Striped Bass; Rockfish; Rock 



these were many of 65 pounds, many of 85 pounds, and a few of 

 90 pounds. In 6 hours' fishing 50,000 pounds were taken May 6, 

 1876. 



On May 6, 1896, 38,000 pounds of rockfish were landed at one haul. 

 Among them were about 600 fish that averaged 60 pounds each, 

 and several that weighed 105 pounds each. The roe of one fish 

 weighed 44 pounds. 



Some very large fish have been reported. Dr. Henshall saw one 

 weighed in Baltimore which tipped the beam at more than 100 

 pounds; one taken at Cuttyhunk weighed 104 pounds; and Dr. 

 Goode records an example caught at Orleans which weighed 112 

 pounds and which must have been 6 feet long. The average of those 

 seen in the Washington market now does not exceed 5 pounds. 



Though the striped bass has undoubtedly decreased greatly in 

 abundance during the century, it is still an abundant fish. The catch 

 on our Atlantic coast for 1897 amounted to nearly one and a half 

 million pounds, valued at $128,000. 



The splendid results of the artificial propagation of useful food- 

 fishes are clearly and indisputably shown by the fate of the striped 

 bass on the Pacific coast, where it was planted by the United States 

 and California fish commissions a few years ago. The fish was not 

 native to those waters, and all striped bass now found there are the 

 descendants of those artificially planted. The few fish put in those 

 waters thrived exceedingly, and for several years past the catch has 

 been very large. In 1899 it aggregated 1,234,320 pounds, valued at 

 $61,814. 



As a food-fish the striped bass is one of the very best ; as a game- 

 fish there is none better. Frank Forester calls it "a gallant fish and 

 a bold biter"; and Genio Scott says it is his favourite of all American 

 game-fishes. 



All the published works on fishing in America describe the various 

 methods by which anglers capture this noble fish, and we shall not 

 take space to repeat them here. 



Colour, olivaceous, silvery, often brassy-tinged; sides paler, 

 marked with about 7 or 8 continuous or somewhat interrupted black- 

 ish stripes, one of them along the lateral line; fins all pale. 



The rockfish may be easily distinguished from the white bass, 

 which it most resembles, by its having 2 patches of teeth on its 

 tongue instead of i, and in not having the back arched. 



375 



