164 SCIENCE OF FISHING. 



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have a boatman to row and help you land your fish if you 

 want to be sure of him. A good sized sharp gaff hook is a 

 necessity and a revolver or small rifle to shoot the fish before 

 gaffing is a good thing to have. 



For bait-casting the same rod and reel are correct, also 

 the same bait if you like, but a live bait, fish or frog, is com- 

 monly used. The soft silk line is the only kind for this fish- 

 ing. A leader of four ply twisted gut with a hook having 

 a wire snell and barrel swivel is best. An excellent hook 

 is the Van Vleck, size No. 4, with short chain and wire 

 swivel. The Van Vleck hook has a double barb on the 

 outside of the point. The bait should be a good sized frog 

 or fair sized minnow. It should be well hooked on through 

 the body as it is useless to try to hook it in such a way 

 that it will live any length of time. 



While there are many artificial baits that are very good, 

 it is generally agreed that a natural bait is better and if it is 

 used with a spinner or some arrangement is made to spin 

 the bait, it is all the more attractive. The Archer spinner 

 is excellent. 



Much lighter tackle is used and advised by some anglers 

 but it should be employed only by an expert. A thirty pound 

 muskellunge puts up a tremendous fight and in bad water 

 it may require an hour or more to bring him to gaff. You 

 can tire him much more quickly with a heavy rod and reel 

 than with the light kind and with light tackle there is always 

 more danger of losing a big fish no matter how expert you 

 are with rod and reel. 



If you are using a trolling spoon or any kind of artificial 

 bait strike instantly, as soon as the fish takes the bait, for 

 he will drop it at once when he finds it is not good to eat. 

 With a natural bait on a hook give him time to swallow the 

 bait before you strike. Give a quick, solid jerk to set the 

 hook; then there will be something doing. 



