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SQUIDD1NG AND JIGGING Modern Implements for the Taking of Fish in Salt Water 3Ietliud It Ancient lint the Tools Toolsof of Today More MoreEfficient Efficient While in n general sense the nliovc terms are analogous still the practice an applied today has a different meaning in its broad sense niid must be so treated While it is to be believed that all races of men in all ages have taken fish in the manner known as jigging yet vre of today feel that our method is so improved thai our fathers were but crude novices and their appliance things of star ¬ tling inefficiency And yet they took fish and fish aplenty if we are to believe somewhat of the lore which is handed down from generation to genera ¬ tion Perhaps the greater abundance of fish was n cause It may be that more patience on the part of the angler is to be offered as a prime reason why such good catches are said to have been made Be this as it may it is sure that our progenitors knew the value of the unbaited lure when properly manipulated manipulatedThe The squid of fifty years ago was a tiling of no real artistic beauty and of no special detail They were made mostly by the fishermen themselves and in the crudest of molds each man to his fancy and all of lead As this metal corrodes rapidly it required continual scraping to keep them at all bright Later what was known in those days as Britannia ware became a great favorite to make these squirts as it remained bright while in use and was easy to cast It was the custom of the fish peddlers on their rounds to inquire of all the farm ¬ ers for castoff articles made from this ware No matter how battered it might be it commanded a good price and was eagerly taken Later the block tin of commerce came into general use as it is per ¬ fectly adapted to this work and now it is the one article in use useOf Of the many designs which have from time to time been on the market certain ones have been gradually eliminated until but two styles are to be found while made in numerous sizes sizesDIAMOND DIAMOND SQUID MOST EFFICIENT EFFICIENTWhat What is known as the diamond pattern is tlie one in universal use for jigging and deep sea trolling it works perfectly and it is to be doubted ift its model can be improved upon It tapers slightly from the center to either end in one of which a stout swivel is cast the other containing the single hook all harmoniously worked out so that the size of the squid will balance with the hook The fisherman can procure at the tackle stores any size which may suit his fancy for the game lie is in quest of The other pattern is what is known as the Belmar and is totally differ ¬ ent from the former being cast perfectly flat on the top with well defined keel and nearly always with two hooks set in one end at the other a free working swivel swivelThe The hooks are set at an angle so that the points will range witli the respective sides of the squid and are deadly to any fish which may strike Some makers are urging the sale of the loosehook squid thit is one cast with an eye in the end to which hooks si arranged that they will swing freely ire attached The claim for this is that once on the swinging hook the fish has no leverage with the squid proper to disengage itself The advantage claimed by the adherents of this type of squid when considered from all angles is of doubtful accept ¬ ance and the disadvantages to be met with are so pronounced that the old favorite with stationary hooks will doubtless hold sway over its competitor It was a happy thought which came to the man who designed the keel to a squid as the hooks are al ¬ ways set with points covering the flat side the keol consequently is down and the hooks are al ¬ ways up no matter how rapidly the squid may be run They are thus ready at all times to fasten in the upi er jaw of the fish which is the desired manner of hooking The advantage of two hooks is that when once they are set it becomes almost impossible for the fish to disengage itself from the hook for if one is released the other at once sets so that only the tearing away of a portion of the jaw will set the captive free This type is universally used in surf casting and is to be found In the kit of every one who is alive to the possibilities of its use when bluefish break in or the bass are in pursuit of the mullet in the autumn mouths The proper weight is about three ounces made from block tin and set with double hand forsed hooks hooksTOOLS TOOLS NEED CAREFUL HANDLING HANDLINGAs As the squid has a tendency when reeled in rapidly to rise to the top of the water being in a Mraight line with the tip of the rod it is well to bend the same slightly hi the center This can be done with the hand and caution must be taken that it be bent just enough to cause the nose to dip when being run thus remaining under the water slightly and not at the surface as is the tendency If the bend is too great the tendency of the squid is to flutter which will not do A look at one which is in good hands will give the novice a better idea of the proper bend than can well be given on paper paperThe The sport of taking game fish on this character of tackle is of high order while the work is stren ¬ uous still the delights are sufficient to eclipse all fatigue Ordinarily when in use for bluefish which are usually to be seen breaking at the surface the wmid is cast in their midst whether they lie on flats or in the deeper water and rapidly retrieve I by the reel then cast again and the process re ¬ peated until the strike is secured It is an inspiring sight to witness men of experience when at this pastime excitement is at fever heat and each man takes his position knowing that he as well as his neighbor knows the game and there will be no casting across lines or other blunder which so mars the endeavors of the novice The tackle is the same as is used for bass fishing and as there is IH bait to lie carried through the air by the sinker the cast is in consequence longer and ordinarily more accurate As the squid offers but little re ¬ sistance in passing out out it goes a long line of glint in the sunshine so rapidly does it pass through the air until it lands at the desired spot the reel fairly flashing fire in unison with the whole performance performanceAt At the instant of the impact of the squid with the water the reel is checked by the thumb of the caster and the mechanism thrown in gear ready for the retrieving of the line When this begins the squid at once comes to the surface or nearly so and as the bluefish is at all times a surface swim ¬ mer the strike is sure to be accompanied by a splash easily seen from the beach which adds to the plsasure of the scene If the hook sets the battle is grand as the fish having no heavy impediment to drag through the water is perfectly free in his actions and every quiver and plunge is impulsed to the rod tip As it sometimes happens several are impaled at the same time on different rods The springing into the air and the consequent splash as the fish returns to its native element together with the excitement shown on the faces of the fish ¬ ermen as well as their haste to have the fish on shore and get back again into the water before the school of fish may have left all go to make a never forgotten picture of animation animationIn In using the squid for striped bass the system is much the same although the flats are worked over As it is rare that fish are seen at the sur ¬ face except when striking through a school of mullet the fisherman must work more in the dark is to where the quarry is Instead of running the squid steadily in it should be moved sharply for a distance of say fifteen or twenty feet then stopped and allowed to settle to the bottom then started again sharply and the process repeated until a strike is secured or no success marks the end of the run I have taken beautiful fisb in this manner As the bass is a iMittom feeding fish as a rule the settling of the squid to the Imttoni and the quick starting from there toward the surface presents an attractive lure to His Striped Majesty If a bluefish or bass takes the lure when it is being run rapidly in the shock to the rod is something intense and will invariably stop the reel in the case of an amateur this will almost always take the reel handle from the grasp of the fisherman and a reverse action of the reel usually gives a jior plexinsr tancle of lint which is known as wrinkle hawk in fishing parlance parlanceMANY MANY KINDS TAKEN WITH LUEE LUEEJigging Jigging for fish as I have said at the beginning of this article has been in practice from time imme ¬ morial in one form or another It is however the modern way that is of interest as well as the species to which it applies It is well known that a moving lure always attracts fish as esentially at the lx ttom of the ocean as at the surface anil Borne of the most remarkable catches of our im ¬ portant fishes has been made with this system It may seem strange to the layman to be told that almost every variety of fish can be taken in this manner which consists of lowering the dhftnoiid squid close to the bottom of the ocean then con ¬ stantly moving it up and down in a series of rapid jerks If fish are on the feed they are sure to be attracted by the moving metal and will be easy prey I personally have taken the following species in this manner and can say it is great siwrt as it is usually conducted where the water is from sixty feet to over ono hundred feet in depth Bluefish bonito weakfish codfish hake whiting haddock plaice and scup or porgy as well as the roving sharks which will invariably break in when the fish are feeding well attracted by the scent of the bait as well as the sight of the moving fish Many times when the fish were well to the surface after a hard and long battle have these monsters gathered in my quarry sometimes taking tackle and all at other times cutting the fish off at the shoulder clean as though done by a butchers cleaver leav ¬ ing nothing but the head attached to the hook hookThis This sport is at its best during the months of SeptemlRT aud October and the morning is the best time ordinarily A good motor boat is needed and that allesential a competent surfman must be in charge Just as the first rays of the coming day are in the east away we go over the bar to the grounds which we have tried out so many times and like all matters relating to the sport have developed uncertainty as to results As the whirring engine drives the boat through the quiet waters disturbed onlv by the swells rolling lazily shoreward for it is at these times when general quiet is the order of things that the best results are to be had from this class of endeavor a flock of ducks sleeping back of the bar springs into flight and go winging away into the semigloom noiseless as times flight and doubtless perturbed at the breaking of their slum ¬ ber Farther out with a complaining cry a loon rises with lumbering flight and slowly takes his way to where he may not be disturbed It is lighter now and we see him as he again takes to the water after his accustomed short flight striking the water in a reversed position to his line of flight so that he is always headed in the direction from which he came At the time of settling down from the flight the usual cry which has been so aptly described as a maniacal laugh is let loose over the waters Nature has given the bird its pecul ¬ iarities and it does no harm with its wailing cry still I never hear it that it does not fill me with a strange unrest unrestStanding Standing in the bow of the boat is the sturdy surfman who for twenty years lias taken so many ardent men on this sort of trip and who if fish are to be had never misses his share His partner is at the engine giving it the attention necessary while the writers hand is at the tiller ready to swing the boat to any point indicated by the hand of the man standing at the bow but we notice that while in quest of fish his gaze is not directed along the line of the water but high up into the air airTHE THE WAYS OF THE EXPERT EXPERTTo To the novice this would seem sheer nonsense but the surfman knows that in this class of fishing our first signals will come from there and not from the water He is watching the myriad of gulls circling high in the air and well he knows that the sharp eye of these birds will note the first fish which are feeding in schools schoolsWe We are off now perhaps five miles from the land before the motion is given by our pilot to sharp down with the rudder and run for a bunch of gulls which are beginning to dip and swirl toward the water indicating that below them a school of large weakfish are at work on some weaker inhabitants of the deep As we run under the gulls particles of flesh may be noticed at the surface a mute testi ¬ monial of the grinding process going on down below It is these particles of small fish which attract the gulls and which in turn betray the presence of the larger fish The anchor down rods are in hand and just here it may be well to mention that rods for this work should be at least ten inches shorter than the usual surf rod as it will be found to be much handier in all particulars in other particulars the rig is the same as used on the beach And now the diamond squid plays its part being of straight lilies it goes to the bottom like a plummet and should be of the size usually set with an 80 hook as the fish raise and lower while feeding We try different depths each making a selection of depth and holding Jo that until fish are located in one or the other of the stratas selected The squids meanwhile are continually going up and down just as much as the swing of the rod will permit keeping meanwhile a firm thumb pressure tin the reel for well we know that when the strike comes a loosely guarded line will be a keen regret Suddenly a rod with tip well into the air goes down like lightning until it is buried deep into the water A fish lias struck and is rocketing away for release Fifty perhaps seventyfive feet of line are taken in a straight run The weakfish rarely make long runs but under the boat he goes Now mark well he does not foul the line with the anchor rope or the prize will be lost Wide circles are cut but each one narrowing as the fish drowns down into weak I ness until after a game display he is gradually brought around to the gaff Then all the glories of the captive begin to dawn on the mind for of all the fish which inhabit our waters few if any are as sublimely beautiful as the large weakfish when the cooling autumn water imparts to them the most gorgeous hues They have to be seen however immediately after being taken from the water to get an Idea of their beauty We exult yet almost pity the captive as we lift him over the side of the boat There is at least ten possibly twelve pounds of him and as royal as any salmon which ever graced the rod of man manThe The fun goes on for perhaps two hours with someone at battle all the time when of a sudden it stops not a strike to be had A shark has made its appearance and we must seek another school or give it up as a good days work My greatest catch in three hours was thirtyfive fish each a monster ten of which weighed one hundred and six pounds and not an ounce wasted Old Ocean is indeed rich in the gifts she bestows upon man L Hulett in Forest and Stream
