THE S E A-B ASS 



young fish were less common than usual. Formerly 

 the young were abundant everywhere in the vicinity 

 of Wood's Hole, but in 1900 they were limited to a 

 few localities. 



The same variation has been noted in Great 

 South Bay, where the young are usually found in 

 summer, but occasionally fail to arrive except in 

 very small numbers. Off shore at Southampton, 

 especially around an old sunken wreck about two 

 miles at sea, adults are caught freely. Good fish- 

 ing-grounds are reached by steamers from New 

 York and Philadelphia on the near-by " banks." 

 Five Fathom Bank, off the coast of New Jersey, 

 is famous for its sea-bass. In the shallow waters 

 of Great Egg Harbor Bay hundreds of small- 

 sized sea-bass can be taken in a day, and it is 

 sometimes difficult to keep them away from bait 

 intended for larger fish. The natural range of the 

 fish has sometimes been extended by the transfer 

 of live bass in well-smacks to waters north of their 

 usual limit. 



Favorite Haunts 



The young sea-bass prefer the channels of 

 shallow bays and the vicinity of wharves and land- 

 ings. Large fish frequent the offshore " banks " 

 where the bottom is rocky. A sunken wreck de- 

 lights the adults, because it attracts food and fur- 

 nishes shelter also. 



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