THE COAST F161IEKIES OF TEXAS. 413 



The fisheries prosecuted. — h\ Corpus Christi Bay all the liisli coiimioii 

 to the bays aloug- the Texas coast are found. In 1880, wheu Indianola 

 was destroyed, many^of the tishermeu from that place came to Corpus 

 Christi, and these, together with a hirge number of men who formerly 

 fished at Point Isabel, are now plying their trade here. The total 

 number of men engaged in the fishery industry of this bay in 1890 was 

 reported to be 175, and the capital invested $44,330. The catch 

 amounted to 1,238,550 pounds, for Avhich the fishermen received $45,025. 

 Only two. of the fisheries prosecuted here have any commercial impor- 

 tance; these are the bay- seine fishery and the oyster industry. Many 

 green turtle are handled in the wholesale markets of Corpus Christi, 

 but they are purchased of the fishermen hailing from Aransas Bay and 

 Point Isabel. Shrimp are found to a limited extent, but no fishery 

 has been established for taking them. Crabs and a few flounders are 

 taken by boys and wharf-idlers for local consumption. 



The hay-seine fishery. — In 1890 there were engaged in the seine 

 fishery at Corpus Christi 70 men, using 16 sailboats valued at $5,200, 

 and seines, skifts, and live-fish cars to the value of $2,820. The catch 

 amounted to 719,950 pounds, for which the fishermen" received $24,905, 

 This fishery is gradually increasing in extent at Corpus Christi. The 

 sail craft employed are somewhat larger than those used in the other 

 bays of Texas. The market men report that redfish are growing- 

 scarcer and that sheepshead are rather more i)lentiful than formerly. 

 The price received by the fishermen for their catch has been for the 

 past several years about 'dh cents per iJouud for the ordinary fish. 



Haud-Uue and other fisheries. — Many redfish, trout, je\yfish, etc., are 

 taken by means of hand lines by the Corpus Christi fishermen and 

 sport.Jsmen, and occasionally a visit is made to the red-snapper banks 

 off Aransas Pass. The hook-and-line fishery does not, however, have 

 any commercial rank. The'total quantity of fish taken in this numuer 

 is about 25,000 pounds annually. These would sell in the markets for 

 about $1,000. 



A large number of cast nets are used by boys and others for fishing 

 off the wharves and along the . shores. The catch, which consists of 

 nuillet, trout, etc., amounts to about 20,000 pounds annually. 



Spears are in use to a small extent in the shallow waters, for the 

 purpose of obtaining flounders, the annual catch amounting to about 

 4.000 pounds. 



Crab fishery. — As at other points along the Texas coast, crabs are 

 abundant in Corpus Christi Bay. There is, however, little demand f<u^ 

 them in the markets, and even this is entirely for local consumption ; 

 hence no one engages in taking them to so great an extent as to de- 

 l)end on it for a living. The crabs are taken by means of dip nets, 

 baited lines, etc. The catch is mostly peddled about the city and sells 

 at 15 to 30 cents per dozen. 



