THE SMELTS 323 
instances, doubtless affected the fishing, other factors, such as weather and kind of 
bait used, undoubtedly were concerned. 
As a rule better results were obtained on a cloudy day than on a bright, clear day. 
A ripple on the water during a hot day favored the fishing. Often fish were caught 
in very rough water. The season also probably has its influence. One of the larg- 
est catches was made on a calm, clear day (September 11), but a fairly large catch 
also was made on July 17, while it was clear and calm. 
In the matter of baits, on some occasions at no time of day would they take any 
sort of bait. Sometimes they would take one kind and not another, or at one time 
of day one sort of bait and at another time in the same day shift to another. By 
using a spreader with two hooks it was easily ascertained what the choice of two 
baits seemed to be. 
In a period from August 15 to October 1, both inclusive, the baits used consisted 
of “live bait,” comprising mostly young chubs ( Semotilus bullaris) , young redfins 
( Notropis cornutus), and young suckers ( Catosiomus commersonii) ; “smelt bait,” con- 
sisting of a small strip from the belly or side of the smelt; and earthworms to a lim- 
ited extent, especially when live bait was not available. Sometimes the smelt would 
take dead “live bait” as readily as live minnows, especially if perfectly fresh; but 
stale minnows or bait of any kind, or even iced smelt, usually were refused, though 
the smelt pick up dead minnows when they are thrown overboard, even though soft, 
as shown by stomach contents later. 
For the purpose of computation, the baits used are divided into the following 
seven categories: (1) Live bait, (2) smelt bait, (3) worms, (4) live bait and smelt bait, 
(5) worms, live bait, and smelt bait, (6) worms and live bait, and (7) cut bait other 
than smelt. Each category represents the baits taken at any one or more fishings, but 
does not signify that other baits were not tried. For instance, in the “live bait” 
category there were four instances when smelt bait also was used, but no smelt would 
bite it. In the category of “worms, smelt bait, and live bait” there was one instance 
when early in the day the smelt would notice earthworms only, but later readily took 
“live bait” and “smelt bait,” the latter being the most attractive. Still later the 
smelts would not bite at all. In another instance, in the same category, in one of the 
largest catches the smelts took with avidity anything that was offered them, but the 
smaller smelts seemed to prefer live bait while the larger smelts took smelt bait 
readily. 
The usual size of “ live bait ” was from 1 to 2 or 3 inches in length, but often 
they would take very large shiners and smelts used for salmon bait. Instances of 
this kind have already been mentioned, one of which was when a smelt took another 
smelt nearly half as long as it was itself. 
As a rule young chubs appeared to be better bait than young redfins or suckers, 
but often it made no difference which was used. Occasionally young white perch 
and yellow perch were tried when nothing else was available, but they were not of 
much use. A small piece of fish of any kind frequently would secure a smelt, which 
was then used for bait. In the instance of “ cut bait other than smelt,” the initial 
bait was a piece of young pickerel. 
