﻿[73] 
  THE 
  GULF 
  FISHING 
  GROUNDS 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  289 
  

  

  provided 
  with 
  crimping-awls, 
  sharp-pointed 
  hollow 
  tubes, 
  of 
  brass, 
  set 
  

   in 
  handles 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  leave 
  the 
  handle-ends 
  uncovered. 
  These 
  are 
  used 
  

   for 
  crimping 
  the 
  fish, 
  to 
  let 
  the 
  air 
  out 
  of 
  their 
  swim 
  bladders 
  so 
  that 
  

   they 
  can 
  live 
  in 
  the 
  well. 
  Red 
  snappers 
  that 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  iced 
  are 
  also 
  

   crimped 
  to 
  let 
  the 
  air 
  out, 
  but 
  the 
  tool 
  used 
  is 
  generally 
  a 
  pitchfork 
  or 
  

   a 
  pew 
  — 
  in 
  fact, 
  any 
  sharp-pointed 
  instrument 
  that 
  chances 
  to 
  be 
  at 
  

   hand 
  — 
  and 
  less 
  care 
  is 
  exercised 
  than 
  when 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  kept 
  

   alive. 
  

  

  Hand-haulers. 
  — 
  As 
  a 
  rule, 
  the 
  snapper 
  fishermen 
  use 
  nothing 
  to 
  pro- 
  

   tect 
  their 
  hands, 
  or 
  to 
  enable 
  them 
  to 
  grasp 
  the 
  line 
  more 
  firmly. 
  The 
  

   extreme 
  activity 
  of 
  the 
  red 
  snapper, 
  when 
  hooked, 
  and 
  the 
  rapidity 
  

   with 
  which 
  its 
  bites, 
  renders 
  it 
  impracticable 
  to 
  use 
  woolen 
  nippers 
  

   similar 
  to 
  those 
  worn 
  by 
  cod-fishermen 
  on 
  the 
  banks. 
  But 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  

   hand-hauler 
  is 
  used 
  by 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  Northern 
  fishermen 
  who 
  come 
  here, 
  

   which 
  is 
  something 
  like 
  that 
  which 
  the 
  boat 
  fishermen 
  of 
  New 
  England 
  

   wear 
  to 
  protect 
  their 
  hands. 
  This 
  is 
  much 
  broader 
  than 
  the 
  nipper, 
  

   covering 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  hand; 
  is 
  double, 
  and 
  generally 
  has 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  

   woolen 
  cloth 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  parts 
  of 
  knitted 
  work. 
  

  

  Palmetto 
  bindings. 
  — 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  Orleans 
  smacks, 
  who 
  ship 
  their 
  

   fish 
  from 
  Pensacola 
  to 
  the 
  home 
  port, 
  carry 
  quantities 
  of 
  palmetto 
  leaves, 
  

   which 
  are 
  used 
  for 
  binding 
  or 
  tying 
  "bunches" 
  of 
  red 
  snappers. 
  

  

  Other 
  apparatus. 
  — 
  The 
  pitchforks, 
  fish-pews, 
  gaffs, 
  gob-sticks, 
  &c, 
  

   carried 
  by 
  the 
  vessels 
  employed 
  in 
  this 
  fishery 
  are 
  essentially 
  the 
  same 
  

   as 
  those 
  in 
  use 
  elsewhere, 
  and 
  need 
  no 
  special 
  description. 
  

  

  Bait. 
  — 
  A 
  vessel 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  snapper 
  fishery 
  usually 
  carries 
  from 
  

   300 
  to 
  400 
  pounds 
  of 
  salt 
  bait 
  on 
  each 
  trip. 
  This 
  is 
  generally 
  lady 
  fish, 
  

   bluefish, 
  or 
  skipjacks, 
  though 
  the 
  common 
  mackerel 
  [Scomber 
  scombrus) 
  

   and 
  the 
  Gulf 
  menhaden 
  (Brevoortia 
  patronus) 
  are 
  sometimes 
  used. 
  Halt 
  

   bait 
  is 
  put 
  on 
  the 
  hooks 
  when 
  the 
  vessel 
  first 
  arrives 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  

   but 
  after 
  fishing 
  has 
  begun 
  fresh 
  bait 
  is 
  chiefly 
  used, 
  the 
  hooks 
  being 
  

   " 
  pointed" 
  with 
  pieces 
  of 
  the 
  salted 
  article 
  which 
  is 
  considered 
  the 
  most 
  

   attractive. 
  Jewfish, 
  groupers, 
  porgies, 
  leather 
  -jackets, 
  and 
  sharks 
  are 
  

   used 
  for 
  bait 
  ; 
  in 
  fact, 
  almost 
  any 
  fish 
  that 
  are 
  caught 
  on 
  the 
  lines, 
  even 
  

   to 
  red 
  snappers, 
  though, 
  of 
  course, 
  the 
  latter 
  are 
  not 
  taken 
  for 
  this 
  pur- 
  

   pose 
  when 
  fish 
  of 
  less' 
  value 
  can 
  be 
  obtained, 
  which 
  is 
  generally 
  the 
  

   case. 
  The 
  fresh 
  bait 
  has 
  the 
  advantage 
  of 
  being 
  very 
  much 
  tougher, 
  

   as 
  a 
  rule, 
  than 
  that 
  which 
  is 
  salted, 
  and 
  therefore 
  cannot 
  so 
  easily 
  be 
  

   torn 
  from 
  the 
  hooks. 
  Porgies 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  attractive 
  bait 
  than 
  

   most 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  varieties 
  used 
  fresh, 
  and 
  we 
  hatl 
  an 
  opportunity 
  for 
  

   noting 
  that 
  the 
  red 
  snapper 
  prefer 
  it 
  to 
  the 
  grouper, 
  both 
  of 
  which 
  

   we 
  tried 
  on 
  our 
  hooks. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  after 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  March 
  the 
  snapper 
  is 
  far 
  more 
  dainty 
  

   than 
  during 
  the 
  winter, 
  and 
  then 
  choice 
  varieties 
  of 
  fresh 
  bait 
  are 
  re- 
  

   quired; 
  lady-fish 
  and 
  bluefish 
  are 
  preferred. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  nothing 
  peculiar 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  baiting 
  the 
  hooks. 
  The 
  

   bait 
  is 
  cut 
  into 
  irregularly 
  shaped 
  pieces, 
  about 
  2 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  

   S. 
  Mis. 
  70 
  19 
  

  

  