42J: Book of the Black Bass. 



With a good breeze and a fast-sailing boat, trolling for 

 bluefish, weak fish, Spanish mackerel, and other marine 

 fishes, with hand-line and squid, is exciting sport; but, on 

 the bosom of a quiet lake, trolling for black bass with 

 hand-line and spoon is a cruel pastime and a wanton de- 

 struction of a noble fish. It is only excusable when in 

 camping out, without suitable tackle, and when, like the 

 boy digging at the tenantless woodchuek hole, one is " out 

 of meat," which, in southern parlance, constitutes "a 

 ground-hog case;" in this event, perhaps, the end justifies 

 the means. 



The necessary tackle for this mode of angling consists 

 of a strong hand-line of linen or cotton, from fifty to 

 seventy-five yards long; braided lines are to be preferred, 

 as they do not kink. The line should be large enough to 

 prevent cutting the hands, and, at the same time, to with- 

 stand the dead strain of a lively fish. Sizes C, or No. 2, 

 and D, or No. 3, are the best and most suitable. 



Any of the numerous revolving spoon-baits, or spinners, 

 will answer with or without the so-called " fly," or tuft of 

 feathers, or braid, for it is the bright metal spoon that lures 

 the bass, and it can not be made more attractive for hand- 

 trolling by the addition of feathers, braid, etc. 



The ordinary original tin or brass spoon, with single 

 hook soldered on, is about as good as any of the later 

 inventions. A single hook is certainly preferable to the 

 groups of two or three, usually attached to spoon-baits, 

 the latter often being crushed or broken by the jaws of a 

 large fish, to say nothing of their cruelty, as mentioned on 

 a preceding page. 



Small spoons are more successful than large ones, for 

 black bass. In the absence of a spoon-bait, the floor of 

 the mouth of the pickerel, cut into the semblance of a fish, 



