88 Thlrtif-scrcntli Annual Meeting 



collections then at or near Copperas Creek dam, some distance 

 above Meredosia, by use of a small steamer and bad taken from 

 one large flat lily pond about 40,000 bass fry. As I remember 

 it now, Dr. T. H. Bean, at that time with the United States Fish 

 Commission, was with us on one of the down trips. We put the 

 fry so collected into the spring ])ond to hold, until cars were 

 available for distribution. Some weeks after we drained the pond 

 as best we could to take the tisli out for shipment and we found 

 5,600 good fat bass fry as the remnant of the 90,000 (estimated 

 50,000 and counted 40,000) that we should have had. 



At another time, T ])ut in the fountain Ijasin in Washington 

 Park. (,)uiiu'y, 1 •2,000 l)lack bass fry, taken from (^lincy Bay, 

 all sizes. We were not I't'ady to sbi]) them and bad no other 

 means of holding them here, exee])t in life box. Here we bad a 

 constant su])])ly of running water. I had men take from the 

 l)ars in the river, wliat T estimated at 100,000 shiner minnows 

 and feed them togetlu'r with an occasional feed of beef liver. [ 

 do not remember of taking out a dead bass, but when we bad 

 arranged to ship them and the basin was drawn down wc took 

 out less than 1,500 bass fry, fat and slick, and not a dead tisb. 



f quote these instances; two, of a great many that have come 

 under my observation, to show the great need of plenty of food 

 for the bass under any condition and when under natural condi- 

 tions largely furnished l)y the carp, i-educes the destruction of its 

 own spawn by the ad\dt bass or other various species. 



While this paper should be confined to the subject, I cannot 

 refrain from digressing a trifle and calling attention to the fact, 

 that in my opinion, not enough care is used by those making the 

 attempt to cultivate bass in small ponds to get a proper balance 

 in the ponds in the way of food producing facilities and some 

 very lamentable instances could be given showing failures when 

 only Mack bass culture was attempted. 



It would be well to remendjer that while I have much to say 

 of the black l)ass that is good, 1 have more to say of the carp that 

 is better, when the people as a whole are considered. 



With us the angler goes his length on the black bass, and they 

 who can afford day or days of leisure to cast a fly, troll a spoon, 

 or "dub fish" with a minnow ; should give due credit to the causes 

 that make this sport possible and not overlook the thousands 



