54 FISHERIES OF THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES. 



Sea bass. — With the exception of a few caught in seines, the entire 

 catch of sea bass is taken with lines and pound nets. The most pro- 

 lific grounds are off Holly Beach and Anglesea, in Cape May County, 

 and are frequented by line fishermen from these places during the 

 summer. At Seabright sea bass are taken only incidentally with 

 bluefish by the line fishermen, but here the reverse is the case. A 

 great many are taken by vessels from Atlantic City also. Most of 

 the catch shown under pound nets was caught along the coast of 

 Monmouth and Ocean counties. 



Cod. — The most important cod fisheries are conducted from Atlan- 

 tic City and Anglesea. With the introduction of gasoline engines on 

 boats, and the consequently improved facilities for reaching the fish- 

 ing grounds, this industry is prosecuted with much more vigor than 

 formerly. 



In the fall of 1905 The Fisheries Company made an innovation in 

 the method of catching cod off New Jersey by fitting up a menhaden 

 steamer with an otter trawl similar to those used by English fisher- 

 men in the North Sea. In one day 32,000 pounds of cod were taken, 

 but owing to the fact that the company had not proper facilities for 

 freezing the fish, and found it unprofitable to place such a large 

 quantity on the market at one time, fishing was discontinued for the 

 season. 



Trawl-line fishermen in New Jersey, as in other states along the 

 coast, complain of the ravages of the dogfish, which eat either the bait 

 or the fish that have been caught. 



Butterjish. — This species is very abundant along the coast of New 

 Jersey. It is taken in large quantities in pound nets, and ranks 

 second, or next to squeteague, in value among the species taken in 

 that apparatus. In one pound-net fishery off High Point, Ocean 

 County, butterfish were taken in much larger quantities than sque- 

 teague even, and constituted nearly two-thirds of the entire catch. 



Carp. — This fish, which is one of the most marketable in the state, 

 is made the special object of capture in several counties, especially 

 in those bordering on the Delaware River. Three-fourths of the 

 catch is made in stop nets (or "set nets," as they are sometimes 

 called) and the balance in seines and cast nets. The stop nets com- 

 monly used are about 7 feet deep, with a 4-inch mesh, and are fished 

 from early in the spring until ice forms in the fall or winter. They 

 are set at high water, nearly parallel to the shore, with a slight curve 

 out toward the channel. As the tide recedes, the fish, caught behind 

 the net, are unable to escape. They are removed at low water or 

 when there is about 1 foot of water back of the net. 



New York City continues to be a very profitable market for carp, 

 and fishermen living along the Hackensack River, especially favored 

 by their proximity to the city, receive high prices for this fish. 



