FOREST, flSH AND GAME COMMISSION. 311 



shallows of the riffles upon the gravel-bars ^vhere the water flows swiftly and is well 

 aerated. A similar distribution of species will be noticed in the lakes and ponds. 



Generally speaking, the species of minnows in New York will be most numerous 

 and individuals most abundant in the warmer streams and lakes. 



In the experience of many anglers, creek or river minnows are preferable to those 

 from lakes or ponds, particularly if one is fishing for black bass or Wall-eyed Pike. 

 The best bait species are those that are found in the swiftly-flowing water of the 

 riffles. Not only are the species better, but the fish are more vigorous and active, 

 and more tenacious of life, as well as more silvery or brightly colored, which are the 

 points chiefly determining the excellence of a bait minnow, as such. To be effective, 

 a bait minnow must be bright or silvery enough to attract the attention of the fish, 

 it must be active to show that it is alive, albeit in distress or undeir restraint, and its 

 tenacity of life must be great to enable it to withstand the changed and constantly 

 changing environment and the slight physical injury incident to its being impaled 

 upon the hook. The size of the minnows selected will of course be determined by 

 the kind of fishing the angler wishes to do. 



In seining for bait minnows a great many small fish will be caught which are not 

 wanted. It would seem that it ought not to be necessary to urge that these should 

 all be returned to the water, but entirely too many bait-gatherers and anglers fail to 

 do so. The seine is hauled out upon the shore, the minnows that are wanted are 

 put into the live-bucket, and the rest of the catch is dumped upon the shore to die. 

 Among the fishes allowed to perish miserably in this way will be found young of 

 many food-and-game-species such as both species of black bass, the Rock Bass, Blue- 

 gill and Yellow Perch, as well as many other species that are either valuable as food 

 or which serve as food for our game-fishes. The great scarcity of fish in many 

 streams and small lakes is undoubtedly due in large measure to this wholly inexcus- 

 able carelessness and the criminal indifference of those seining for bait. 



Various sorts of traps are used for catching minnows. The most common and 

 perhaps the most effective is made of wire and constructed after the manner of the 

 ordinary rat-trap, which permits easy entrance but exit from which is difficult. 

 These traps are of course baited, usually with small particles or balls of dough, and 

 are set in places which minnows are known to frequent. 



Minnows may be caught also by means of a small dip-net by properly baiting it 

 and allowing it to rest upon the bottom until the minnows are over it in numbers 

 feeding upon the dough with which it has been baited ; then by lifting the net 

 quickly the minnows may be secured. 



In the absence of all better ways good bait minnows, particularly the Fall-fish, 



