ity, strong enough for a tussle with 
fish of three pounds that are fighters 
to the core. 
First in popularity and abundance is 
the crappie, which is the southern form 
of what is known in the north as the 
calico bass. The latter, according to 
locality, goes under the following 
names: Grass bass, speckled bass, 
bank-lick bass, lamplighter, bitter- 
head, strawberry bass, paper-mouth, 
baifish, razor-back, fly-fish, chinguapin, 
lake shad, silver bass, big-fin bass and 
goggle-eye. 
The Southern form, known generally 
as the crappie, is also called bachelor, 
newlight, campbellite, sac-a-lait, crapet,’ 
tin-mouth, brideperch, chub, John De¬ 
mon, and shad. Nearly all these names 
are applied indiscriminately to both 
calico and crappie, because the two 
species are hard to distinguish at sight 
when both are taken from the same 
water, living upon the same food af¬ 
fects the coloration as to lead to a 
similarity in hues and tints. Neither 
of them grow much longer than twelve 
inches, but both are excellent panfish; 
in fact, the crappie and calico may be 
called two of the great food-fishes of 
the extensive area west of the Alle- 
ghanies. On many of the middle west¬ 
ern rivers and lakes, whole families 
may be seen on flat boats busily en¬ 
gaged in catching the campbellite or 
lamplighter. The crappie is not so 
choice of habitat as the calico bass, for 
he is found in and seems to prefer the 
sluggish waters of ponds and bayous, 
while the calico is seldom caught in 
such localities, preferring cold and 
clear waters, in which, however, the 
crappie is often found. I have been 
told that not infrequently one of each 
species is caught on the same line and 
at the same moment. Both species are 
caught in great numbers, as they bite 
freely when they are feeding in shal¬ 
low water, will fill the creel, even if 
the fisherman be crude to the core. It 
is on record that two anglers, fishing 
for pleasure, caught, in three days, on 
hook and line, over 1,000 crappies 
weighing from six to twenty ounces. 
The crappie and calico are omnivor¬ 
ous feeders of almost everything in 
sight, as is the nature of all the bass 
family. No particular favorite lure 
can be given suited to every locality. 
The lure which stands first in popu¬ 
larity is the live and artificial minnow. 
Next most commonly used is the angle- 
worm, crawfish, small crickets,- grass¬ 
hoppers, small hellgramites and arti¬ 
ficial flies, on the surface, also under¬ 
water with tiny spoon attachment. 
As an example, the following letter, 
sent me by an Illinois fisherman, will 
attest to the value of a tiny 1%-inch 
artificial darter minnow. In part it 
says: “During the past fall I caught 
on this little darter 14 small-mouth 
bass, up to three pounds; 6 pike, up to 
five pounds; 412 crappies, many over a 
pound; 11 silver bass, all two pounds, 
and lastly, one carp, weighing eighteen 
pounds. The minnow is now a bit dis¬ 
figured, but would still get them. ,, Use 
very light tackle in fishing for all these 
species. A light, springy rod, good oil- 
silk line and stout leader, both with 
live as with artificial baits. 
If the fish run to a pound or more 
give them plenty of elbow room when 
they strike. Their first rush, which is 
quite strong, should not be checked. 
After a little wild play they will quick¬ 
ly succumb under the continued strain 
of a taut line. When using live bait 
for all these fish it will be found much 
more effective.to use small hooks. The 
best size and bend is No. 6 eyed sproat. 
Tie the gut leader of four or more feet 
to the hook-eye with a neat, sound 
knot, without any loop. 
Hook small frogs by the lip; craw¬ 
fish, cricket and grasshoppers by the 
tails. Fairly good-size angleworms 
should be hooked twice lightly through 
the skin with the two ends free to ac¬ 
tively kick around the hook. Live min¬ 
nows are best hooked on the edge of 
body bone of back fins only when still 
fishing, but for trolling they should be 
hooked by the lips. All baits, whether 
live or artificial, should be quite small, 
and they should be kept moving to at¬ 
tract the larger fish. Almost all these 
species are gregarious, living and feed¬ 
ing together in schools, so that if you 
manage to get to the right place where 
they abide and fish quietly in a sys¬ 
tematic manner, you can often fill the 
creel from one place, as all these fish 
are bold and active biters when once 
they take a notion to accept any cer¬ 
tain kind of lure. 
If one lure is not taken in situations 
you know contain fish, change it to an¬ 
other kind, and keep changing if you 
have them, till you get a response. 
Then stick to that particular lure till 
they cease biting altogether. 
SONNY BOY 
^^nth I read about Sonny Boy. 
Mine was the great privilege to look into 
the heart of a boy and to see the clean, 
wholesome fibers of youth which were prepar¬ 
ing to build the man. Mine was the privilege 
to feel the thrills which he felt, to share in 
the laughter of youth which is his . . . only 
hls * • ; 1 I ooked into his soul and into the 
soul of the father who bared them both for 
Boy and then ' * ‘ 1 thought of my Sonny 
Yesterday, I went with him. Yesterday, I 
began to compensate for the years that have 
passed, for the golden moments which I had 
lost because he was left behind. Yesterday, my 
Sonny Boy and I went fishing and I, too, felt 
what the father of Sonny Boy feels . . . what 
the thousands of fathers of Sonny Boys who 
read Forest and Stream have begun to feel 
since this story was told ! 
And today . . . those dreams are mine. To¬ 
day . . . those memories live with me. Today 
- . .1, too, know the smile of youth, its out¬ 
burst, its cry,, its enthusiasm, its life, its 
alfj 01 * • * ti 16 innocence and the beauty of it 
What aie all of the wonderful specimens in 
museums. What is the glittering handiwork 
of . craftsman and taxidermist, or artist, and 
painter . . . what are all these compared to 
the look m the eyes of Sonny Boy as he sees 
- vou Pi R y your big fish and urges you on 
as he. shouts you encouragement, and laughs 
you his gjee and gives you his astonishment 
... all of these that once upon a time were 
yours? 
For Sonny Boy is bringing back to America 
the story of youth! He is bringing back the 
golden moments of clean, wholesome joy, un¬ 
tarnished by worry, unblemished by the strife 
for dollars. Clean from these and free from 
these, Sonny Boy takes you out where only you 
f nd j 1€ ! ^he ds h are > where your soul is 
3aied to his with love and understanding. 
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