Table 3. --Results of sea tests to compare nehu and tilapia as skipjack bait 



u 



3/ 



4/ 



On several schools chumnneti both bait species were employed. 



Schools from which fish were caught using each bait. 



Includes only the time on schools from which some fish were caught. 



Based on the total amount of bait used on all schools chummed regardless of catch. 



With few exceptions all of the skipjack 

 caught were "season" fish of 20 to 28 pounds, 

 ranging in length from about 70 to 80 cm. One 

 of the skipjack caught while using tilapia as bait 

 is shown in figure 6 along with the contents of 

 its stonnach, demonstrating that skipjack find 

 tilapia acceptable as food. 



In the Hawaiian pole-and-line fishery, the 

 school is worked with the vessel underway at a 

 speed of about 3 knots. During our tests it 

 appeared that, when using tilapia as bait, the 



best results were obtained when the vessel was 

 slowed to about 2 knots. 



We learned also that tilapia of 1-1/2 to 2 

 inches in length are of an optinnum size for skip- 

 jack bait. It was observed that a large percentage 

 of the tilapia 3 to 4 inches in length sound when 

 used a s chum. This trait was previously re- 

 ported by Brock and Takata (1955). The smaller 

 fish, however, stay near the surface and attempt 

 to school with the vessel--characteristics of a 

 good bait fish. The diving tendency of the larger 



