The Haunts of the Black Sea-Bass 



who had triced the fish up ; " better than 

 the average." Glory enough for one day. 



During this summer, at Santa Catalina, 

 about twenty of these fish were caught, 

 ranging from eighty pounds to three hun- 

 dred and fifty. All were females, ready to 

 spawn, and had come in to Pebble Beach 

 for this purpose, depositing their eggs in 

 August and September. This locality has 

 always been a famous place for them, and 

 ten thousand pounds were taken there in 

 a single day four years ago. At that time 

 there was a systematic fishery, the meat 

 being dried, and tell it not in Gath ! 

 sold as boneless cod. My oarsmen in- 

 formed me that the bass had been fright- 

 ened off. These fishermen killed the fish 

 on the spot, throwing the heads overboard ; 

 and so the bass left, only comparatively few 

 having been seen since. 



This is a native version. The fish un- 

 doubtedly migrate, going into deeper water 

 during the winter, or possibly to the south. 



It is often said that there is little pleas- 

 ure in taking deep-sea fish ; but to capture 

 the black sea-bass, free-handed, play it 

 fairly, and bring it to the gaff, is an ex- 

 perience that well compares in sport and 

 excitement with hand-line tarpon-fishing 

 on the Gulf coast. 



176 



