Proceedings 91 



Efforts to Ripen Striped Bass, 1915 



By Mr. J. P. Snyder, Cape Vincent, N. Y. 



(see Transactions, December, 1915, pages 40-45.) 



Read by President Fearing. 



President Fearing: The greatest results that have ever been obtained 

 in the history of the world in the introduction of fish into waters abso- 

 lutely foreign to them, have been those following the introduction of 

 the striped bass and the shad into the waters of California. This was 

 done by the United States Fish Commission in 1879 and 1880. The 

 men, instrumental in the work, were all members of this Society, and 

 had the backing of the American Fisheries Society, so it is mainly 

 due to this Society that California rejoices today in the abundance 

 of these fishes. 



It may be news to some of the members of the Society, even some 

 of the California members, that there were only one hundred and 

 thirty-five striped bass, and the biggest one weighed only half a pound. 

 They were distributed in Suisun Bay, in 1879, and in 1882 there was a 

 further shipment of about three hundred, none of them longer than nine 

 inches. There was a closed law on them for a number of years, but 

 in 1901, there were over a million pounds of striped bass sold in San 

 Francisco alone. Mr. Schaeffle tells me that there is a record of a fish 

 taken in California that weighed one hundred pounds, which gives us a 

 little data as to the rate of growth of the striped bass. I may tell you 

 that the greatest weight of the striped bass, according to absolutely 

 authenticated record, on the Atlantic Coast, is but one hundred and 

 twelve pounds, and you have already caught a fish of one hundred 

 pounds here on the Pacific Coast. You owe that to your magnificent 

 conservation. You have a close season for your fish, and a law that 

 forbids the exportation out of the State. In the Atlantic States, there 

 is no law against taking them when breeding. I have seen, myself, in 

 Fulton Market, New York City, a female bass that weighed ninety-eight 

 pounds, and had thirty-six pounds of spawn in her. That is the way 

 to destroy food fish. You, here in California, have locked the stable 

 door before the horse was stolen. It would be well if all our states 

 would do the same. 



Mr. J. Mailliabd, of California: May I say something about the 

 shad that you spoke of being introduced here? I do not think the people 

 in California realize the number of shad there are in this State. They 

 do not seem to be in the market, for some reason, although they are 

 one of the finest fishes we have. The shad commence to run about 

 the beginning of April, and continue until in June. There is no law, 

 whatever, against catching them. They are taken with dip nets. Thou- 

 sands and thousands of pounds of shad are caught along these rivers. 

 The shad are so commfon they feed them to the chickens. They are 

 the most prolific fish we have here, and I am sorry to say, are hardly 

 appreciated, but the way they have increased is something wonderful. 



Mr. N. B. Scofield, of California: The State of California did try. 

 for four different years, to propagate the striped bass. The striped 

 bass unfortunately changed its habits about the time the Commission 



