Jan. io, 1914. 
FOREST AND STREAM 
43 
For ice fishing, a good silk line is needed. 
The Kingfisher bait casting line is the best. In 
the water, being of a white coloration, it is the 
most indistinct, and it is strong every foot of its 
length. A strong line is practically a necessity, 
for often one is treated to a surprise by catching 
the eventual pickerel, and ice fishing has regis¬ 
tered some phenomenally big ones in this respect. 
The hook commonly in use is one rather slender, 
having a decided neck bend to more firmly hold 
the fish in the lip, when the catch is made. A 
sinker is necessary, and for convenience sake the 
amateur will often have a large red bobber to 
tell him when he has caught something. But 
the wise man holds his line, and by some skillful 
method, at the least nibbling, is able to hook his 
prey. The question now arises, how shall I 
find where the fish keep themselves? This, again, 
is a problem answered by the majority only by 
incessant chopping of holes, here, there and every¬ 
where, experimenting. A man who is familiar 
with a lake, however, knows where to go. There 
are places where each variety of fish seem to have 
their running grounds. In some lakes will be 
found the usual sand-bars, sometimes running 
through the very middle of the lake. If one is 
able to locate, and determine, the existence of 
these, he will have luck. Along these sand-bars 
the fish are bound to run, whether the broad-sided 
“pumpkin seed,” sunfishes, or the crappies, or 
the pugnacious pickerel. Then again, straight out 
from some peninsula, in sanded lake territory, 
will be found proper places. And again in 
A PULL AT THE OLD JIMMY BEFORE THE NEXT HILL 
secluded bays, one will strike them. Where 
knowledge, fore-learned, is not available, experi¬ 
mentation will prove the key to the situation. 
The sand-bar is, however, the best place I know 
of for either winter or summer fishing; it is 
truly the still fisher’s delight, which is putting 
it mildly. 
Perch are perhaps the meanest and most ob¬ 
durate cusses in the fish-world. It, or they, 
whichever you will, are so nimble-mouthed, and 
crafty, that they are able to fleece, and pick¬ 
pocket, a hook in a twinkling, and often you will 
have to leave such a place in dismay. The point 
should always be remembered that perch are bot¬ 
tom-feeders, and stay in weeded territory, and 
mostly close to the bottom. Larger specimens 
of the type are found higher up in the water, but 
always you will find the poor, wee sma’ mites 
down on the face of the lake, or the bottom. 
Thus, fish low if you want to lose all your min¬ 
nows, and obtain no results. If you wish to fish 
for pickerel, put on a larger hook, and bait it 
with a small perch. The pickerel unceasingly 
preys upon the perch tribe, especially in the win¬ 
ter, and the pointer is one available in all cases. 
Fish, as I contend, run at varied heights in the 
waters. Thus you will have to experiment. Deep 
down, the perch will take your bait. Pull up the 
line three feet, and no perch seem to take it. 
Having no results then, pull up another foot, and 
then having no results, pull up another foot, and 
so on, till finally you strike the cr-appie level, and 
then hold your line to that level. They will rare¬ 
ly swim downward for a bait, nor upward much. 
But get it even with their noses, and the tables 
are turned. One after another they fall before 
the deadly hook. 
Perhaps you think there is not a knack to 
hooking on a minnow, and hooking it on correct¬ 
ly. This is a fatal mistake. The true still-fisher¬ 
man you will note is very keen to this detail of 
the exalted performance. A minnow must be 
handled carefully, and even hooked on carefully. 
He must be : so hooked on that he will wiggle in 
the usual natural and approved of fashion. The 
backbone must never be shattered. Rather the 
hook is brought downward from the center, 
through the back, and then the point is swung 
upward again, being concealed in the skin. It 
should hang level on the hook, or horizontally, 
if that sounds more like telling. A trifle of 
twitching on the line will aid in making the re¬ 
semblance of life in the minnow more strong 
and attractive to those below. Having had ex¬ 
ceptionally good success at one place, do not 
become avaricious and fish , them all out. This 
may. act as a warning, not only for the time be¬ 
ing, but for all time. Rather move to another 
place, and try your luck, and so forth. 
Methods of attracting fish to your place of 
operation revolves upon this feature: scatter in 
the water corn-meal and cracker crumbs. If there 
are fish in the neighborhood they will be sure to 
come in. But never overdo, and throw in too 
much, for it will make them not only disinter¬ 
ested and scattered, but will draw them away 
from the main lure, to picking up and ascertain¬ 
ing the nature of the other material. And when 
