Jan. 8, 1910.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
61 
Fishing and Spearing. 
Minneapolis; Minn., Dec. 17 .—Editor Forest 
and Stream: Now that winter has closed the 
lakes in its icy bonds, the winter fisherman hur¬ 
ries forth to try his luck. More fish are taken 
in the winter season than in all the other months 
put together. Licenses for spearing fish through 
the ice and using a fish house can now be pro¬ 
cured, and already enthusiasts are making ready 
for their sport. These licenses cost one dollar 
and are good until the ice breaks up, and the 
fish begin to spawn in the early spring. Armed 
with this authority the fisher puts up his house 
and settles down to many a day of sport. Gen¬ 
erally the fish caught are used for home con¬ 
sumption, but many sell their catch at good 
prices. No license is necessary to fish through 
the ice without a house. If one has a house 
he is comfortable enough, for in most cases the 
fisher provides himself with a stove and is 
warm even on the coldest day. When work is 
slack the fish house occupies his time. 
These fish houses are generally odd affairs and 
some look as though youngsters had made them. 
As a rule they are made of tarred paper and in 
the shape of the redman’s wigwam, while others 
are but rude shelters covered with snow with 
water thrown over it so it will freeze solid. 
Some are four-cornered and neatly made. In 
the northern part of the State the homesteaders 
make houses out of pine and balsam boughs. 
The fish house is set on the ice in a locality 
where fish are known to frequent. The dyed- 
in-the-wool fisherman knows before hand and 
has no trouble to locate a place that is likely to 
yield a good supply. The amateur must spend 
some time in studying the habits of the fish and 
before the winter is over he knows the lake 
like a book. Usually in the deep water off some 
point of land the fish may be found in great 
numbers. Thus when the fish house is up and 
all the places where light can filter through are 
closed up, the fisher devotes his time to luring 
the pickerel and his associates. For this pur¬ 
pose a four-pronged spear with a short handle, 
to which is attached a heavy line, comes into 
play. The prongs have been filed down sharp 
enough to penetrate a fish at the slightest jab. 
If minnows are procurable the man behind the 
spear is lucky. Generally a wooden minnow is 
the best, but if these are not obtainable one is 
carved out of wood as a substitute. This min¬ 
now is manipulated in the water up and down 
and the fish soon flock to the hole. Then the 
minnow is carefully drawn up and the fisher 
jabs down in the water with lightning quickness. 
Nine out of ten times the expert pulls the spear 
out with a victim impaled, but the amateur is 
not generally so lucky. He must be content with 
half as many. After an hour or so the fish be¬ 
come shy of the silent death that falls like a 
thunder bolt, and despite their natural curiosity, 
keep at a safe distance and content themselves 
with watching the little minnow bobbing up and 
down. 
Old fishers say the pickerel are easier caught 
in the early morning and late afternoon, but at 
noon they can also be taken. On a cloudy day 
they appear in greater numbers and on some 
days they are not to be seen. 1 hus the spear¬ 
ing is kept at an average. 
Fishing with line and hook furnishes a pas¬ 
time for winter sport that cannot be rivalled. 
With no license necessary the fisher can pursue 
his sport unmolested. Minnows are used with 
splendid . success. Some who cannot get live 
bait content themselves with pieces of pork rind 
cut to look like a minnow. With such a lure 
success is uncertain. Minnows of the dogfish 
or buffalo species may be found in swamps, and 
in the creeks a net may be inserted through an 
aperture in the ice and the fish driven down 
into it. Croppies bite with great avidity during 
the winter. They run in size as big as the hand 
and up to a pound and a half in weight. The 
minnow is hooked through the back. These dog¬ 
fish and buffalo minnows are a mystery. Hardly 
a pond but that holds millions of them. How 
they get into these ponds is unknown. In the 
winter these minnows may be caught in old 
muskrat houses that have been deserted. 
Croppies must be fished for in water of a 
depth of thirty feet. It seems that above that 
depth they do not bite nearly so good, for be it 
known that croppies will not go out of their 
course to seize a bait, ffhey swim in a line and 
if the bait comes to that depth then you are 
certain of getting them, for they bite quick and 
with a certainty. A cork tied on helps. Inex¬ 
perienced fishers wait until the cork goes under, 
but the other fellow pulls up quickly when the 
cork begins to wiggle. In the former case the 
fish bares the hook and in the latter you catch 
him in the act. What is so joyful as to pull up 
a croppie? Lying sidewise he whirls around 
and around and you are certain you have the 
biggest fish in the lake till you see his silver 
sides. Thrown out on the snow, they curl up 
till the tail meets the head and they seem to 
freeze solid, but when brought to the heat they 
revive and are as active as ever. A more de¬ 
licious dish in the winter time cannot be named. 
The flesh is sweet and savory. Fried in butter 
with some additional fixing they are served to 
you crisp and brown and—but I will not tempt 
you. Perhaps you know what is what. 
Robert Page Lincoln. 
The Cholera Banks. 
I’ve fished around the Itomer Shoal, 
I’ve fished there at the Hook, 
The Mussel Reds have been my goal, 
I know them like a book. 
I’ve fished aboard of every ship, 
For bluefish trolled a line, 
But now the wind begins to nip— 
The Cholera Banks for mine. 
I’ve fished the Seventeen Fathom Bank, 
I’ve fished at Rocky Hill, 
Perhaps I am a fishing crank, 
I keep right at it still. 
But now the summer’s over and 
The cod are fat and fine, 
At sea, almost out of sight <?f land— 
The Cholera Banks for mine. 
I’ve fished the Farms, as well you know, 
Sometimes I made a haul, 
Sometimes for bait I blew my dough, 
Result—a small. bergall. 
But over such misfortunes, boys, 
’Tis useless to repine. 
So look ahead to coming joys— 
The Cholera Banks for mine. 
I’ve sailed away on Sunday morn 
Aboard the Sally Ann, 
And, mates, as true as you are born, 
I was an “also ran.’’ 
To land a codfish now I hope 
And on it hope to dine, 
I guess I’ve got the proper dope— 
The Cholera Banks for mine. 
So please to call me early, 
For it won’t do to be late, 
And out of the hurly burly, 
For a day, at any rate. 
With a friend or two so jolly 
We will roll upon the brine, 
All aboard the Bouncing Polly— 
The Cholera Banks for mine. 
—New York Press. 
Tuna Club Prizes. 
L. P. Streeter, secretary of the Tuna Club, 
has sent us a list of winners and trophies offered 
in the eleventh annual sea angling tournament 
of the Tuna Club of Santa Catalina Island, 
California. The season opened May 1 and closed 
with September. The list of trophies awarded 
follows: 
For the largest tuna of season over one hun¬ 
dred pounds—Banning cup. Montgomery cup. 
Tuna Club medal. Won by P. S. O’Mara, Salt 
Lake City, Utah. Weight of fish, 153 pounds. 
For first tuna of season over one hundred 
pounds—J. E. Pflueger, prize reel. Won by A. 
C. Brode, Los Angeles, Cal. Weight of fish, 126 
pounds. 
For smallest tuna of season—Holder cup. Won 
by A. W. Hooper, Boston, Mass. Weight of 
fish, 68 pounds. 
For largest black sea bass of season—Rider- 
Macomber medal. Won by R. C. Baird, San 
Francisco, Cal. Weight of fish, 394 pounds. 
For largest swordfish of season — Holder 
swordfish cup. Won by C. G. Conn, Elkhart, 
Ind. Weight of fish, 339 pounds. 
For largest yellowtail of season—*John F. 
Francis medal. *Eddy light tackle cup. Won 
by C. E. Ellis, Spokane, Wash. Weight of fish, 
48 j4 pounds. 
For largest yellowtail of season caught by a 
lady—*Nordlinger ladies’ cup. Won by Mrs. LI. 
W. Robinson, Los Angeles, Cal. Weight of fish, 
43^4 pounds. Souvenir cup to winner. 
For largest albacore of season over forty 
pounds—*Streeter medal. Won by S. A. Guy, 
Shreveport, La. Weight of fish, 43^4 pounds. 
For boatman of angler taking largest yellow¬ 
tail in Catalina waters—*Baker prize kodak. 
Won by William Matthews, Avalon, Cal. 
For largest game fish caught on lightest tackle 
—Shaver prize rod. Won by A. L. Beebe, Port¬ 
land, Ore. White sea bass; weight, 46^ pounds; 
caught on three-six tackle. 
FOR FISH TAKEN OFF CATALINA ISLAND. 
List of winners and trophies offered by the 
Catalina Light Tackle Club: 
For largest yellowtail of season—Gold medal¬ 
lion. Won by C. E. Ellis, Spokane, Wash. 
Weight, 48^4 pounds. 
For second largest yellowtail of season—Silver 
medallion. Won by F. L. Norris, Kansas City, 
Mo. Weight, 40^4 pounds. 
For third largest yellowtail of season—Bronze 
medallion. Won by W. A. Rogers, Los Angeles, 
Cal. Weight, 38% pounds. 
For largest white sea bass of season—fSilver 
medallion. Won by A. L. Beebe, Portland, Ore. 
Weight, 46% pounds. 
For second largest white sea bass of season— 
Bronze medallion. Won by B. B. Atterbury, 
Pasadena, Cal. Weight, 4oY\ pounds. 
For largest albacore of season—fSilver medal¬ 
lion. Won by S. A. Guy, Shreveport, La. 
Weight, 4 354 pounds. 
For second largest albacore of season—Bronze 
medallion. Won by L. Azarian, New York. 
Weight, 40 pounds. 
FOR FISH TAKEN OFF CLEMENTE ISLAND. 
For largest yellowtail of season—Gold medal¬ 
lion. Won by W. G. Campbell, Long Beach, 
Cal. Weight, 47*4 pounds. 
♦Light tackle competition. 
fNo fish taken of gold button size. 
