Trawls. — The bait chriinp fishermen use both a small and modi- 

 fied version of the standard otter trav;l and a beam traul. The latter 

 is the predominant tra\jl gear. The bean travjls encountered in the bait 

 fisheiy are variously referred to as frame travels and pipe trawls because, 

 instead of the traditional beam, the mouth of the net is held open by a 

 rectangular pipe frame of varying width and depth. Various devices are 

 attached to the lower part of the frame in order to prevent the traxjl 

 from bogging in soft mud and to prevent clogging by vegetation and debris. 

 Among such devices are sled runners made of galvanized pipej iron \jheels, 

 and a cylindrical roller made of wood laths. The iron wheels work well 

 only en relatively clean, firm bottoms but perform less satisfactorily 

 wnen bottom conditions are muddy or grassy. The roller works satisfac- 

 torily on soft muddy bottoms, but becomes entangled on grassy bottoms 

 which stop its forward roiling action. The sled runners work well on 

 muddy bottoms and also slide through grass patches without picking up 

 large quantities of grass j however, considerable quantities of brown 

 algae are sometimes caught in the net when they are used. 



The trawls are towed by small power boats in comparatively 

 shallow water. The length of the tow varies depending on the quantity 

 of shrimp available, the depths fished, and the amount of vegetation, 

 debris, etc., taken in the tow. 



Channel or Lift Nets .— -Channel or lift nets are shaped some- 

 what like a trawl net and are hung on rectangular pipe frames of various 

 widtns and deptns. They are used only in a running tide or current with 

 each boat fishing with one or t'.-io nets. When put into operation, the 

 boat is anchored heading upstream and the nets are lowered at right 

 angles from the sides of the boat so that the current sweeps into tne 

 mouth of the net. The nets are lifted from the water at intervals and 

 the eaten emptied. The net may be lifted without removing the frame 

 from the x^ater by having a line attached a few feet from the end of the 

 bag for the purpose of hauling the bag to the boat. To dump the catch 

 a trip line on the end of the bag is loosened. 



Push Nets . — A push net consists of a rectangular frame up to 

 10 feet wide and U feet long covered with fabric netting to form a bag. 

 A handle which has a cross brace at the other end to rest against the 

 fisherman as he wades through the water pushing the net is attached to 

 the frame. Push nets are used over grass and mud flats in water 6 inches 

 to 3 feet deep. A fisherman may work by himself, pushing the net with 

 one hand and towing his boat with the other hand, or he may have assist- 

 ants to row the boat and sort the catch as the contents of the net are 

 emptied into the boat. 



Dip Nets . — A dip net consists of a large hoop, up to 3-1/2 

 feet in diameter, to which a cone-shaped net is attached. A handle 6 

 to b feet long extends from the hoop. Fishing with dip nets is usually 

 dona at night from a small boat anchored in water up to 20 feet daep. 

 A lighted lantern is fastened to the prow of the boat to attract the 

 shrimp. As the shrimp swim to the light, they are scooped up in the net. 



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