292 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



pirogue finds easy passage. These float roads also have au important 

 relation to the fishing- industry, as will appear later on in this report. 



There are four species of commercial catfishes handled by the firms 

 at Morgan City and Melville, viz: The blue cat or poisson bleu {Icta- 

 lurus fitrcatus), the yellow cat or goujon {Leptops olivaris), the eel cat 

 {letalurus anguiUa), and the spotted cat {Ictalurus punctatus). The 

 blue cat and the goujon are by far the most important species, and 

 probably constitute 98 per cent of tlie entire catch. 



The methods employed in this industry are very interesting. Ordi- 

 narily the fishing season extends from September to May, little being 

 done during the summer months. In some cases, however, the fishing 

 has continued throughout the year. Practically all the fishing is done 

 with "trot lines" and "brush lines," though a few catfish are some- 

 times taken in hoop nets, which are set primarily for buffalo. The 

 standard length of a single trot line is 25 feet, which equals 1 bale of 

 line, but a number of lines are always tied together. There is no defi- 

 nite length of the string, this depending upon the width and character 

 of the body of water in which it is set. The length may vary from a 

 few rods to over a mile. The longest line of which we heard was one 

 12 miles long, which has been used in Grand Lake. The twine used is 

 usually what is known as Woodbury 96 or Banner Mills 96, which is 

 somewhat smaller than an ordinary lead pencil. The snoods are usu- 

 ally 18 inches long, and they are i)laced 3 feet apart. The hooks are 

 fastened on by a double staging and various sizes are used, such as 

 Virginia, Limerick (Nos. 6, 7, 8, and 9 0), and Millwood (Nos. o and 6.) 



All river fishing during the fall and winter is done on the bottom, 

 while all lake fishing is at the surface. During the spring, when the 

 country is flooded, the fish betake themselves to the woods, and the 

 fishing is then carried on chiefly along the edges of the. float roads. 

 The old tackle, which had been previously used in the river and lakes, 

 is now cut up into short lengths and tied, as single lines, called brush 

 lines, to the limbs of trees in such a way as to allow the single hook to 

 hang about 6 inches under the water. Each fisherman ties his lines 

 to trees along the edges of the float roads if he can find such territory 

 not already preempted by some one else. The fishing is thought to be 

 better in such places; besides, it is easier to visit the lines when so 

 located. Any fisherman who is unable to find unoccupied space along 

 the float roads sele<;ts the best places he can find at various points 

 around through the woods. In order that he may readily find his lines 

 when he wishes to visit them, the limbs to which they are tied are 

 marked with a white rag or the tree is blazed. 



The different kiiuls of bait used are classed as "live bait" or "cut 

 bait." The live bait consists chiefly of " shad" {Dorosoma cepedianum 

 exile, Hiodon alosoides, iind Signalofia atcJiafalaycc),i)erc\i, and crawfish. 

 The "shad" are regarded as the best bait, and 100 shad are said to be 

 worth 200 or 300 crawfisli. The ciawfish will live on the hook three 

 or four days, while the shad will live only a day or two, but the shad 



