Table 12. --Drift gill net fishery, total catch and catch composition, in percent, 



1946-1953 



Year 



Pounds 



Percent 

 mackerel 



Percent 

 all others 



1946 

 1947 

 1948 

 1949 

 1950 

 1951 

 1952 

 1953 



1.6 



0.6 

 1.7 

 3.1 

 3.5 

 2.5 

 1.8 

 5.2 



Table 13. --Drift gill net landings of mackerel by months, in percent, 1946-1953 



Season 



November December January February March April May June 



0.2 



fishery within the survey area. Landings by 

 this gear, however, amounted to less than 

 10,000 pounds in 1953 with an estimated value 

 of $1,000 to the fishermen. The fishery is con- 

 sidered in this report principally on the merite 

 of its past production. Should cod become 

 abundant on the southern New Jersey fishing 

 grounds, trawl lining again may become prom- 

 inent among the minor fisheries. 



Vessels, Fishing Gear, and Methods 



Boats used for setting and hauling trawl 

 lines usually are small motor launches varying 

 from 20 to 35 feet in length. Their only dis- 

 tinctive feature is a roller, fastened on the 

 stern, which is used in setting and recovering 

 lines. Usually two men operate the gear. 



These lines, together with the hooks, are coiled 

 in half barrels or tubs. Usually 5 or 6 tubs of 

 gear are set in a string, although some more 

 ambitious operators have been known to set as 

 many as ten. Hooks are baited with surf -clam 

 meats. 



Trawl lines are set shortly before dawn 

 and allowed to fish for approximately two to five 

 hours. The gear is set off the stern as the boat 

 moves ahead. Keg buoys are attached between 

 each tub of gear and also at the ends of the line. 

 The time required to recover the gear, unhook 

 the fish, and coil the lines in the tubs is approx- 

 imately four hours depending on the size of the 

 catch . 



Fishing Grounds 



The basic unit in trawl line gear consists 

 of 500 hooks fastened at intervals to a ground or 

 main line approximately 5,000 feet in length. 



Fishing grounds for cod are located over 

 rough, rocky bottoms in depths of 8 to 15 fathoms. 

 The areas of importance to the fishery are the 



42 



