Osburn. — Game Fish Conditions in Ohio 361 



cases, causing the disappearance of the more dehcate species. 

 Pollution farther down the stream may be a barrier to some 

 of these fishes, preventing them from running up stream at the 

 spawning season. In other cases the construction of dams 

 may now prevent certain species from running up stream to 

 breed. It would seem that the reduction of the number of 

 individuals of these smaller species can not help having an 

 effect on the production of game fish by limiting their food 

 supply. 



Crawfish, an important element in the food of bass, are 

 fairly abundant, except where pollution is evident. 



Ohio has been doing excellent work in fish production and 

 protection for years, but little mention has been made of the 

 fact. Except where conditions beyond the control of the Bu- 

 reau of Fish and Game have interfered, game fish are plenti- 

 ful and are reproducing in satisfactory numbers. There are 

 occasional reports of seining and trapping, but the game pro- 

 tectors are an excellent body of men, and their work results 

 in the seizure of much of the illegal fishing apparatus and 

 the apprehension of the owners. Moreover, the education of 

 the public in conservation, through publicity afforded by the 

 press and through the medium of sportsmen's associations, is 

 having a noticeable effect. An educated public which will not 

 wink at violations of the law or place obstacles in the way of 

 the warden's performance of his duty, is a necessity to the pro- 

 duction of fish in any region where the population is at all 

 dense. 



A few observations showing how weather conditions may 

 affect the breeding and food of fishes were made incidentally 

 during the course of the survey. In the open water of Lake 

 Erie, about the islands, where in 1919 small-mouth bass fry 

 were very abundant, there were no fry to be found in the sum- 

 mer of 1920, although a special effort was made to find them. 

 The only ones taken were in a sheltered locality in Put-in Bay 

 harbor, where a gravel bar afforded protection. The only ex- 

 planation that presents itself is that a succession of storms 



