304 Big Game Fishes 



Not a few anglers profess to believe the two fishes 

 identical, the huge Warsaw being the adult black 

 grouper ; but the consensus of opinion is against 

 this, and the two adult fishes side by side certainly 

 could not be confused. The jewfish proper, Pro- 

 microps, is found from Brazil to Georgia, possibly 

 rarely straying farther north, and in the Gulf of 

 California. I was assured that the fish was com- 

 mon at the mouth of the St. Johns River, Florida, 

 but in three months' fishing there and at Fernan 

 dina I saw none, though it is fair to say that sharks 

 were so plentiful at the time that they seriously 

 interfered in the quest. The fish is fairly common 

 at Garden Key ; also on the Gulf coast of Florida, 

 in fact, the entire Gulf coast, where it appears 

 to haunt the bayous, preferring " holes " and 

 localities affected by the grouper, in compara- 

 tively shallow water. At Aransas Pass, Texas, 

 and vicinity, the fishes of the largest size are 

 taken by sportsmen with rod and reel. 



Some exciting fishing for jewfish may be had 

 at the town of Tarpon, Aransas Pass, where the 

 fish attains an enormous size, and at certain times 

 is found in what are apparently schools. In No- 

 vember they come in, or " run," for several days, 

 by the Point of Rocks, and are fished for from 



