136 Bass, Pike, and Perch 



practise this method are loudest in their praise 

 of the mascalonge as the " king of all game- 

 fishes." A quick pull, a strong pull, and a pull 

 all together, with the hauling aboard as soon as 

 possible of the struggling fish, amidst much 

 splashing and floundering, seems to be their 

 estimation of gameness in a fish. 



The foregoing remarks apply to fishing on 

 lakes and quiet, weedy streams of the Northern 

 states. In the clear and swifter waters of the 

 upper Ohio, and its tributaries, the mascalonge 

 lies in the deep pools during summer and fall, 

 where it is taken by still-fishing. A large sucker, 

 weighing from half a pound to a pound, is the 

 favorite bait, with suitable rod and reel. The 

 fish is given plenty of time to gorge the bait 

 before striking, and this is quite important with 

 so large a bait. Many large mascalonge, there 

 called " pike," have been taken in this manner 

 in those waters, events to be long remembered 

 and talked about, while the head is carefully pre- 

 served for the admiration and envy of future 

 generations of anglers. 



Once when returning from a fishing trip to 

 northern Wisconsin when mascalonge were much 

 more in evidence than at the present day, I was 



