July, 1955 
Hoop nets are fished in the currents of 
rivers and in depths that cover the nets 
entirely. Often these nets are baited with 
cheese scrapings and other wastes pur- 
chased from cheese manufacturers, fig. 7. 
Frequently they are fished in 15 or more 
feet of water. Each of these nets is an- 
chored by a wire cable or rope attached to 
Fig. 7. 
STARRETT & BARNICKOL: COMMERCIAL FISHING DEVICES 335 
a weight, a stake, or a basket trap. The 
fisherman setting the net takes a mental 
fix of his location by noting several land- 
marks. ‘The following day he checks his 
bearings and locates the approximate place 
his net was set the previous day. He drags 
the bottom with a grappling hook until he 
strikes the net cable, fig. 8. He then re- 
A commercial fisherman baiting a hoop net with cheese. This fisherman demon- 
strates a common method of fishing for catfish on the Mississippi River. 
