206 BULIyETiN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



ON FLORIDA COASTS. 



Florida is famous for its game fishes, and, except the tarpon, they are also 

 food fishes. The tarpon is the great game fish of the world. In some localities 

 it is taken with hand lines, but the method in vogue among sportsmen is to take 

 it with a 9-ounce rod, 9-thread line, and lo/o hook with mullet bait. The boat 

 (launch or rowboat) trolls slowly, with 30 or 40 feet of line out, and at the strike 

 the fish goes into the air in repeated leaps, giving a fine play. One hundred miles 

 south of Galveston, on the Gulf, is the Aransas Pass Tarpon Club, a well-known 

 organization, and when brought to the boat here the fish is towed inshore, meas- 

 ured, and released. Here, as in Florida as well, in shallow water, the big 

 jewfish also is taken, with i6-ounce rods, 24-thread line, large hook, and wire 

 leader. This fish attains a weight of 400 or 500 pounds, is sluggish, and found 

 in holes. 



One of the interesting food and game fishes is the hogfish, beautiful in rich 

 red tints and with waving plume-like fins. A hand line is used for its capture, 

 the sinker on the bottom and large hook 2 feet above, so that it will swing 

 clear of the coral. This is lowered in water from 30 to 60 feet deep in the coral, 

 and catches of 1 5 pounds are taken. 



In shallow waters the most beautiful of all the Florida fishes is the gray 

 snapper. It is caught by the professionals with hand lines, as above, with 

 crawfish or conch bait; but an 8-ounce bass rod is to the sportsman's taste, 

 with a fine no. 6 line, and a bunch of small sardiHes for bait. The fish resembles 

 a black bass, and plays like one, but does not jump. There are a number of 

 snappers, all caught the same way. 



Related to the snappers is the beautiful little yellowtail, with yellow stripes 

 and fins. A 6-ounce rod, a no. 6 line, and 4-inch hook baited with crawfish is 

 the lure, and on the shallow reef among the gorgonians or sea fans it is found 

 in great numbers, affording good sport, besides being an excellent pan fish. 

 This fish is quite different from the big yellowtail of the California coast. 



Along the mainland is found the sea trout or squeteague, a fine game fish, 

 taken with the same tackle. No fish makes a better fight. The bait for it may 

 be sardine, smelt, or crab. 



Common wharf fishes of Florida are the porgies, which throng some 

 localities in myriads. They are good pan fish. 



Notable food fishes here are the groupers. The red grouper is the most 

 valuable, and specimens weighing 50 pounds have been taken. It is a deep- 

 water fish, caught on a hand line, with conch bait or anything at hand. Other 

 groupers are taken on the same tackle (hook above the sinker) . 



The ladyfish is a splendid game fish, ranging up to 6 and 7 pounds, long, 

 slender, and silvery. A 6 or 8 ounce rod, 6-thread line, crab or fish bait is the 



