Still-Fishing. 415 



be hooked through the head or body. Grasshoppers, crick- 

 ets, frogs, etc., are used with varying success in still-fishing, 

 and sometimes the humble " wum." 



General Instructions. 



As the still-fisher never casts his bait very far, it is 

 highly important that he keep as still and motionless as 

 possible ; and, if fishing from a boat, must avoid striking it 

 with his feet, his rod, or the oars, as such sounds are heard 

 very distinctly by the fish. He should fish toward the 

 sun, so as to keep his shadow behind him. He should 

 keep his line as taut as possible, with his thumb always 

 upon the spool of the reel (if he uses one), and as the line 

 becomes slack, should reel it in. 



In fishing a lake or pond, the still-fisher anchors his 

 boat in a favorable spot, which should be in rather deep 

 water, just off a shoal or bar, ledge of rocks, or point of 

 land, or near beds of rushes or lily-pads, so as to fish be- 

 tween the boat and the feeding grounds, that is, between 

 deep and shallow water, and near enough to east his bait 

 quite up to the haunts of the bass, whenever necessary. 



If his minnows are lively and strong, and carefully 

 hooked, it is advisable not to make frequent casts, but 

 rather to suffer the bait to remain, so long as it keeps in 

 motion, for a lively minnow will attract a bass anywhere 

 within thirty feet, in tolerably clear water. If helgramites 

 or crawfish are used for bait, they must be kept gently 

 moving, at times, by the rod. 



The management of hooking, playing, and landing a 

 baiss is just the same as described in the preceding chapter, 

 except where a reel is not used, in which case the bass 

 should be killed on the rod, all the same, though the angler 

 must use a great deal of judgment in managing his rod, 



