36 REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 



As you know, the work done at this station is almost entirely for the State. It seems as 

 if it should be the aim of the people to do all in their power to aid the United States Fish 

 Commission to accomplish its object by making laws that will protect this valuable food 

 fish. 



]\luch more could be said regarding the tremendous decrease in late years of the 

 salmon, but 1 think I have advanced sufficient reasons to show that a longer close season 

 is necessary to make a success of our work. It is a question that should be seriously 

 considered and acted upon at once. 

 Yours truly, 

 (Signed:) GEO. B. WILLIAMS, Jr., 



Superintendent of Station. 

 STRIPED BASS. 



There were brought to this coast in 1874 some one hundred and fifty 

 Striped bass, about one and one half inches in length. From these 

 quite a number of mature fish were caught in years afterwards, but it 

 was not certain that they had reproduced themselves, and it was thought 

 best to have another shipment of these fish brought out to this coast, to 

 make it as sure as possible that these excellent fish should become 

 familiar in our waters. 



By instructions of the Board of Fish Commissioners, B. B. Redding, 

 S. R. Throckmorton, and J. D. Farwell, in 1882 I brought out from the 

 Shrewsbury River at Red Bank, New Jersey, just above Monmouth 

 Park, a shipment of Striped bass, running from five to nine inches in 

 length, and planted them in Suisun Bay, at Army Point. Quite a num- 

 ber of these have been caught from year to year, increasing in weight 

 every year. Last year several were caught weighing over twenty pounds, 

 and during the past winter one was caught weighing thirty-five pounds. 



I have been watching for the young fish, the progeny of those brought 

 out in 1882, and during the past spring, on my return from a trip to 

 Tahoe Hatchery, I heard that they were being caught by the thousands 

 and offered for sale in the market. I hurriedly went up to the market 

 to see if it were true. I found there a lot still unsold, averaging from 

 one half to three quarters of a pound in weight. I was delighted to see 

 them, knowing that those brought out from New Jersey must have kept 

 together in the muddy waters of our bay till they matured and spawned, 

 and their young had been successfully reared. 



But knowing that the young Striped bass run in schools, I became 

 alarmed lest the many Chinese nets in our bay and the lower Sacra- 

 mento and San Joaquin Rivers would soon destroy the greater part of 

 them, which would be a great pity, as they had cost so much money, 

 trouble, and time in waiting for them to reproduce themselves. And if 

 these young fishes could remain unmolested for a few years longer, till 

 they themselves had spawned, our bays would be full of these splendid 

 fishes. Certainly this would be a great acquisition to the whole Pacific 

 Coast. 



I immediately visited the newspapers, and they kindly published a 

 notice of the arrival of the numerous strangers, of their great impor- 

 tance, and the danger of their destruction if they were not protected. 



Your honorable Board petitioned the Board of Supervisors to pass an 

 ordinance to prohibit catching them under eight pounds in weight. 

 This they quickly did. A similar petition it would be advisable to pre- 

 sent to the Boards of Supervisors of Marin, Sonoma, Solano, Contra Costa, 

 Alameda, San Joaquin, and Sacramento Counties. The young bass will 

 most certainly visit the waters of all these counties, and their protection 

 for a few years is of vital importance. 



