FISHING GEAR AND METHODS 53 



tion. Vessels handling gear of this type generally haul the nets over a 

 powered roller rigged amidship. 



Special Capture Methods 



There are a number of fishing techniques which rely on physical-chemi- 

 cal stimuli such as light, electricity, and odors. Of these, lights are by 

 far the most important. Lights are used in a wide variety of fisheries to 

 attract fish into traps or to aggregate them so they may be netted. Lights 

 are widely used to facilitate capture of bait fishes in the United States 

 and are employed in large-scale commercial fisheries in Europe and Asia. 

 Electricity for shocking or guiding fish has been used experimentally 

 since the end of World War 11. It has not yet, however, been extensively 

 employed in marine fisheries. Experiments using electricity to aggregate 

 fish into intakes of fish pumps have been conducted in the East Coast 

 menhaden fishery. The fish, which have been previously captured by a 

 seine, are drawn to the mouth of the pump by ''electro taxis.'' Guiding 

 herring into nets or traps by use of a wall or stream of air bubbles has 

 been experimented with and employed with some success in the north- 

 eastern part of the United States. 



Fishing Vessels 



Many types of fishing craft are used in the United States. The most 

 common include the Pacific troller. Pacific combination vessel, halibut 

 schooner, tuna clipper, Atlantic troller, gulf shrimper, and gulf snapper 

 vessels ^ 



Pacific Troller. The Pacific troller is the most common fishing craft 

 operating in waters contiguous to the West Coast of the United States 

 and Canada. These vessels which range from 25 to 60 feet in length are 

 normally constructed of wood. They range from 5 to 26 tons and have 

 a cruising speed of 6 to 10 knots. The most distinguishing characteristics 

 of the Pacific troller are the paired outriggers or poles which are used to 

 secure a number of ''tag lines" from which the trolling lures are towed. 

 When fishing, the outriggers are lowered to an angle of about 50 degrees 

 from the water. 



Combination Vessel. Pacific combination vessels (Figure 4.5) range 

 from about 50 to 100 feet in length. They are referred to as the "seiner 

 type" having the house forward and work area aft. These vessels operate 

 in the haUbut, salmon, herring, otter trawl, shrimp, and albacore-troll 

 fisheries. 



When rigged for purse seining, the seine table is fitted on the stern and 

 the bulwarks cut away to allow the table to swing during fishing opera- 

 tions. A small purse winch is located just aft of the house. The large 



