Adventures with the Biggest Bass 



The great fish, to my mind, was a failure, though I 

 have been told that smaller ones up the coast of 

 Florida, where they live in holes, are very gamy, and 

 have been taken with a rod. They are found on the 

 South Atlantic coast, at Cuba, and on the Texas 

 shore, and on the Pacific side of Central America 

 there is another species. The smaller specimens are 

 game, and are frequently taken when they follow a 

 small fish that has been hooked, swallowing it, hook 

 and all. When placed in the wells of fishermen they 

 will, it is said, prey upon the other occupants, and to 

 prevent it the fishermen sew up their mouths. The 

 term jewfish is probably a corruption of June fish, as 

 in that month they bite most frequently. The strik- 

 ing feature of the jewfish is its size, often, it is said, 

 in Cuban waters, ranging up to six or seven hundred 

 pounds. I can imagine that some individuals may 

 display some hard fighting, but judging from my 

 own experience, I cannot commend the Florida jew- 

 fish, though the small fish which are found in its 

 vicinity will well repay the angler. 



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