FISHERIES OF THE COASTAL WATERS OF FLORIDA. 59 



3 small vessels (one of which was in the hand-line fishery). The value 

 of the two vessels that were in no other branch was $3,580, including 

 outfits. The gill nets numbered 50: they had a of -inch mesh, and the 

 average length was 576 feet; their total value was 61,146. 



This fishery resulted in the capture of nearly 1 ,500,000 pounds of fish, 

 having a value to the fishermen of 622,555. Over two thirds of the 

 catch were mullet. Following is a table showing the quantity and value 

 of the different species: 



Species. Pounds. Value. 



Bluefish 



Channel bass 



Croaker 



Drum 



Mangrove snapper. 



Mullet, fresh 



Mullet, salt 



Pompano 



Sailor's choice 



Sheepshead 



Trout 



Other fish 



Total 



Hand-line fishing. — The taking of fish by means of hand lines is an 

 unimportant branch of the Cedar Keys fisheries. In 1805 some 15 semi- 

 professionals, using hand lines from the railroad dock and from rowboats, 

 caught sheepshead, Spanish mackerel, and trout, and 3 fishermen in a 

 small schooner (of 15 tons) caught red snappers and groupers. The 

 yield, which amounted to 59,724 pounds, was valued at $1,097, and was 

 divided as follows: Sheepshead, 11.114 pounds; Spanish mackerel, 

 4,000 pounds; trout, 15,810 pounds; red snappers, 8.800 pounds; 

 groupers, 20,000 pounds. 



Sturgeon and shad in the Suwanee River. — Sturgeon are found in 

 nearly all of the rivers of the west Florida coast at certain seasons of 

 the year, but very little attention is given to this valuable fish. In 

 1805 a Cedar Keys dealer sent a small party of fishermen with gill nets 

 to the Suwanee River to make trials for fish and determine the best 

 parts of the river for fishing. It was not expected that much would be 

 done that year, as the visit was rather late, but as a result of the obser- 

 vations then made the matter was taken up again in November. 1896, 

 fishing was actively begun, and a number of sturgeon had been secured 

 at the time of the investigation. 



In June, 1892, the Fish Commission made a plant of 750,000 shad 

 fry in the Suwanee River, and on several occasions the catching of 

 mature fish has been reported from that stream, but the results have 

 been so meager that it was not supposed the experiment had been suc- 

 cessful. The sturgeon fishermen who made a prospective trip to this 

 river in 1895 reported that they had seen large quantities of shad going 

 up the stream, and that they had caught a few and identified them as 

 the "white shad" of the Atlantic coast. As some of these men were 



