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CHARM OF CHANNEL BASS Bronze Burnished Beauty a Cun ¬ ning Fighter to a Finish Barnesat Bay and Its Many Inlets InletsAbound Abound tvltlt Fili of ofAll All IvindM Of paramount Interest at the present time along the New Jersey coast is the channel bass All anglers who have Hie love of earnest battle with scaln ami fin in tliL ir hearts are intent on the sport that attends his capture capturePerhaps Perhaps no fish has grown in popularity with the sporting fraternity with equal speed Fifteen years ago the fish was hardly known to the angling enthusiasts of the north While he has been fished for in southern waters for a long period of time still the custom was to encompass his capture with the crudest implements and the least efficient of baits baitsHere Here indeed is another fish over which much dis ¬ sension as to identity has arisen Many who have had opportunity to study habits and other strong characteristics have been loud in their claims that this fish was the red drum of oyster destroying habits and other objectional features So pro ¬ nounced has this claim been that a few years since specimens of both varieties were obtained and sub ¬ mitted to authorities of ability It was we hope determined for all time that the claims set up by the observant as to the differences between the two fish would be maintained As the contour of body as well hs absence of the chin barbel in the channel bass give it a distinction these two points alone should have long since silenced all controversy on the identity of this splendid fish fishIn In the south this fisli is known generally as the red fish and is sold in the markets under that name It is plentiful in gulf waters and all its tributaries Personally I have seen it in the waters if the Indian Kiver the Halifax and the Matan zas where it maintains the same general habits is tint northern fish There are few more hand ¬ some fisli when first taken from the water and this is markedly true of the small ones onesBEAUTY BEAUTY OF THE CHANNEL BASS BASSWhen When of from one to four pounds in weight they have none of the bronze color of the mature fish IxIng a pure silvery white and most beautifully iridescent when fresh from the water One feature is characteristic of them the black spots at the caudal fin are never absent in any specimen no matter what size these are always present In the mature fisli sometimes this marking is pecul ¬ iar as some specimens have l een taken having a dozen or more of these marks on their bodies inky black and ordinarily about the size of a silver quarter This has given the fish in some localities the name of spot which is not however of much use or of wide distribution distributionJust Just how or why the name channel bass should have been given to this fish is not known neverthe ¬ less it is a good distinguishing name and one which will doubtless remain in general use While speci ¬ mens of this fish have been observed as far north as the Massachusetts coast it does not ordinarily range much past the New Jersey coast and in atjunllaiice rarely past Barnesat Inlet Specimens are frequently taken north of that point but the main body of fish appear to hold to that point and southward from thence Last year they put in an appearance along the beach at Deal and some twenty or more were taken from that point This is however looked upon as one of the rare move ¬ ments of fish life and need not be anticipated as of assured recurrence Barnegat City Harveys Ce ¬ dars Corsons inlet and New Inlet are among the best spots along the entire coast for this class of fishing and at this writing hundreds of rods from all the nearby cities are busy While of course many of the smaller fisli are taken when engaged in this sport the object in view is the channel bass An interesting event and one which was never known before occurred last year several small bass of from one to two pounds in weight were taken from the beach Just what this argues is con ¬ jectural whether the fish are changing their habi ¬ tat somewhat or something occasioned the move ¬ ment of the immature fish necessarily Js unknown unknownTACKLE TACKLE TO HOLD BIG FISH FISHThe The tackle necessary to the successful taking of this fish is much the same as for the striped bass A reel holding not less than COO feet of line is essential and one holding 1000 feet is often more to be desired as will appear later on A good braided gut leader of about two feet in length and a hand forged hook 7o in size makes about the right combination Of baits several are used they will at times take pieces of mossbunker or other cut bait Clams are always a fairly good attraction as well as the ink fish or squid as it is usually called but a bait which can always be relied upon is the shedder crab This is never refused when the fish are on the feed A liberal bait should always be used as the channel bass is something of a gross feeder and the bait serves a better purpose if large iu size Besides this fish is of a most sus ¬ picious nature or at least that impression is gath ¬ ered from the cautious manner in which he takes the bait It is never done in a hurry as is gener ¬ ally the case with the striped bass The novice in this work will probably lose many fish unless previ ¬ ously coached by a person of experience When one is aware that a fish is at his bait the inclina ¬ tion is to strike at once If this is done the chances are strong against hooking the fish as they apparently sample it as it were The sensation to the angler is that of picking it up then dropping it doing this many times Occasionally it may seem that they have forsaken the venture entirely when if a little patience is exercised by the hand at the rod allowing the bait to lie perfectly quiet the chances are favorable for the bait being taken in earnest and the consequent joy of feeling the quarry well hooked and on his way wayWhile While the first rush of this fish is perhaps not as swift as that of the striped bass it ordinarily is much greater in extent From three hundred to five hundred feet is to be expected if the bar is at all distant from the beach as it is quite their custom to do their battling at or beyond that point Tides do not always affect their feeding as the largest of these fisli are taken at all stages of the tide They do however seek out the deep cuts or slues and feed at the bottom but when they are in their favorite waters and at night particularly they are frequently taken from the flats Like all other marine animals they search over all bottoms when in quest of food foodHAUNTS HAUNTS OF CHANNEL BASS BASSAs As before stated the fish usually confine them ¬ selves while along the Atlantic coast to the southern parts of the state rarely appearing in any great numbers north of Barnegat inlet at least close in along the beach That the future of this fish to the market men and to the public in general means much is to be believed While but little appreciatced as food and like many subjects which have lain dormant for a great period when the proper effort was made to place it in an attractive manner before the public acceptance was prompt and with satisfying results to the promoter The anglers in the years gone by have taken great pleasure ill sending their catches of this fish to charitable institutions iu the nearby cities they are welcomed there for other than economic reasons as the food is wholesome and makes an agreeable change of diet for the inmates inmatesThe The angler having equipped himself as described should seek out a deep slue or cut along the beach if possible between two bars and fish patiently along the whole cut allowing his bait to work from the points where the water is breaking to where it will lie quietly at the bottom The best time of the day is doubtless the early morning hours or from sundown to well into the evening This seems to be more important than the stage of the tide Whatever bait is used always let it be generous in quantity The first of the run was taken at New Inlet late in June when in company with Joseph Cawthorne and Hartie I Phillips I made the initial endeavor of the season seasonIf If the reader will trace down a shore line map of New Jersey he will find below Barnegat Inlet Beach Haven Then on down six miles toward Atlantic City New Inlet one of the most remark ¬ able as well as favorable fishing points along the coast It can be reached by boat only as there are no roads reaching it at present and Beach Haven is the nearest point by rail but there are always boats to be had at the latter place as well as good hotel accommodations accommodationsThis This arm of the sea setting in westerly has the remarkable depth of more than fifty feet a half mile back from the shore line and casting is easy no matter where the wind holds nor how great the velocity Even though the surf may be tu ¬ multuous the waters are always quiet at the point where fishing is the best albeit a strong tide ¬ way sweeps in and out creating a strong tiderip or cross current This is the favorite fishing point as it is just here where the fish gather to secure their food foodHaving Having heard much in favor of the place we three oldtimers at the game in company with Theodore Evcrilr who kindly furnished his motor boat for the trip made the initial endeavor of the season seasonOur Our lines had not been in the water more than ten minutes when I heard a shrill whistle from Cawthorne and saw his reel fairly flashing fire as the line went seaward making the tip of his rod nod back and forth in unison with the surges of the fish fishPLENTY PLENTY OF FISH BESIDE SOUGHT BASS BASSAway Away out yonder where the tiderip is setting breaks the bronzed burnished warrior of the At ¬ lantic coast using all the cunning known to fish craft to dislodge the restraining hook Sounding deep lie endeavors to unset the hook at the bottom then at the surface he can be plainly seen striking viciously at the leader with his broad tail all mak ¬ ing a picture to delight the heart of the enthusiast The watch is held on him and for fortyeight min ¬ utes the battle is kept up each one of them earnest and anxious for it is never known how well the quarry may be hooked But when a master hand controls the rod no matter how great the cunning or resistance of the victim nature must yield finally the beauty is brought to the sands there are just thirtythree pounds of him all bulldog and glory And the man who behind the footlights has made millions laugh now wears a smile of con ¬ tentment that no professional conquest could bring After being duly weighed and photographed the fish is turned back into his native element again to face the joys and dangers incident to his life lifeWhile While the battle was on other rods were busy with the smaller kinds weakfish croakers and kingfish were taking the hook and all were in an ¬ ticipation of a heavy weigiit at any moment On his next cast Cawtliornes whistle was again heard and again the rod played all sorts of antics This battle was not so prolonged nor so strenuous a thirteenpound striped bass had taken his bait and was an easier victim Later in the afternoon I was rewarded witli a strike and after a good run of several hundred feet lost him Then Phillips who is always doing something hooked a shark but after a struggle taking out about saven hundred feet of line he cut himself loose and was gone goneThe The following morning while fishing at low water I felt a peculiar drawing on my line and then a sort of picking hard to describe Caw thornes advice was just let him have it and when lie gets ready he will let you know he wants it and at that moment he did How that channel bass did go With but six hundred feet of line on my reel and about five hundred feet out and still go ¬ ing I was becoming anxious but he had reached the tiderip and there was where he wanted to fight And fight he did again fortyeight minutes was the time of lauding and thirtyone pounds the weight Battles like these are destined to live long in the memory memoryLater Later in the season many members of our club visited the inlet and all are enthused with what it offers and produces to the angler At this writ ¬ ing there is a movement on foot to erect a lodge on the point for the use of fishermen and if it is carried out will be hailed with delight as there are no accommodations there at present Forest and Stream
