466 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



from 1 to 5 pouuds. It is most extensively pursued during tlie fall 

 mouthy, when it is schooling, seiues being run arouud the schools and 

 great quantities often taken. 



Stations are selected at the most favorable points along the coast, 

 where crews of fishermen are employed for several months. The greater 

 part of their catch is salted, and a considerable quantity is sent in ice 

 to the nearest railroad connection, whence the fish ai'e shipped to the 

 interior. The mullet is rather better in a salted condition than most 

 Southern fishes, and approaches the mackerel in excellence. 



The most valuable stations, which are on the southwest coast south 

 of Tampa Bay, are worked to supply the demand for salt mullet in Ha- 

 vana. North of Tampa Bay, on either side of the peninsula, the catch 

 is sold to the nearer markets in Florida, Georgia, and Alabanui. While 

 the fishing is going on the stations are visited by many customers from 

 the country, who travel with ox-carts and are inepared to carry their 

 purchases home with them. The roes of the mullet are always saved, 

 and prepared for sale by being lightly salted and then dried. 



Almost every coast settler in Florida has a cast-net with which to 

 supply his table with mullet. During the first four months of the year 

 there is one species of mullet in good condition, and about the time this 

 has become poor another species has become edible and continues good 

 until December, so that an almost constant supply of good mullets is 

 easily available. 



The jwmpano and other Jlsherics. — Pompauos are caught in suiall schools 

 in slioal water along the sea beaches, where it feeds upon shell-fish. 

 During seasons when they are scarce they bring very high prices, the 

 fishermen sometimes getting $1 apiece for them, while when abundant 

 they sell for 5 or G cents apiece. They average ] V pounds in weight, oc- 

 casioiuxl specimens reaching up to C i)ounds. Another species of i^om- 

 pano, of inferior edible qualities, sometimes grows to a weight of 20 

 pounds. 



Spanish umckerel are taken in seines and gill-nets, as it occasionally 

 comes into shoal water within their reach. It is readily sold for a good 

 price during the period of its "run," and would appear in market much 

 longer if there was some economical way to capture it in deep water, 

 where it occurs in abundance for several mouths. 



Bluefish are taken with the Spanish nmckercl, though not so salable 

 as this species or the pompano, as the bluefish do not endure handling 

 or transportation so well as these. It is very abundant at times. When 

 inclosed in large numbers in nets it is very destructive to the twine, and 

 is therefore shunned by the fishermen when other fish can be taken. 



Sea trout, redfish (or channel bass), and sheepshead are taken on 

 grassy bottoms miiiidy in the bays and lagoons. Trout and sheepshead 

 sell lor about the same price as bluefish, but comparatively few are 

 handled by sliippers. The redfish are more abundant, but are consid- 

 ered inferior in quality and are not utilized to any great extent. 



