April 25, 1908 ] 
FOREST AND STREAM 
661 
Tiger Frog as a Bait for Black Bass. 
Editor forest and Stream: 
This frog is known under many names; (he 
spotted, the leopard, and the grass frog, also as 
the spring toad. He may be found in dry 
weather along the brooks, but in wet weather he 
may be upon the hillsides and in the woods. 
They are known to shift in wet weather, and a 
stream that contained many frogs at one time, 
may not contain any during the wet weather. 
That is, they will cross the meadows, and go 
over hills to other streams when the grass is wet. 
This should be borne in mind by the fisherman 
when he wishes to.capture a few for bait. They 
live upon bugs, grasshoppers, flics and all in¬ 
sects that are found in the grass. 
When they are caught for bait, care should be 
taken that they should not be mashed or injured 
in any way. They should be transferred to a box 
that contains long grass, so that they will not 
mash each other, and they should frequently be 
dipped in water during the day, according to the 
weather. The main thing to be borne in mind is 
that the skin of this frog should not be per¬ 
mitted to get dry. 
The reserve supply of frogs may be kept in a 
wire pen containing enough water so that they 
can hop in and out and moisten their skins. The 
transportation of this frog is quite an important 
item to the fisherman. Considering all the frog 
boxes made, the one I prefer is an ordinary 
wooden box with one of the sides removed and 
a close wire netting nailed in its place. A leather 
strap for a handle and a large opening on top 
with a sliding door is all that is necessary. The 
frog will have enough darkness so that he can 
hide himself in the back of the box and prevent 
him from jumping against the wire screen as 
they do in a two-sided wire screen box. It also 
protects them against the wind, which they do 
not like. They should not be exposed to the 
wind without dipping very frequently. The 
wooden box also protects the frog from the rays 
of the sun, which are injurious. 
When this frog is used for bait, the hook 
should be inserted through both jaws, the point 
of the hook coming out of the upper jaw a little 
to the side of the center, the hook pointing up¬ 
ward. The reason for not placing the hook 
through the center of the upper jaw, is because 
there is a large artery which might be injured, 
and any bleeding from it destroys the usefulness 
of the frog. If this occurs he should be removed 
from the hook and placed in a box kept espe¬ 
cially for injured frogs and should be liberated 
along some stream or swamp. 
Every fisherman should study the action of the 
frog when it is used for still-fishing. A frog that 
is sent to the bottom on the hook and remains 
there with his head hanging downward and his 
feet upward, or lying on his back, and will not 
make a move when you make your line taut, also 
will permit you to draw him nearly to the sur¬ 
face of the water before he wakes up and be¬ 
comes lively, and doing a great deal of swim- 
ing on the top of the water is useless as a bait 
for still-fishing. 
It will not take a fisherman a very long time 
to know what a frog is doing in deep water by a 
gentle movement of the line. If he will experi¬ 
ment a little in shallow water, with different 
frogs and see how they act on the bottom, he 
will see that the frog immediately hides himself 
under the nearest object. This is the bait that 
will catch a bass. The frog that hides in this 
way and has remained there for about ten min¬ 
utes, with a very gentle drawing of the line you 
can tell that he has made a move in his hiding 
place, and is likely to be seen by a bass. I should 
advise all fishermen to study the frog in this 
way, and they will know just what the bait is 
doing on the bottom, which in my opinion every 
one should know to be a successful fisherman; 
also that the frog is by far the finest bait for 
bass. 
In regard to casting with the frog, refer to an 
article in Forkst and Stream of Dec. 14, ’07, 
under the title of “Two Wily Bass.” I should 
add at this time the arrangement of tackle for 
casting and still-fishing. I use four BB shot on 
the upper part of the snell of hook. This weight 
is just enpugh and far enough away from the 
draw him toward the boat to imitate the natural 
swimming of die frog, produces no wave and 
very little resistance. If the weight is put on the 
leader it is a little too far away from the bait 
and cannot be manipulated as easily as on the 
snell. This same sinker will answer for still-fish¬ 
ing. If one happens to be fishing with small 
frogs, three BB shot are enough to sink them to 
the bottom; with the larger frogs it may take 
four or five. I vary according to the size of the 
frog. 
I prefer the stripping of the line for casting, 
rather than casting from the reel, for the reason 
that you can place your frog whereever you 
wish to cast him when the wind is blowing. You 
can also let him drop in the water without in¬ 
juring him. A. J. Fox. 
IN THE WOODS 
or in the mountains, no matter how far from 
civilization, fresh milk can always be had if 
foresight is used in packing the outfits.. Bor¬ 
den’s Peerless Brand Evaporated Milk in cans 
keeps indefinitely until opened, and answers 
every purpose. It is pure, rich milk, condensed 
to the consistency of cream, put up without 
sugar and preserved by sterilization only.— Adv. 
The Michigan Grayling. 
Editor forest and Stream: 
It is perhaps a truth that in looking back 
at events and things that are now lost to us, 
they have an added value, and we think about 
them with more appreciation than would be 
given if they were within our present enjoy¬ 
ment. Certainly with me as I look back over 
the years when grayling were abundant in the 
streams of Michigan, and call to mind times and 
times that with rod and fly and wading in the 
pure cold water I have seen this beautiful fish 
rise to the cast full and clear, and with grace¬ 
ful curve return himself to the water. I feel that 
no fish has afforded me quite the enjoyment 
that I have received from the Michigan gray¬ 
ling. What a clean fight they made. A trout 
may lead you to sunken log or brush or any 
obstruction within his reach, but not so the 
grayling. To the open water he goes, the swift 
clear current is his choice, and there your 
utmost skill is required, as he is the most 
tender-mouthed of fish. You cannot handle 
him too gently. Clear again from the water 
will he throw his silvery form, and then if your 
line is just too taut, he is gone. Do not attempt 
to secure him with your hand. With care a 
trout may thus be landed, but not the grayling. 
Always use a net, but if without one, gently 
lead him to the shore with never an attempt to 
touch him until he is safe upon the bank. No 
other fish escapes from the hand more easily. 
You just cannot hold him. Grasp him the best 
you may and with a seeming slight quiver he 
gently slips through your fingers in spite of 
your utmost effort and you simply wonder how 
it was done. 
The grayling }s not an early riser in any 
sense, and there was little use in trying for them 
before nine o’clock, and my best luck usually 
commenced an hour or so nearer noon. Spirited 
is his rise, clear from the water a full twelve 
inches, and sometimes even more, and with a 
graceful curve returning so gently that not a 
splash or ripple seemed to be made. 
A FAMILIAR CAMP SCENE IN MAINE. 
frog to.keep his head under the water when you 
