PISHES OF NEW YORK 573 



The fish are in their finest condition during the fall migration 

 in September and October. On September 21, 1887, two men 

 caught 200, including some very large ones, on a single tide near 

 the inlet of Great Egg Harbor bay, N. J. The most favorable 

 tide for catching this species is generally considered the latter 

 half of the flood and first half of the ebb. At night the weak- 

 fish runs up the creeks to feed in the salt meadows and will take 

 the hook freely. 



Some of the best baits for the weakfish are the common 

 shrimp, soft or shedder crabs, pieces of clam and common mus- 

 sel, the white skin of the throat of weakfish, and sometimes 

 the eye of this species; other good baits are silversides and 

 anchovies. In Great South bay the fish are taken extensively 

 in pound nets and gill nets. The gill nets are set in the shape 

 of a horseshoe, and the attending sloop sails back and forth 

 across the open end of the horseshoe, one of the crew mean- 

 while beating the deck with his heels to frighten the fish into 

 the nets. This method, called drumming, is in great disfavor 

 among those who follow other modes of fishing. 



In 1901, young weakfish were seldom taken in Great South 

 bay and only two localities — Duncan's creek and Smith's Point 

 — furnished them in very small numbers. Adult fish, however, 

 were remarkably abundant and were caught in many parts of 

 the bay. 



The weakfish endures captivity very well and can be kept 

 during winter in water of the proper temperature. The species 

 is said to reach the weight of 30 pounds. 



279 Cynoscion nebulosus (Cuv. & Val.) 

 Spatted Weakfish; Sea Trout 



Labrus squetear/ue A^ar. maculatus Mitchill, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. 



I, 396. 1815, New York; not Labrus maculatus Bloch. 

 Otolithus nebulosus Ctjviee & Valenciennes, Hist, Nat. Poiss. V, 79, 1830. 

 Otolithus carolinensis Ouvier & "Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss. IX, 475, 



1833, South Carolina; De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fislies, 72, 1842, extra- 



limital; Holbrook, Ichth. S. 0. ed. 1, 133, pi. 19, fig. 2, 1856; Gunther, 



Cat. Fish. Brit Mus. II, 306, 1860, New York. 

 C}inosclon maculatum Jordan & Gilbert. Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 581. 



1883. 



