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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  long 
  stick 
  being 
  over 
  the 
  center. 
  In 
  order 
  that 
  the 
  weight 
  of 
  the 
  

   sinker 
  may 
  be 
  just 
  sufficient 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  frame 
  lie 
  flat 
  upon 
  the 
  ice, 
  

   the 
  line 
  is 
  caught 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  times 
  around 
  the 
  stick. 
  The 
  fish 
  nib- 
  

   bling 
  at 
  the 
  bait 
  causes 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  cross 
  to 
  tip 
  up, 
  whence 
  the 
  name 
  

   of 
  the 
  appliance. 
  When 
  the 
  fish 
  seizes 
  the 
  bait 
  the 
  long 
  arm 
  becomes 
  

   almost 
  perpendicular 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ice 
  and 
  attracts 
  the 
  attention 
  

   of 
  the 
  fisherman, 
  who 
  then 
  removes 
  the 
  fish 
  and 
  rebaits 
  the 
  hook. 
  The 
  

   usual 
  number 
  of 
  tip-ups 
  per 
  hut 
  is 
  about 
  6 
  or 
  8, 
  rigged 
  in 
  as 
  many 
  

   holes 
  cut 
  in 
  the 
  ice 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  hut 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  feet 
  apart. 
  

   When 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  biting 
  well 
  a 
  fisherman 
  with 
  six 
  holes 
  to 
  attend 
  to 
  is 
  

   a 
  very 
  busy 
  man. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  slight 
  variations 
  of 
  the 
  tip-up 
  used 
  on 
  the 
  

   various 
  lakes, 
  but 
  nearly 
  all 
  are 
  built 
  in 
  general 
  as 
  described 
  above. 
  

   In 
  a 
  few 
  cases 
  a 
  short, 
  supple 
  sapling 
  is 
  stuck 
  into 
  the 
  ice 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  

   of 
  the 
  hole 
  and 
  the 
  line 
  attached 
  to 
  this. 
  When 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  bite 
  the 
  

   agitation 
  of 
  the 
  sapling 
  is 
  sufficient 
  to 
  attract 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  the 
  fish- 
  

   erman. 
  Sometimes 
  a 
  small 
  flag 
  or 
  a 
  sleigh 
  ])ell 
  is 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  end 
  

   of 
  the 
  sapling. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  important 
  frog 
  fishery 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  is 
  carried 
  on 
  in 
  this 
  

   lake. 
  In 
  the 
  marshes 
  near 
  the 
  outlet, 
  and 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  down 
  

   the 
  Oneida 
  River, 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  large 
  quantities 
  of 
  frogs 
  weighing 
  

   from 
  one-fourth 
  to 
  li 
  and 
  sometimes 
  3 
  pounds 
  each. 
  They 
  are 
  usually 
  

   hunted 
  at 
  night. 
  The 
  fisherman, 
  wearing 
  rubber 
  hip 
  boots, 
  wades 
  in 
  the 
  

   shallow 
  water, 
  carrying 
  a 
  lighted 
  lantern, 
  a 
  short 
  club, 
  and 
  a 
  bag 
  slung 
  

   over 
  his 
  shoulder. 
  Making 
  his 
  way 
  in 
  the 
  marsh 
  as 
  noiselessly 
  as 
  

   possible, 
  he 
  dazzles 
  the 
  frog 
  with 
  the 
  bright 
  light 
  from 
  the 
  lantern, 
  

   and 
  kills 
  him 
  with 
  a 
  blow 
  of 
  the 
  club. 
  

  

  There 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  considerable 
  falling 
  off 
  in 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  frogs 
  

   since 
  1895. 
  In 
  that 
  year 
  60,000 
  pounds, 
  valued 
  at 
  $5,400, 
  were 
  

   obtained, 
  while 
  in 
  1902 
  only 
  13,100 
  pounds, 
  valued 
  at 
  $1,220, 
  were 
  

   taken. 
  The 
  season 
  of 
  1902 
  was 
  an 
  exceptionally 
  poor 
  one, 
  however, 
  

   according 
  to 
  the 
  fishermen, 
  the 
  water 
  being 
  too 
  high 
  for 
  wading, 
  and 
  

   in 
  1903 
  the 
  catch 
  was 
  somewhat 
  larger. 
  The 
  frogs 
  are 
  dressed 
  at 
  

   Brewerton 
  and 
  the 
  hind 
  legs 
  shipped 
  to 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  country, 
  the 
  

   demand 
  being 
  much 
  in 
  excess 
  of 
  the 
  supply. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  spring 
  months 
  short 
  set 
  lines 
  are 
  employed 
  in 
  catching 
  

   bullheads, 
  suckers, 
  and 
  eels. 
  

  

  Oneida 
  Lake 
  is 
  full 
  of 
  the 
  commoner 
  species 
  of 
  fishes, 
  such 
  as 
  ling, 
  

   suckers, 
  pumpkinseeds, 
  rock 
  bass, 
  etc., 
  which 
  greatly 
  interfere 
  with 
  

   the 
  game 
  fishing, 
  and 
  it 
  would 
  benefit 
  the 
  sportsmen, 
  with 
  whom 
  this 
  

   lake 
  is 
  a 
  favorite 
  resort, 
  could 
  some 
  means 
  be 
  devised 
  for 
  decreasing 
  

   the 
  number 
  of 
  objectionable 
  species. 
  The 
  use 
  of 
  trap 
  nets 
  for 
  a 
  sea- 
  

   son 
  or 
  two 
  would 
  probably 
  accomplish 
  the 
  purpose. 
  

  

  