274 
entirely scaly, but only the upper part of the 
gill-cover, the lower half being naked; it has 
from 14 to 16 branchiostegal rays; its coloration 
is a bluish or greenish gray, with elongated 
or pear-shaped spots covering the sides, and 
which are always of a lighter hue than the 
ground color. 
“The little Western pickerel (EHsox vermi- 
culatus) has both cheeks and gill-covers entirely 
scaly, as have all the pickerels; it has from 11 
to 13, usually 12, branchiostegal rays; its 
coloration is greenish or grayish, with curved 
streaks on the sides forming bars or reticula- 
tions; the color is quite variable, sometimes 
plain olive.” 

Take Your Choice 
Mr. A. P. Stedman, of Minneapolis, Minn., 
points out that, in spite of our saying in a 
recent number that live minnows have the call 
as bait for black bass, in his opinion “‘live frogs 
have the best of it a hundred to one.” He 
further states that ‘“‘in northern Minnesota, 
where the lakes are all teeming with large- 
mouth bass, no angler would think of going 
after them with any other bait.” 
No doubt Mr. Stedman is right, in so far 
~ as his observations have extended. But there 
are places outside of Minnesota where black 
bass are caught, where frogs are not nearly so 
successful as even the lowly helgramite, or 
“clipper.” And taken as a whole, the country 
over, for both varieties of the black bass, there 
is no doubt that the live minnow is the most 
popular lure. 
As for ourselves, taking things as they come, 
in all black bass waters and under any condi- 
tions, our preference is the artificial minnow of 
best make and equipped with three detachable 
single hooks. We will even go Mr. Stedman 
one better and say we can catch more bass 
in a given time with one such bait than he can 
with ‘200 best Minnesota frogs. And look at 
the frog’s legs we’d save! 

Bad Day’s Fishing 
Joseph Kobshinsky is languishing in the 
county jail at Ashland, Pa., serving a sentence 
of 290 days, or almost ten months, for having 
caught and kept twenty-nine bass contrary to 
the fish laws of Pennsylvania. When Warden 
Rinkenburger surprised Kobshinsky he found 
him with a string of bass ranging in length 
from four to six inches. The law says you must 
not save a bass under seven inches, and Justice 
of the Peace Brennan gave the law-breaker the- 
limit, of $10 per fish. Joseph had not the where- 
withal to liquidate, hence he will be unable to 
go fishing for the nice little bass for quite a 
RECREATION 
while. It is hard, but Commissioner Meehan 
says he just has to make an example of some- 
body once in awhile or the laws will avail 
nothing. 

Nibbles 
Not a few fishermen who are not devotees of 
bait-casting declare it is too difficult to learn, 
and that they “‘have not been able to get the 
line to behave half way decent on the reel and 
running through the guides.” The trouble is 
that most often these men have tried to use a 
twisted enameled or waterproofed line instead 
of a braided line of undressed silk. A twisted 
line kinks too much, and if enameled or oil- 
dressed it will not spool well, being too stiff. 

In using artificial bait for bass, either wooden 
minnow or the fly, it is necessary to strike im- 
mediately the fish bites, otherwise he will 
thrown the lure out at once, unless hooked by 
a taut line. Mr. Bass mouths his food before 
swallowing it, and he won’t hold an imitation 
of the real minnow or fly an instant. 

Go over your tackle carefully before you put 
it away for the season. Clean and oil the reel. 
The rod will not be so liable to take set if 
jointed and hung up to a peg by the top. 

In casting either artificial fly or minnow, a 
short line well handled is more successful than 
long, bungling casts. 

Tobacco leaf will keep moths away, as a 
general thing, but moth-balls are far better. 
Cedar boughs and boxes made of cedar wood 
are often efficacious, though not sure pre- 
ventives. 

For some unknown reason, very many fisher- 
men like to impale a strip of bacon rind, or a 
minnow or a piece from a fish’s belly on the 
hook of a trolling spoon. If they meet with 
success, they lay it to their superior “fixing” 
of the lure. As a matter of fact, either the 
spoon or the other baits mentioned will take | 
more fish if used separately. And what is more, 
a good spoon will be more successful and more 
satisfactory to handle without the senseless 
bunch of feathers trailing behind them that 
manufacturers equip them with. A gang of 
three hooks snuggled away in a sheaf of red and 
white feathers may look attractive coupled with 
a trolling spoon, when displayed in a tackle 
dealer’s show case, but a single bare heak is 
preferable for fishing. 
