broad from north to south forming a belt-shape. TcmprrnturGS at the T'~>0- 

 meter level ranged fr^vm H.8° to 1/+'^, Water color ranged from 2 to 5 with 

 unfavorable color in the low temperature zones, and transparencies were 

 from 12 to 27 meters. Plankton was abundant just as on the precediu;;,- cruJG:, 



5. Relationship between weather and currents and bait-taking by the schools 



Throughout the vAiole operating area the fishing grounds viere, just as 

 in the previous year, generally unremarkable. On the third cruise there 

 were comparatively many signs of life on the sea and small albacore were 

 seen jumping, however, there was nothing in the vicinity "vhich could be 

 taken for a school. Albacore schools were not sighted even once during the 

 three cruises, and it appears that they were disrupted by the sea conditions. 

 Generally it seemed that the albacore •voro soncwhat more concentrated than 

 they were the previous year, but the area of distribution Vv'as extremely 

 limited and unfortunately it was not possibJe on ar.y of the three cruises 

 to contact their center of conceutration,. This is thought, however, to 

 have been due to the cceanographic conditions described above, Other\'n.se 

 there was nothing in particular to record concerning the relationship of the 

 weather to bait-taking. 



6. f.fethods of preserving bait, relation of freshness to bait-taking, and 

 item.s in the follovdng tabic 



In the preservation of bait the same methods employed in the previous 

 year were employed and results were generally good. There is nothing in 

 particular to report on this score. In view of the results obtained last 

 year, the emphasis was taken off frozen squid this year and instead salted 

 sardines and frozen mackerel were principally usad. In neither case wore 

 the fish obtained from commercial dealers. The experiment station obtained 

 directly fresh raw sardines and salted them down immediately. Suitable 

 mackerel were selected and purchased from the stick-held dipnet catches 

 landed at Katsuura. They were immediately gutted, vrashcd, packed full of 

 salt, and then placed in cold storage. The requisite quantity for each 

 cruise v;as loaded aboard the Fusa Maru. '?ell-pre served mackerel and sardines 

 are thought to be much more effective than frozen squid as bait for albacore. 



//A table of data on bait has been omitted at this point. _/ 



7. Sizes (length and weight) of the largest and smallest albacore taken, 

 and the number and average size of the fish taken in the biggest single haul 



Largest 28.87 kg 109.0 cm 

 Smallest ,^,30 kg 60,5 cm 



The biggest single catch was taken duri.ig the first cruise on May 31 v/hcn 

 59 fish were taken. Their average v/cight was 15.56 kg and their average 

 length was 89 cm. 



8. ffethod of handling and preserving the catch 



The catch was handled and preserved by the same methods followed in the 

 previous year, 



123 



