﻿308 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  qnestiou 
  of 
  bait, 
  which 
  iu 
  the 
  liue 
  fisheries 
  of 
  many 
  places 
  is 
  

   a 
  very 
  serious 
  oue, 
  seklom 
  causes 
  auy 
  concern 
  to 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  lisher- 
  

   nien. 
  Suitable 
  bait 
  in 
  almost 
  limitless 
  abundance 
  is 
  easily 
  and 
  con- 
  

   veniently 
  obtained. 
  The 
  i^rincipal 
  bait 
  products 
  are 
  the 
  rock 
  lobster 
  

   or 
  crawlish 
  and 
  small 
  fishes 
  known 
  locally 
  as 
  '' 
  sardines," 
  " 
  shad," 
  and 
  

   " 
  pilchards." 
  The 
  meat 
  of 
  the 
  conch 
  is 
  also 
  used 
  to 
  some 
  extent. 
  The 
  

   crawfish 
  are 
  taken 
  by 
  spearing, 
  seiuing, 
  and 
  trapping, 
  and 
  the 
  small 
  

   fish 
  are 
  caught 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  improvised 
  seines 
  made 
  of 
  gunny 
  sacks. 
  

   In 
  1895 
  the 
  small 
  fish 
  used 
  for 
  bait 
  had 
  an 
  approximate 
  weight 
  of 
  

   121,000 
  pounds, 
  with 
  a 
  market 
  value 
  of 
  $3,025; 
  the 
  crawfish 
  employed 
  

   for 
  the 
  same 
  purpose 
  amounted 
  to 
  120,000 
  pounds 
  (equivalent 
  to 
  about 
  

   the 
  same 
  number 
  of 
  these 
  crustaceans), 
  worth 
  82,720. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  interesting 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  market 
  line 
  fisheries 
  

   is 
  that 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  kept 
  alive 
  in 
  wells 
  while 
  tlie 
  boats 
  are 
  on 
  the 
  fishing- 
  

   grounds 
  and 
  are 
  transferred 
  to 
  live-cars 
  or 
  live-boxes 
  after 
  reaching 
  

   market. 
  The 
  consumer 
  is 
  thus 
  enabled 
  to 
  select 
  his 
  fish 
  and 
  have 
  

   them 
  killed 
  on 
  the 
  spot, 
  thus 
  being 
  sure 
  that 
  the 
  fish 
  is 
  fresh. 
  This 
  

   method 
  prevents 
  the 
  waste 
  that 
  too 
  often 
  characterizes 
  the 
  fisheries, 
  as 
  

   the 
  fishermen 
  do 
  not 
  take 
  more 
  fish 
  than 
  thej^ 
  can 
  readily 
  sell 
  and 
  do 
  

   not 
  start 
  on 
  a 
  trip 
  until 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  the 
  previous 
  trip 
  is 
  disposed 
  of. 
  

  

  The 
  bottom 
  fishery 
  in 
  1895 
  was 
  engaged 
  in 
  by 
  about 
  105 
  persons; 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  boats 
  employed 
  was 
  91, 
  and 
  the 
  catch, 
  amounting 
  to 
  about 
  

   1,475,000 
  pounds, 
  was 
  valued 
  at 
  $58,901, 
  

  

  The 
  Jdngjish 
  and 
  red-snapper 
  fisheries. 
  — 
  The 
  most 
  i)rominent 
  market 
  

   fishery 
  carried 
  on 
  during 
  a 
  definite 
  time 
  and 
  for 
  special 
  fish 
  is 
  that 
  

   for 
  kiugfish. 
  The 
  time 
  of 
  arrival 
  of 
  kingfish 
  in 
  this 
  region 
  and 
  its 
  

   abundance 
  each 
  fiill 
  are 
  determined 
  largely 
  by 
  the 
  weather. 
  The 
  fish 
  

   is 
  not 
  expected 
  until 
  after 
  a 
  " 
  norther," 
  and 
  is 
  apt 
  to 
  be 
  most 
  abundant 
  

   during 
  a 
  severe 
  winter 
  with 
  frequent 
  northerly 
  gales. 
  In 
  the 
  early 
  part 
  

   of 
  the 
  season, 
  which 
  extends 
  from 
  about 
  October 
  15 
  to 
  March 
  15, 
  the 
  

   kingfish 
  is 
  sought 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  and 
  east 
  as 
  Cape 
  Florida, 
  but 
  after 
  

   November 
  15 
  it 
  is 
  usually 
  present 
  in 
  large 
  numbers 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  

   Key 
  West. 
  The 
  fish 
  are 
  caught 
  from 
  within 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  of 
  the 
  

   keys 
  to 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream, 
  but 
  the 
  i)riucipal 
  grounds 
  are 
  

   from 
  above 
  Love 
  Key 
  to 
  Sombrero 
  Key. 
  

  

  Trolling 
  is 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  capture 
  employed 
  in 
  this 
  fishery, 
  a 
  36-thread 
  

   cotton 
  line, 
  about 
  10 
  fathoms 
  long, 
  being 
  used. 
  Four 
  liues, 
  worth 
  about 
  

   40 
  cents 
  each, 
  constitute 
  the 
  comjilement 
  of 
  each 
  boat. 
  When 
  the 
  fish 
  

   are 
  biting 
  fast, 
  the 
  liue 
  may 
  be 
  shortened 
  to 
  5 
  fathoms 
  or 
  even 
  2 
  fathoms. 
  

   The 
  preferred 
  bait 
  is 
  a 
  triangular 
  strip 
  of 
  skin 
  from 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  a 
  kingfish. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  catch 
  is 
  sold 
  for 
  local 
  consumption, 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  eviscerated 
  

   and 
  cut 
  into 
  steaks. 
  If 
  these 
  are 
  not 
  sold 
  the 
  first 
  day 
  after 
  being 
  

   caught, 
  they 
  are 
  lightly 
  salted 
  and 
  dried 
  in 
  the 
  sun, 
  when 
  they 
  will 
  

   keep 
  for 
  several 
  weeks 
  in 
  favorable 
  weather. 
  The 
  principal 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   catch 
  has, 
  however, 
  usually 
  been 
  destined 
  for 
  the 
  Cuban 
  trade, 
  the 
  

   fishermen 
  delivering 
  the 
  fish 
  round 
  to 
  dealers, 
  who 
  pack 
  them 
  in 
  ice 
  and 
  

  

  