NATURAL HISTORY OF REDFISH, ETC., OF TEXAS 163 



On October 14, 1926, after several months of futile effort in seeking newly hatched 

 drum, together with the captclre of small collections of ripening fish at infrequent 

 intervals in and about Oso Bay, a large, nearly ripe female drum, 90 centimeters 

 (35.5 inches) long, was found stranded in Corpus Christi Pass. This was the first 

 indication that spawning drum were to be found near the Gulf of Mexico, and while 

 it could not be determined in which direction the fish was traveling before it 

 accidentally ran up on a shallow sand bar, it was evident that spawning might be 

 looked for in the Gulf as well as within the bays. 



In February, 1927, the spring spawning of the drum was indicated to be approach- 

 ing. About the last week in January fishermen familiar with the movements of the 

 fish in such bays as Nueces and Oso, as well as Laguna Madre, were in the habit of 

 placing large-meshed gill nets near the mouths of the narrow channels leading into 

 such bays to secure the larger migrating adults that generally were supposed to be 

 coming into the bays from some unknown place for spawning. During the winter of 

 1927, these nets, discussed more fully in another section of this paper, were placed 

 at the mouth of Nueces Bay in Corpus Christi Bay, along the south shore line of 

 Corpus Christi Bay near the entrance to Oso Bay, and in the open fishing area in 

 Laguna Madre. Examination of the larger stand of nets at the mouth of Nueces 

 Bay in early March indicated conclusively that a marked spawning migration of 

 adult drum was occurring. All fish were in a nearly ripe condition, and most of 

 them ranged over 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) in length. 



Meanwhile, ripening fish were being captured by commercial gill nets in Laguna 

 Madre and by experimental gear operated by the writer in the closed fishing area of 

 Oso Bay. During the preceding months fishing within Oso Bay had been very difficult 

 and inconclusive on account of the heavy mud bottom and the lack of a landing place 

 for the large seines. Often, nevertheless, large drum (above 60 centimeters, or 23.6 

 inches) were caught (more generally, only seen) in the shallow recesses of Oso Bay, 

 and it was generally known that a considerable number of large fish were to be found 

 within the bay. 



Experimental gill nets were placed in Oso Bay near the channel exit into Corpus 

 Christi Bay during the early part of March with the expectation of determining the 

 direction of this spawning migration of drum. Good catches of large ripening fish 

 soon were obtained, and by the position of the gilled fish in the nets it appeared that 

 the schooling fish were endeavoring to gain their way over the shallow sand bars 

 partly blocking the exit into Corpus Christi Bay. On one occasion large drum 

 were seen deliberately making their way over the shallow bars from Oso into Corpus 

 Christi Bay. 



Upon reaching the deeper waters of Corpus Christi Bay, the migrating drum 

 were difficult to catch or to observe. However, fishermen reported that while their 

 boats were lying anchored in the various channels leading to the passes, particularly 

 Aransas Pass, distinct drumming sounds could be heard during the night, presumably 

 caused by the drumfishes on their way to the Gulf. The writer, while not doubting 

 these reports, did not actually hear any such noises, although it is v/ell known that 

 the drum make a loud drumming vibration which is probably employed extensively 

 during the breeding season for the purpose of sexual attraction. 



