FISHES OF THE PACIFIC COAST 31 



latter is effective, but rather expensive, the spoon cost- 

 ing from fifty cents to one dollar, and a large fish is 

 more than likely to carry it off. The little bonito, com- 

 pared to the tuna, its second cousin, is a voracious 

 fish. It generally strikes on the run, and never stops, 

 its rush being so impetuous that, like the tuna, it 

 hooks itself if the rod is held firmly, as it should be, 

 the thumb pressed on the brake or leather with just 

 sufficient force to prevent overrunning of the line. 



The splendid play of this twelve-pound fish is amaz- 

 ing to the tyro, as, when it is finally stopped, it surges 

 downward, then around in long reaches, nearly always 

 on the surface, so that the angler stands, and, with 

 the butt of the light rod in the leather socket of the 

 belt, plays it with all the accumulated delights of the 

 sport. Rarely will this fish sulk, more often being 

 seen on the surface, fin out, dashing this way and 

 that with the rapid movements of all of the bonitos, 

 often falling a victim to the small but savage bonito- 

 sharks, which, scenting the blood, follow and drive it 

 to even fiercer efforts to escape. The bonito is sup- 

 posed to run in schools, but I have seen them in 

 great masses. They are widely distributed, generally 

 running in pairs, though possibly they assemble at 

 times in compact schools, like the barracuda and tuna. 

 Like others of the kind, they spawn on the high seas, 

 the eggs floating; the young, with others, find their 

 first protection beneath masses of floating kelp and 

 weed. 



That the bonitos go south or out to sea in winter is 

 well known, as it is the exception to catch them at that 

 season. They evidently follow the food supply to 

 some offshore bank, or, like the birds, go to the south, 



