I have a report of some Florida boys who were taking large- 

 mouth black bass in unlikely waters by a method which, again, 

 has certain hazards, but the appeal of novelty. The boys 

 attracted the bass by catching several live bumblebees, putting 

 them in a one-gallon glass jug, and weighting the jug so that it 

 descended to bottom. There the flying about of the bees brought 

 the bass, and the lowered baits did the rest. 



In my own way, I discovered a means of initiating Florida 

 novitiates to the fish-teeming facts of life in that area. On my 

 front lawn stood a large Australian pine. To this I affixed a long 

 sash cord. On the far end of that I put a cable leader and a large 

 hook. Near the tree end of this line, I took up a couple of yards 

 of slack and tied in it a bundle of eight heavy door springs. This 

 rig, in other words, was a set line and the springs were to give 

 it play in the event of a strike. For bait I used a whole crawfish 

 tail or a whole fish of half a pound or so. Under scrutiny of 

 scornful tourists, friends, and new arrivals, I would tie a heavy 

 sinker to my rig and toss it overboard from my sea wall. I would 

 then fix an elephant bell, which someone had brought me from 

 India, to the tree end of the line. Then I would go about my 

 business. 



Bear in mind that the rig lay in water which surrounded a 

 suburban tropical community a place where people swam, 

 aquaplaned, and bottom-fished for grunts. Often I have been 

 interrupted at dinner, or during a bridge game, or even in my 

 slumbers at night, by the melodious chiming of the elephant 

 bell. Then, with my skeptical guests, I have gone out and bat- 

 tled, on my own lawn, 2oo-pound sharks and rays as heavy both 

 leopard and stingaree. Furthermore, on half a dozen occasions, 

 this powerful rig has been snapped and carried away by what? 

 I don't know. Enormous sharks, perhaps. Big jewfish. Some- 

 thing. Don't ask me. When an unseen fish gets away in Florida- 

 even in the middle of a city, it could be a lot of things. 



Harpooning fish in lakes, rivers, and brooks is regarded as a 

 tame, even unsportsmanlike, activity. A harpooning expedition 

 around the Florida Keys at night is something else. A rowboat 

 will do; a square-ended boat is better; and with a pipe railing 



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