PROSPECTING 151 



and on the edges of rocky or sandy bars ; in streams on 

 the riffles and generally in the more shallow water. 

 Fishing off bars, or on them, is almost always successful 

 and the angler should take pains to spot every bar in 

 the stream or lake. 



As the season progresses and the bass seeking cooler 

 waters move out into the deeper portions of the lake 

 the angler must follow them. Casting over the bars 

 and shallows at this time is only successful very early 

 and late in the day when the bass are feeding in-shore. 

 The dissimilarity of taste in the matter of natural and 

 artificial baits shown by bass in even closely adjacent 

 lakes, alluded to above, should be borne in mind by the 

 angler fishing new waters. 



The present tendency of bass fishermen, especially 

 bait-casters, is strongly toward the almost exclusive use 

 of artificial baits; from the standpoint of the practical 

 angler, who uses bait natural or artificial as the circum- 

 stances seem to warrant, the exclusive use of spoons, 

 artificial minnows, and surface baits, to the absolute 

 exclusion of natural bait in any form, is not desirable. 

 When fair success may be had with the artificial baits 

 even although at the same time heavier results could be 

 had with natural bait the use of the artificials is 

 cleaner, simpler, and preferable. But fanatical adher- 

 ence to the artificial baits, for any reason whatever, 

 when the natural is evidently and exclusively preferred 

 by the bass is difficult to justify. 



The prospector for bass, then, should not bring in an 

 adverse decision in regard to any certain pond or lake 

 until a variety of baits have been tried and the bass 



