Habits of the Black Bass. 283 



the end of the lateral line at the joining of the tail, and has 

 no red in the eye. Its flaky meat is soft and watery, and its 

 common weight is from five to ten pounds. 



Like the black bass, this fish is taken by casting the arti- 

 ficial fly, or by trolling with the feathered spoon, with a min- 

 now impaled on a gang of hooks, and forming spinning tackle. 



This fish inhabits most of the lakes in the interior of the 

 State of 'New York, and the waters of Ohio, Kentucky, and 



' ' The lakes which are tributary to the Seneca Eiver are not all supplied 

 alike with fish. The waters are very different. The Cayuga Lake from Au- 

 rora to the head is veiy similar to the Seneca Lake, and is stocked with the 

 following varieties, to wit : Lake trout, white fish, herring-salmon, pike and 

 pike-perch, black and rock bass, perch, suckers, eels, etc. , etc. ; while the low- 

 er end of the lake, very shoal and weedy, terminating in a marsh, is supplied 

 with large catfish, small ditto, maskinonge, rock bass, pickerel, Oswego bass, 

 black bass, pike-perch, perch, etc., etc. 



" The Oneida Lake abounds in all the above-named varieties excepting 

 the trout, whitefish, and hemng-salmon. 



"The Skaneateles and Owasco Lakes have very few, but excellent varie- 

 ties, to wit : Lake trout, brook trout, yeUow perch, and suckers. The water 

 cold and spring-like. 



" The Seneca and Canandaigua Lakes are supplied with lake trout, white- 

 fish, herring-salmon, pike-perch, black and rock bass, yellow perch, catfish, 

 and eels. 



" The Crooked Lake has fewer varieties. "We find the lake trout, white- 

 fish, yellow perch, pickerel, catfish, and eels. About forty years since this 

 lake was stocked with pickerel from the head-waters of the Susquehanna, and 

 they are now very abundant. 



"Our finest sport consists in trolling with the fly and minnow, the latter 

 being preferred. In the Seneca River, at Oswego, the fly is preferred. Great 

 numbers are taken throughout the season. Many sportsmen throw three or 

 four flies, and often take as many bass. The manner in which this is done 

 is to hook one fish, and, wMle giving him the necessary play, others take the 

 extra flies. 



" A word in regard to our method of taking the lake trout and pike-perch 

 may interest your readers. We use one hundred and fifty yards of cod-line, 

 with from six to ten leads — the first attached to the line about fifty feet above 

 the hook, the others at intervals of from eight to twelve feet — weighing in 

 the aggregate twelve to twenty ounces, regulated to suit the depth of water. 

 Pike^perch are taken at twenty to forty feet deep ; lake trout at sixty to one 

 hundred feef deep — always at the bottom, rowing moderately. We use the 

 silver spoon or spin the heiTing. In the Canandaigua Lake the minnow is 

 considered the best bait. In the Seneca and Crooked Lakes the spoon is the 

 most successful. " 



