THE BEST OF BAIT-FISHING 
BY S. L. KILMER 
especially for the novice, to catch fish by 
feeding them something that they like, 
and after they have swallowed the bait hook 
and all, to pull them out of the water, than to 
deceive them with artificial lures. But the satis- 
faction of inducing the fish to “‘take something,” 
and then hooking him after he takes it and 
before he has.time to throwit out of his mouth 
when he discovers the deception, and the con- 
sequent knowledge of one’s ability in this 
respect, is vastly greater to the true fisherman 
than that which attends the catch made by the 
use of bait that the fish likes for food. 
When using artificial baits one does not need 
to rebait one’s hook after every catch, but at 
once proceeds to make another cast. And one 
has no occasion to feel like a great, inhuman 
monster because of the unnecessary and unjust 
agony one inflicts upon the helpless live bait 
by impaling it upon the hook. Nor does the 
user of artificial bait have to waste time or 
spend money every time he goes fishing to 
procure bait, as he has an assortment of baits 
in his tackle-box ready at all times and which 
will last him not only one year, but with proper 
care a number of years. Neither is he bothered 
with a bait pail and its attending labor of 
changing the water every little while to keep 
his minnows from dying. And he strikes the 
moment he feels the fish touch his hook, and 
makes either a quick, clean catch or a clear 
miss, most frequently a clean catch if his own 
strike has been made quickly enough, and the 
hook is generally found so located as to be 
removed with much less difficulty than when 
live bait is used. 
The numerous artificial minnows now made 
are so artistic and so attractive that no bass or 
other game fish inhabiting the same waters will 
refrain from dashing at one if cast deftly and 
withdrawn aptly within the range of his vision. 
The painted imitations of minnows are of 
various kinds and colors and made just the 
right weight for easy casting. In my personal 
experience generally the bright red or carmine 
colors have been the most attractive for bass, 
and the green colors for pickerel, but in some 
lakes the reverse has been the case, so it is best 
to have something of an assortment and make 
such changes as the conditions appear to require. 
Then there are artificial frogs so natural and 
lifelike in appearance that when properly 
[: IS, generally speaking, a simpler matter, 
handled they deceive the wisest bass. A large 
number of other lures, insects, etc., which 
game fish are fond of, are also cleverly counter- 
feited, and a very good bait in many waters, 
especially in the evening and night, and on 
dark days, is the spoon and bucktail, some of 
the best catches being made with it. Also the 
spoon with a piece of white pork or pork-rind, 
or the white, glistening tendon of the neck of 
a calf; either of them, trimmed and shaped so 
as to resemble to some extent a minnow or a 
frog, makes an excellent lure, and some of the 
most successful fishermen prefer this bait to 
any other. 
In short, so numerous and so excellent are the 
artificial baits that there is very little excuse 
for the use of any other in the catching of game 
fish; by an occasional change of bait one is 
almost sure to find one that will attract attention 
in that particular lake at that particular time. 
Rock bass, straw bass and perch also take these 
baits well, and even the bluegill is frequently 
so attracted by them as to yield to his curiosity 
and impale himself upon them. 
When one considers the fact that the waters 
are full of live minnows and much other live 
food which the fish can easily procure for them- 
selves at any time, and reflects upon the 
probability that fish as well as animals and 
man like an occasional change of diet, one is 
not surprised to know that they frequently 
take the artificial baits, when properly handled, 
with greater avidity than they do the live food 
with which they are surrounded by nature. 
To learn the art of bait-casting requires some 
practice, more by some than by others. Begin 
by making short casts, and gradually extend 
them, always touching the line spooled on the 
reel lightly with the #pof the thumb to pre- 
vent it from running out faster than the line is 
carried out by the bait and making snarls, or 
backlashes, which are troublesome and con- 
sume time in removing. By the use of the ball 
of the thumb the surface pressure is too great 
and the reel is stopped too soon, and the length 
of the cast is thus greatly diminished. As the 
bait begins to drop and approach the water the 
pressure should be slightly increased, to reduce 
its momentum and thus have it fall more lightly 
upon the water, and the moment it strikes the 
water the pressureshould beincreasedsufficiently 
to stop the reel instantly, again for the pur- 
pose of preventing overrunning and back 
