run into the shallows to 

 some extent, will sometimes have fairly good sport. 

 The bait-caster, especially, fishing early and late, may 

 have fair success. But, however much bass fishing is 

 done in the summer time, the angling at this time is 

 not really satisfactory. 



There are two periods in the year when bass fishing 

 is at its best, and neither of them is of long duration. 

 Weather being favorable, the first two or three weeks 

 of the open season, when the bass are still generally in 

 the rather shallow water, is a very good time to select 

 for a bass fishing trip. Bait-casting and fly-fishing may 

 then be depended upon for making good catches of 

 either large- or small-mouthed bass; the bait-caster 

 will make good scores with either surface or sinking 

 lures, and the fly-caster, fishing in streams known to 



