FISHING INDUSTRY OF THE GREAT LAKES 571 



was transferred to the other side. A considerable percentage of the 

 money invested in the Canadian fisheries at present is American. 



Seines were largely used on the southern shore in the earliest 

 fisheries, but to a less extent elsewhere because the bottom does not 

 favor their use over most of the Minnesota and Canadian shores. 

 Pound nets were never so important in the fisheries of Superior as 

 in those of the southern lakes because of unfavorable bottom con- 

 ditions, and such as were used were located chiefly in the bays and 

 around the islands. Latterly their use has markedly declined on 

 the American shore, to be replaced sixfold by the less expensive 

 and more conveniently operated traps. There are a great many 

 more pound nets in use now than there were in the nineties, and most 

 of them are employed on the Canadian shore. 



The principal fishing gear in use everywhere has been the gill net. 

 The first gill nets were set along shore for whitefish and trout, and 

 except on the Canadian shore the size of the mesh was not very effec- 

 tively regulated until after 1913. After 1890 the use of nets for trout 

 was supplemented on the west shore by hooks, which were baited 

 with pieces of fish. In recent years the whole-bait method has been 

 most commonly employed, having received impetus from the success 

 achieved with it in Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan fishermen have 

 during recent years migrated to Lake Superior as far west as Mar- 

 quette to fish hooks, but their operations have been much hampered 

 by the difficulty of finding bait in Lake ^Superior with the 1 3^-inch 

 nets. Wlien the shore species became less abundant the nets were 

 shifted deeper and the deep-water trout or ciscowets for a while 

 supported the industry. The large-meshed nets are at present fished 

 chiefly inside 60 fathoms. 



About 1899, with the growing demand for fish by the smoked-fish 

 trade, a fishery for bluefins at depths of 60 to 100 fathoms arose and 

 was prosecuted with exceptional vigor out of Grand Marais, Mar- 

 c[uette, Ontonagon, and Bayfield on the south shore and to less extent 

 in a few other places, chiefly on the American side of the lake. The 

 nets used were of 3 to 3 3^ inch mesh. After about six years the 

 supply declined sharply. Fishing with the small-meshed nets was 

 continued more or less actively out of some of the ports along the 

 southern shore until about 1915, but the bluefins became rarer and 

 rarer and only the inclusion of large quantities of small ciscowets in 

 these nets made their use profitable. At present none are employed 

 anjrwhere. 



Chub fishing has been carried on at intervals and for short periods 

 only at several ports, chiefly American, and though these fish are 

 abundant they find no favor in the Chicago markets and most of 

 those caught are consumed locally. 



The catching of herring in November has become an increasingly 

 important industry since 1900, and at present these fish are extensively 

 taken around the Apostle Islands and in Thunder Bay. A few are 

 also taken along the Minnesota shore, at Isle Royale, and at 

 Marquette. 



The history of production has been about the same on both sides 

 of the boundary. In Tables 2 and 3 are given itemized accounts of 

 the catches of the principal species over a period of years. 



