steadily through summer and early fall, reached 

 peak abundance at 134 to 198 from October to 

 January, and declined rapidly to the low in 

 May and June (fig. 8). 



The species contributed only 1,2 percent of 

 the monthly average catches in May and June; 

 this percentage increased slowly to about 7 

 percent in October and November and about 9 

 percent in January and February, and then 

 declined to the low in May and June (fig. 9). 



CHLOROSCOMBRUS CHRYSURUS . - - The 

 yearly average catch of bumper (Carangidae) 

 for the region was 68 per hour of trawling, 

 representing 4.2 percent of the total catch. They 

 were most abundant in Florida Outside at 274 

 per hour of trawling and 10.1 percent of the 

 catch; next in Georgia Outside, 93 per hour of 

 trawling and 6.7 percent of the catch; then 

 Georgia Inside, 14 per hour of trawling and 1 

 percent of the catch; and least abundant in 

 South Carolina Outside, 11 per hour of trawling 

 and 0.6 percent of the catch. 



About 4 to 7 bumpers were takenperhour of 

 trawling during March and April; numbers 

 increased over late spring and early summer, 

 held a level between 91 and 128 per hour of 

 trawling from August to November, peaked at 

 182 in December, declined to 101 in January, 

 and continued to decline to the low in March 

 and April (table 8). 



Bumpers contributed less than 1 percent of 

 the monthly average catches in March and 

 April; this percentage increased in May, main- 

 tained a level between 4.0 and 6.7 percent 

 (peak in December) from June to January, and 

 declined abruptly in February to the low in 

 March and April (table 8). 



CYNOSCION REGALIS .-- The yearly average 

 catch of gray seatrout (Sciaenidae) for the 

 region was 63 per hour of trawling, represent- 

 ing 3.9 percent of the total catch. They were 

 most abundant in South Carolina Outside at 141 

 per hour of trawling and 6.8 percent of the 

 catch; next in Georgia Inside, 65 per hour of 

 trawling and 4.3 percent of the catch; then 

 Georgia Outside, 49 per hour of trawling and 

 3.6 percent of the catch; and least numerous 

 in Florida Outside, 46 per hour of trawling 

 and 1.7 percent of the catch. 



Only 13 gray seatrout were taken per hour 

 of trawling in March; the number generally 

 increased during spring and early summer, 

 ranged from 71 to 95 in August to December, 

 peaked at 133 in January, and declined abruptly 

 to the low in March (table 8). 



The species contributed only 1.4 percent of 

 the monthly average catch in March, fluctuated 

 between 2.6 and 5.9 percent from April to 

 December, peaked at 6.9 percent in January, 

 and declined to the low in March (table 8). 



ETROPUS CROSSOTUS, --The yearly av- 

 erage catch of fringed flounder (Bothidae) for 

 the region was 49 per hour of trawling. 



representing 3.0 percent of the total catch. 

 They were most numerous in Georgia Inside at 

 74 per hour of trawling and 4.9 percent of the 

 catch; next in Georgia Outside, 30 per hour of 

 trawling and 2.2 percent of the catch; then 

 Florida Outside, 19 per hour of trawling and 

 0,7 percent of the catch; and least abundant in 

 South Carolina Outside, 15 per hour of trawling 

 and 0,7 percent of the catch. 



Only 2 fringed flounders were taken per hour 

 of trawling in June; the number increased 

 steadily during summer and early fall, rose 

 sharply in October and November to 78 and 122, 

 peaked at 168 in December, declined sharply 

 to 86 in January, and continued to decline to 

 the low in June (table 8). 



The species contributed less than 1 percent 

 of the monthly average catches from May to 

 August; this percentage increased in Septem- 

 ber, and was maintained at 3.5 to 6.2 percent 

 (peak in December) from October to April 

 (table 8). 



SOUTH CAROLINA OUTSIDE 



Figure 4 shows the monthly average num- 

 ber of fish per hour of trawling for all species 

 combined and for the family Sciaenidae. From 

 a low of 555 fish per hour of trawling in April 

 the number rose steadily through the summer 

 to 2,882 to 3,338 during September and October 

 and peaked at 3,571 to 3,693 in December and 

 January (fig. 4). I do believe the relatively 

 small number of fish captured in November 

 (1,200 per hour of trawling) may be due to 

 a sampling error. Number of fish taken declined 

 abruptly in February and continued to decline 

 to the low in April. The yearly average catch 

 for all species combined was almost 2,100 

 fish per hour of trawling, of which over 1,700 

 were Sciaenidae--or more than 3 of every 4 

 fish taken. 



Families 



Five families of fishes (Sciaenidae, Clupe- 

 idae, Gadidae, Engraulidae, and Ariidae--in 

 that order) were taken in greatest numbers in 

 South Carolina and together contributed 1,955 

 of the 2,086 yearly average number per hour 

 of trawling, and almost 94 percent of the 

 yearly average catch. 



Sciaenidae . - - The yearly average catch of 

 croakers for the area was 1,731 per hour of 

 trawling, representing 82.9 percent of the total 

 catch. 



Only 267 and 233 sciaenids were taken per 

 hour of trawling in March and April; the num- 

 ber increased rapidly during the spring and 

 summer, to 3,008 and 2,470 in September and 

 October, peaked at 3,383 and 3,206 in Decem- 

 ber and January, declined rapidly in February, 

 and continued to decline to the low in March and 

 April (fig. 4), 



