Fish and Fishing 



rock crabs, are the favorite bait; sometimes they 

 will take shrimp and sand worms. 



Large numbers of tautog are caught by the 

 anglers who go out daily on the fishing steamers 

 in the open sea. All, or nearly all, use the regu- 

 lation salt-water tackle : a short, stout and heavy 

 rod, strong line, and large wooden reel. Such 

 tackle is necessary for outside fishing, and the 

 hook should be very strong but not large in size. 

 For inside fishing lighter tackle will do — the hooks 

 the same. In baiting the hook with a small crab 

 it should be done in the same manner 

 Baitfne ^^ ^^^ sheepshead, viz., the point passed 

 through the belly to the back near the 

 head. A shrimp should be hooked by placing the 

 point near the tail, underneath, afterward drawing 

 the shrimp over; by such a method it will live 

 longer. The sinker should be a heavy one, and 

 the two hooks should be tied about six inches 

 apart, as near the sinker as possible. No leader 

 is required, but the gut snells must be very strong 

 to withstand the sharp teeth when the fish is tug- 

 ging at the bottom. When fishing inside waters, 

 arrange so that the boat can be anchored near 

 the edge of the tide, close to a rapid current, 

 where the reefs or rocks are about twenty or 

 thirty feet deep. 



The tautog is supplied with a pair of strong 

 crushers, situated in the back part of its mouth, 

 and consisting of two flat groups of ball-shaped 

 teeth between which they crush small shell-fish 

 before swallowing. When it takes the bait it 

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