206 STKIPED BASS. 



In June, and throughout the Summer, the crab is a 

 better bait ordinarily than the shrimp. I prefer the soft 

 crab, because it does not dull the point of the hook, as 

 will sometimes happen with a shedder that is not quite 

 ripe ; it is easily cut up into proper baitsy whereas the 

 shedder has to be skinned, or, more properly, shelled — 

 a long and nasty operation ; it is always in good order 

 whereas others, unless carefully selected, and kept just the 

 right time, will tear to pieces in the course of preparation-; 

 and finally, the skin of the soft crab, especially as it 

 verges toward the buckram, enables the hook to retain 

 its hold. Judging from human nature, I fancy the fish 

 must prefer a nice, soft, plump bait, to one that is jagged 

 and half full of pieces of shell. 



Most writers say, fish with crab on the bottom, be- 

 cause there it is naturally found ; I say, fish with it near 

 the top, because no sensible fish can imagine that a quar- 

 ter of a crab long since dead and dismembered has any 

 control over its own motions. In fact there is no unbend- 

 ing rule for fishing ; the only way is to try all plans, 

 and if the fish will not notice your crab suspended in 

 mid-water, take off your float and swivel sinker, put on 

 a running sinker, as it is called, made like a piece of 

 lead pipe with a small hole in the centre, tie a knot in 

 the line to prevent its going down on the hook ; use a 

 single bait of a good-sized piece of crab and cast well 

 out from you, and the first eel that comes along will 

 astonish, not to say disgust you. The line being -free, 

 though the lead lies on the bottom, you can feel the 

 first touch of a fish, and strike at once ; whereas if the 

 sinker were the old-fashioned deep sea lead he would 

 have to drag its weight some distance before the fisher- 



