FOREST AND STREAM 
329 
I have noticed that unnatural disturb- 
ances of various kinds will sometimes 
cause an erstwhile dead pool to awaken 
with a rush and yield a spasmodic quoto 
of strikes. I have observed this thing 
occurring when a wagon was being driven 
across a ford below a pool, or a bunch 
of boys swimming and splashing about 
nearby. There is something about the 
action of the water at these times which 
undoubtedly does cause the fish to grab 
anything foreign looking. 
About the fact of a rain storm caus- 
ing restlessness in a pool, I believe this 
to be due to the reason of the fish’s un- 
derstanding that the rainfall will dis- 
lodge insects and larvas from the over- 
hanging branches of thickets and trees 
along the stream, causing them to fall 
into the water, a prey to their activity, 
or fiooding the stream so that worms and 
bugs might meet with a similar fate. 
At any rate just previous to a rain 
has been the favorite time always among 
men who angle, to cast their lures to 
the fishes of their choice. 
A S a bass bait I am personally wed- 
ded to the run chub; the sturdy, 
pink kind one finds in the cold, crys- 
tal waters of a small brook that are as 
yet not far from their birthplaces in the 
shaded coves. They are vigorous and 
hardy and furnish a tough covering for 
a hook. 
One thing that should be considered, 
though, in collecting the bait, is this; 
Those minnows taken from fresh water 
of a low temperature will give better 
satisfaction than baits from warm, slug- 
gish ponds or bayous. Be sure and keep 
The savage strike of the ferocious bass 
the bait bucket filled with fresh water. 
Have a bucket with a good surplus of 
room and change the water as often as 
possible. 
When minnows are noticed swimming 
to the top for air, the water needs 
changing. The inside compartment of 
the bait bucket should be immersed in 
the stream when fishing; never allow it 
to knock around on the shore or in the 
bottom of the boat in the hot sun. 
A good method to preserve a bait that 
is already attached to the hook, is to 
place it back in the bucket and fasten 
the covering over the line. The bucket 
can be carried from place to place by 
allowing enough line to run from the 
reel so as not to strain the tip of the 
rod. In this way a bait can be used for 
double the time then by carrying it 
around, dangling at the end of the line 
in the air. Remember always that a 
vigorous, healthy bait is the one requisite 
to s access on a bass stream. A bass is 
the most fastidious of feeders, a crip- 
pled or groggy minnow does not appeal 
to him ; he wants his dessert served up 
in the shape of a darting, spry chub, 
someplace in the neighborhood of four 
inches in length. 
The greatest of care should be exer- 
cised in casting with the live minnow. 
They are at best a fragile piece of prop- 
erty and careless work will result in a 
depleted bait can, with nothing to show 
as the result. Before making a cast on 
a pool that you are not familiar with, 
take a little time and look about to see 
that there are no obstructions or weeds 
or brush to catch the bait at the com- 
mencement or finish of the cast. If there 
should happen to be anything of the kind, 
and it is not noticed at the time, a lost 
or mutilated minnow will no doubt be the 
result. 
Never allow your bait to strike the 
water with killing force. Place it out as 
gently as you would a dainty fiy. It can 
soon be learned and the pleasure of see- 
ing a nice industrious bait coming back, 
instead of a reeling pale thing, dead 
and worthless, will more than repay one 
for the little time and care that it costs 
to learn. 
I have fished with anglers, who, 
through long years at the game, should 
have known better, who would retrieve 
their bait as though it were some sort 
of a cast iron affair, with the result 
that they were always weeping and 
swearing at their ill luck. To keep an 
efficient, live bait, reel the minnow in 
slowly and evenly, lifting it gradually 
to the surface, playing it about in all 
the likely spots; if he is in there this 
method will raise him. 
It has been proven many times by an- 
glers who are well-skilled in fishing. 
Cast your lure in the lea of some little bush-covered, rocky is land for there is where the black bass love to hide and feed 
