THE COAST FISHERIES OF TEXAS. 401 



The liook-and-Une Jisherics. — Aside tiointlio led-siiappci' lisliery, but 

 few tisli are taken by hooks and lines iu the vicinity of Galveston, and 

 these mainly by sportsmen and wharf-idlers, the latter usually tishing 

 oft" the docks with short lines. Occasionally some fish are taken iu the 

 surf on the south side of Galveston Island by means of longhand lines. 

 The method employed is common ou the Atlantic coast from Xew Jer- 

 sey to Florida for taking many varieties of fish. The line is several 

 hundred feet in length, and has a hook and weight at one end. The 

 other end is fastened to a peg driven in the sand near the water's edge, 

 or to oue arm of the person using it. After coiling the line on his arm 

 the fisherman goes back a hundred feet or more from the water. Then, 

 running rapidly toward the surf and swinging the weighted hook around 

 his head, he throws it far out into the water. Immediately the line is 

 drawn iu, either hand over hand or by the fisherman running up the 

 bank. The fish taken in this manner are usually much larger than the 

 average of the same species taken in the seines. The most abundant 

 are redfish, trout, and occasionally bluefish, the latter species being 

 more numerous during the last three or four years. The (luantity taken 

 iu this manner and from the bay is about 35,000 i)ounds annually. 



It was formerly customary for a number of the harbor and freight 

 boats around Galveston to make several fishing trips during the year 

 to the red-snapper banks off Galveston Island. Ordinarily these tri]>s 

 were made during the dull season and were engaged in as much for 

 pleasure as for profit. Some of the boats, however, made quite a busi- 

 ness of it. In this way, during certain years, as much as 200,000 

 liounds of red snappers were brought to Galveston. This fishery began 

 about 1881 and reached a maximum in 1885. The schooner Edna C, 

 tonnage 23.06, Avas oue of the best boats engaged in this fishery, but 

 duriug a storm ou September 18, 1885, while ou a trip to the banks, this 

 vessel was lost with all on board. Since then few boats have engaged 

 to any extent in taking red snappers. In each of the years 1887, 1888, 

 and 1889 there were three regular freight vessels that made trips to 

 the banks, while iu 1890 there were only two such vessels. The crew 

 usually consisted of five men to each vessel. The catch of 1889 A\^as 

 reported to be 22,000 pounds, while in 1890 it was only 4,800 i)ounds. 



The oyster industry. — Galveston Bay has a greater area of natural 

 oyster beds than any other bay in Texas, but the reefs are not so plen- 

 tifully snpplied with oysters as some others in the State. This is to 

 some extent due to overfishing. In 1890 215 men living on the shores 

 of Galveston Bay were engaged in oystering, using 127 sailboats valued 

 at $12,900, and other ai)paratus A'alued at $3,740. The catch amounted 

 to 235,300 bushels of oysters, for which the fishermen received $72,140. 

 A small ])art of this catch AA^as obtained fromMatagordaBay by Galveston 

 oystermen who fished there for a feAV Aveeks. None of the sail craft 

 employed iu the oyster fishery of Galveston Bay measure over 5 tons. 



The best grounds in Galveston Bay proper lie off Shoal and Dollar 

 points on the Avestern side of the bay, and off' l^teyenson and Smith 

 U, 3Iis, 1.13 2() 



