PACIFIC COAST FISHERIES. 



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gTOuiids for the striped buss during tlie spawning season. Many fish 

 are talien from this section, but few, if any, are found further up the 

 San Joaquin Iviver. 



The striped bass seems to make its home between the entrance to the 

 Golden Gate and tlie short distance mentioned up the San Joaquin, a 

 distance of some 100 to 125 miles. It does not go up the Sacramento 

 River much, if any, above its mouth, none being caught by Sacramento 

 fishermen near that city. 



The striped bass vary in weight from 3 to 25 pounds, in some cases 

 reaching 35 to 40 pounds; the average is 8 to 12 pounds. With the 

 Increase of the abundance of the fish and the augmented catch, both 

 the consumer and the fisherman have reaped benefits; the marked 

 decrease in price that favored the one was more than made up to the 

 fisherman in his larger sales. The average price received by the fisher- 

 men was 40 cents a pound in 1889, 25 cents in 1890, 20 cents in 1891, 

 and 12i cents in 1892. 



During the season of 1892, when fish were most abundant, the fisher- 

 men received only 8 cents a pound, and again, in times of scarcity, as 

 high as 20 cents a pound. During 1888 the few bass caught brought 

 a dollar a pound in city markets; in 1892 the retail price was 20 to 30 

 cents a pound. The yearly catch has been as follows : 



