FISHERIES OF 
PAMLICO AND CORE 
SOUNDS 
43 
Table 2 shows the composition, by species, of the catch of the 
pound nets and long-haul seines throughout the season. 
age composition in each locality for each month is taken and 
from these figures the average composition for the season is calcu- 
lated. Starfish constitute 45 per cent of the catch of pound nets, 
gray trout 40 per cent, spots and butterfish each 5 per cent, and 
croakers 4 per cent, while spotted trout are not taken in any appre- 
ciable quantity. Other species are taken, but in such insignificant 
quantities that they are omitted from consideration. 
The 
aver- 
Long-haul seines, however, fail to catch many starfish or butter- 
fish. Their catch consists of 38 per cent croakers, 18 per cent each 
spots and spotted trout, 7 per cent gray trout, and 19 per cent 
mixed fish, comprising many species in small but varying quantities, 
most important of which are bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and red 
drum. 
TABLE 2.—Composition of catch of different gear, by species, in Pamlico and Core 

Sounds, N. C., 1925. (Un per cent, by number) 


















j | 
Gray | Spotted | Star- | Butter- ‘ Q rt 
trout | trout | fish fish Croaker | Spot | Mixed | Total 
=| — =a 
POUND NETS | 
TPES MAA, Se eas SOM tea a Pe ee gba 74 9.4 8.0 PAQG Bian eee a peo 
71 \ A ee, a AON S| x Ook: Soe | 38.6 7.4 8.1 Lah eee eee ae ae 3 
VHT 22), eee ee ee BORG iam Sie Y | 584 4.0 2.0 etohs| Sere eel | 
Beptemipenes. et SaeG} hele eS 59.1 | 201 1.8 2 Oo | eae Din es ed ne 
CTO nC rar eae en ee a ie eee 35. 2 | .8 2.3 SoH | 25-504 eee 
| —_——_____ 
Average for season____-___ AQKOs| seks Sees | 45.4 4.7 4.4 DNAS See ses 99.9 
| 
LONG-HAUL SEINES | 
| 
Wye ee 2.4 1556) [sehen (ee bee 55.9'| 20:3 650) Sees eoe 
UIP UIS Ga ate eS ee 7.5 | LONG hanes | aio a SE 44.1 20. 4 MES (oh) |e ee 
September sees. 10.4 21243) 45. Se= 2. ||P 28. 4 12.3 2iejon| see 
Cctoberssree 2 42 th 2 OM ee 7.6 | 2450) = tee eo aes 22.9 19.0 290 Sates ae 
) ——e — 
Average for season ______- ELD eee ices te erate Jnt--2=-=- 37.8 | 180] 19.0 99.7 

It is therefore apparent that the two types of gear supplement each 
other—pound nets yielding the valuable gray trout in large quantities, 
and long-haul seines providing spotted trout, which is highly prized. 
Starfish and butterfish would be absent from the markets if pound 
nets were not fished, and while both types of gear take croakers 
and spots, these fish form a larger percentage of long-hauJ seine 
catches than do any other species. 
between the two types of nets in the locality fished, for the pound 
nets are confined to the deeper waters of Pamlico Sound and its 
tributaries, where the muddy bottoms are so soft that it is difficult to 
drag seines, while the long-haul seines operate on the shallow, sandy 
bottoms of Pamlico and Core Sounds, where conditions are unfavor- 
able for pound netting. It would seem that both types of gear are 
desirable and necessary for yielding a balanced supply of fish to the 
markets. 
Neither is there competition 
SIZES OF FISH 
The sizes of fish taken in the pound nets in Pamlico Sound are 
presented in Tables 3 to 7 and Figures 8 to 13 showing the length 
frequencies of the various species, month by month, durimg the 
season. Gray trout taken in pound nets range in size from 5.5 to 
