PROSPECTING 149 



take a bass or two off a certain patch of weeds or 

 rushes, another at the point of an old tree fallen in the 

 water, and in a number of other places which become 

 well known to you. Eventually you "go the rounds" 

 visiting these spots in rotation and seldom fishing the 

 rest of the lake. But, in all probability, the next season 

 you will have to start out prospecting again, to learn 

 anew where the bass are living. 



In view of these things it should be manifest that the 

 angler when visiting new waters in search of bass is 

 playing against heavy odds, particularly if his time is 

 limited and the lake is a large one. Some time ago the 

 writer and a friend to say nothing of two excessively 

 heavy pack baskets, two phenomenally weighty rifles, 

 and two ridiculously ponderous oars packed through 

 the woods to a lake "swarming with large, gamey black 

 bass." Arriving at the lake a little after noon we found 

 the boat we had expected to use swamped in six feet 

 of water and impossible to raise the moral is obvious. 

 So we prospected for a craft and found one, a fine little 

 boat that leaked not a drop and floated like a duck and, 

 wonder of wonders, was not locked. Later we learned 

 that this was the only other boat on the lake. This 

 craft we promptly requisitioned and the morality of 

 this is not so obvious. 



While eating our lunch we visually prospected the 

 lake, looking for the best fishing water; apparently it 

 was all about equally good and very good. All around 

 the lake shore were fine patches of weeds, lily pads, and 

 rushes; here and there large boulders showed above the 

 surface, indicating fine rocky bars ; and many large pine 



