298 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



So far as the investigations of a single season may be relied upon, 

 these results indicate that the spawning season of the blue catfish in 

 the Atchafalaya River is a prolonged one, but that the majority of the 

 fish spawn in March and April. The testimony given by the fishermen 

 agrees closely with these results. They report finding fish in full roe 

 as early as the last of February and as late as the first of June, though 

 all admit that the majority of ripe fish are taken in March or April. 



The total number of goujon examined was 42, of which all but 2 were 

 females. Of the 2 males, one was an immature fish and the other was 

 fully ripe. Of the 40 females, 18 (or 45 per cent) were spent fish, 1 was 

 about half developed, 1 was immature, while 22 (or 55 per cent) were 

 ready to spawn. This indicates for the goujon a somewhat later 

 spawning season than for the blue cat, of which about 84 per cent were 

 done spawning. The few eel cats examined showed that about 38 per 

 cent had already spawned and that 62 per cent were ready to spawn. 



The number of spotted cats examined was not sufficient to enable 

 any conclusion to be drawn as to its time of spawning. 



Basing conclusions as to the time of spawning period upon investi- 

 gations extending over only a brief portion of a single season is not 

 altogether safe. Accurate results can only be obtained from observa- 

 tions extending over two or more seasons. All that can be said, there- 

 fore, in this report, is that the strong probability is that the great 

 majority of catfish in Atchafalaya River spawn in March and April, 

 the period from March 15 to April 30 being the most important. 



Method of handling the fish. — Each fisherman visits his lines daily, or 

 twice a day if possible, passing from hook to hook in his pirogue, 

 taking ofl" the fish and putting them in live-boxes where they are 

 retained until the tugboat arrives on its regular collection trip. Each 

 of the three companies at Morgan City has a tugboat for this purpose, 

 valued at $2,000 to $3,000. Each tug carries in tow a large live-box 

 called a live-car or fish car, into which the fish are put when received 

 from the individual fisherman and in which they are retained until 

 they are needed for dressing. The car is usually 25 to 30 feet long, 6 

 feet beam, and is divided into several compartments. The maximum 

 capacity is 40 to 50 boxes of 300 pounds each. The captain of the tug, 

 as agent tor the company, buys the fish from the fishermen. The fish 

 are measured in a box 1^ by 1 J by 3 feet. This measuring-box rests 

 upon the live-car over the ])articular compartment into which the fish 

 are to be put, and when the box is full the hinged bottom is released 

 and the fish fall into the car. A "box" of fish is 300 pounds, and the 

 price paid during the time of our visit was $7 per box or about 2J 

 cents per pound. If any fisherman is not satisfied with the measured 

 or estimated weight, the actual weight is determined. The highest 

 price recently paid was $8 per box. Each firm's tug usually makes 

 one trip, sometimes two, per week, the time required varying from 

 three to five days. 



