“It is a well-known fact that when alarmed fish scuttle into dark places beneath the water. A friend of mine told me of an ingenious plan adopted by an old fisherman on the Blue river to take advantage of this fish custom,” said A. S. Van Valkenburgh, United States district attorney.
    “The old fisherman procured a barrel, bored a number of holes in it and weighted the bottom with lead and iron. To the top were fastened two, ropes attached to a windlass on a boat. Rowing out to the middle of the Blue the barrel was sunk, resting on the bottom of the river. Then the old fisherman sent his four sons, two in each direction, to points 50 yards away, where they entered canoes and commenced to beat the water with flat paddles, raising a great hubbub. Gradually they worked down to the boat, where the old fisherman was ready to haul out the barrel. As they came close to him he quickly manned the windlass and the barrel came to the surface. By actual count there were 28 shad, 40 carp, 17 catfish and nine Jack salmon in the barrel. The catch weighed 160 pounds.”

From— The Mt. Sterling Advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.), 08 July 1908. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.