TWENTY-EIGHTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 51 



STRIPED BASS AND SHAD. 



The last legislature passed measures which give striped bass and 

 shad considerable added protection. During the last live years the 

 annual commercial catch of these two species has gradually increased 

 in spite of a number of restrictions on commercial fishing. It is quite 

 certain that shad are becoming more plentiful and the closing of the 

 last half of May to shad fishing in addition to the closed months of 

 June and Jul}^ may result in bringing them back to their former 

 abundance. 



Although the commercial catch of striped bass is increasing in spite 

 of the added netting restrictions, it is not so easy to convince anglers 

 that they are not actually becoming less plentiful or even scarce. 

 Closing the last half of May to netting for striped bass, the same as 

 shad, is a very good added protection and it is our opinion that the 

 present laws are adequate for a few years at least. 



SALMON. 



The salmon, unlike the shad and striped bass, are not sufficiently 

 protected against the drain of commercial fishing. Prior to the last 

 legislative session, conferences were held between the salmon fisheries 

 interests and the Fish and Game Commission and important restrictions 

 were agreed upon which were designed to eliminate net fishing on the 

 Sacramento River above the city of Sacramento ; to eliminate all river 

 and bay salmon fishing during June and July; and to restrict outside 

 ocean trolling for salmon to those months when few immature fish are 

 caught. These restrictions were all passed by the legislature but 

 unfortunately a flaw which had remained undiscovered in the law for 

 two years, was not detected until after the bill was enacted into law. 

 This flaw has resulted in nullifying the closed seasons on the sea 

 trolling. This was unfortunate for the establishment of closed seasons 

 for salmon trolling in the sea was the most important part of the 

 salmon conservation measure. Each salmon fishing district, from the 

 ocean to the upper Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers were to be 

 restricted so that the catch in each district would be cut down about 

 25 per cent. It was believed by all that this cut in the catch was 

 absolutely necessary in the districts frequented by Sacramento salmon. 

 All were agreed that it was most important to close those months in 

 tlie sea districts when most of the salmon caught are small and 

 immature. 



Investigations carried on for several years under Professor J. 0. 

 Snyder, showed that the troll caught salmon in the sea are mostly small 

 and immature except during two or three months at what is knowii as 

 the height of the season. These favorable times, when most of the 

 salmon which are caught are large and mature, were determined for 

 each sea district along the coast and closed periods determined to 

 prevent the catching of immature fish. The closed seasons would have 

 cut down the total annual catch in pounds of salmon in each sea district 

 about 2'5 per cent, but if we should estimate it in numbers of fish it 

 would have been nearer 50 per cent. Commercial salmon trolling is of 

 comparatively recent development. The old established salmon fisheries 

 are on the bays and rivers. The bay and river fisheries are the ones 

 which have had their fishing operations restricted. The salmon troll 



