300-- BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



York. He generally fishes for red snappers from off Cape Canaveral 

 southwardly to Indian Eiver, in 12 to 15 fathoms of water. Compara- 

 tively few snappers are caught north of Cape Canaveral, the grounds 

 north of the cape being of little value in winter except for the capture 

 of blackfish and various other species, most of which are not commer- 

 cially valuable. 



The fishing-grounds on the Atlantic side differ materially from those 

 on the west side of Florida. While the favorite localities for red-snap- 

 per fishing in the Gulf are generally depressions of the sea bottom, com- 

 monly called "gullies" by the fishermen, on the east coast the snapper 

 is found most abundant on narrow coral ridges, which usually run paral- 

 lel with the coast line, and are elevated 2 or 3 feet above the bottom 

 immediately surrounding them. Some of these ridges are not more than 

 100 feet wide, while others may be 300 feet wide or more. 



The methods of fishing differ somewhat from those commonly em- 

 ployed in the Gulf. On the Atlantic side it is seldom that a vessel anch- 

 ors, the common practice being to fish "at a drift." Occasionally a 

 " bunch of fish " is struck late in the day, and then it is usually the best 

 plan to anchor and hold on until next morning, when fishing can be re- 

 sumed, for it seldom happens that red snappers bite so well at night as 

 they do by daylight. 



Eed snappers are not nearly so abundant on the east coast as they 

 are on the west coast of Florida, but they average larger in size. A 

 vessel carrying a crew of seven men will make a trip in about two 

 weeks, and an average fare will be about 6,000 pounds. 



The Connecticut vessels fishing on the east coast generally carry from 

 home several barrels of salt menhaden for a reserve supply of bait. 

 The greater part of the bait, however, is obtained on the fishing-grounds, 

 refuse fish being used for this purpose, among which sharks are highly 

 esteemed. Sometimes bait is obtained from the fish-traps along the 

 coast. 



The food of the snapper is various. Captain Latham says he has often 

 caught snappers off the Saint John's Eiver, Florida, which, after being 

 taken on deck, disgorged small mackerel of "spike" size, which he 

 thought were of the common species [Scomber scomhrus). 



The oSTew York and Connecticut vessels generally ship their fish 

 through to New York, where their agents dispose of the catch. The 

 price received for the fish is governed by the supply and demand, and 

 is influenced to a lesser extent by the size of the fish, a small red snap- 

 per being relatively much more valuable than a large one. 



Gloucester, Mass., November ]0, 1886. 



