THE CARIBBEAN AREA 



may be fished at one time from the deck of the schooner. The lines are hauled by hand and 

 as many as 18 fish have been taken at one time. 



Trarrl-lines (espineles): — These are not used to any great extent but appear from time 

 to time in most localities. This type of gear consists of a ground line made of heavj' 

 seine twine, usually tarred. To this line, about a fathom apart, are fastened short 

 gangions or snort lines attached at right angles, carrying the hooks. Each trawl line may 

 have frcn 75 to 200 hooks. The ground lines are set on the bottom, usxjally in a straight 

 line and often several units are attached together to form a longer string of gear. Each 

 end of the ground line is anchored to the bottom with a stone or anchor. A buoy line runs 

 from the anchor to the surface and a buoy is fastened to the line at the surface. The 

 buoys usvially are of local light woods, but bottles or empty kegs may also be used. The 

 hooks are baited with pieces of fish or shellfish. In fishing, the line must be tended 

 frequently, by underrunning it and taking off any fish that are caught as soon as possible. 

 Otherwise, sharics probably would destroy the lines. The bottom must be fairly regular in 

 order to use this type of gear since projecting rocks or coral heads probably would chafe 

 and break the lines or tangle them in such a way that they could not be retrieved. 



" Palangres" ; — These are specialized line trawls used for fishing sharks. The ground 

 line may be of rope or chain and the gangions are usually chain. Very large hooks are 

 attached to the gangions with heavy snap swivels. The gangions are fastened to the ground 

 line with snap hooks or swivels. From 10 to 20 hooks are used in each section of the 

 shark palangre. The palangres are fished in the same manner as other line trawls. Bait 

 is porpoise or dolphin flesh when it can be procured but aljnost any type of bloody meat is 

 usable . 



Spinning ; — A variant of hook and line fishing, similar to spinning as used in the 

 United States, is found in Venezuela (guapeando) and Trinidad (coulican). In Trinidad 

 coulicans consist of a simple rod and line. The rod is of two pieces, a stout handle and 

 a light rod with a slight bend in the extreme six inches j the handle and the tip ai^ lash- 

 ed together, giving a total length of about 6 or 8 feet. The line is of bronze wire, 

 about equal in length to the rod. A No. 6 hook is fastened to the wire and a lure is 

 attached to the hook. The lure is made of limewood or other white wood (in Venezuela, a 

 legbone of a bird is used) about 2 inches long, cylindrical in shape, and hollowed out by 

 fire. The forward face is rounded off and has a small hole in the center through whidi 

 the leader wire passes. A bunch of cotton threads is fastened to the upper part of the 

 hook. These threads and the white wood or bone act as a lure. The rod, in fishing, is 

 skittered back and forth over the surface with its terminal bend whipping in and out of 

 the water. The line is cast at the end of each stroke. This method is used when fish are 

 encountered beating on the siirface of the water. Spanish mackerel, blue fish, and bonito 

 are usually taken. 



Live-bait Fishing ; — Perhaps the most novel fishing development was observed in Cuba. 

 A Cuban cannery operator developed, in 19^1, a modified tuna- fishing technique based on the 

 California method of live-bait fishing. The vessel used in Cuba has a live-well for carry- 

 ing the live-bait fishes. A mechanically-driven water pump is located topside, about amid- 

 ships. Connected to the pump is a pipeline which is fastened to the rail around the stem 

 of the vessel. At intervals, there are spray nozzles directed outboard from the main pipe. 

 INhen a school of fish is sighted, the pump is started and a spray directed into the water. 

 Live-bait fishes are ladled overboard. By these vaeans the fish are attracted near to the 

 vessel. Poles carrying lines with feather jigs and barbless hooks are then used. The 

 jigs are skittered and splashed into the water and the fish strike the jigs. As the fish 

 are hooked they are swung onto the vessel. This method has been in use for stane time and 

 appears successful in taking tuna and bonito. 



Bulling ; — In the '.Vest Indies, an interesting method of attracting fish, known as 

 "bulling", is used. A ball of ground up fish is wrapped in a piece of fine netting and 

 sunk to so.ae depth on a line. It is then jiggled up and down, enough to release some of 

 the fishy material and oil. This spreads out and attracts any fish in the neighboriiood. 

 The fisherman fishes hand lines near the ball and these have baited hooks. The fish, which 

 ai-e attracted by the stale fish, are then often caught. 



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