FISHING FOR OTHER SEA FISH. 195 



but it grows sometimes to a weight of eighteen or twenty 

 pounds. It is a bottom feeder and a good food fish but not a 

 long fighter. On light tackle it makes good sport. It fre- 

 quents the shallow waters near rocky shores. A No. 2 

 Sproat hook, linen line, leader and regular black bass bait 

 rod and reel is about the right thing. The large wooden 

 reels are much used. It may be caught during flood and 

 ebb tide from March to October on crab and clam bait. 



The bluefish is the wolf of the sea as it is exceedingly 

 voracious, preying on all kinds of fish smaller than itself. 

 It sometimes grows to a weight of twenty-five pounds but 

 averages about ten. It is found from Nova Scotia southward 

 to the tropics. It may be caught on menhaden or killie bait 

 by fishing from a boat and sometimes a grinder is attached to 

 the side of the boat and one of the occupants grinds fish 

 for bait, letting the minced fish fall into the water. This is 

 called "chumming" and the minced fish attracts the bluefish 

 to the scene. They may be caught by trolling a bone or 

 metal squid at a lively clip. The bait must be kept in rapid 

 motion or the fish will not take it. The squid may be cast 

 from shore beyond the surf, using a stout linen line and a 

 metal leader. The fish when hooked is simply hauled out 

 onto the beach. After the squid is cast it is drawn in 

 rapidly. For rod fishing use a light salt-water rod, and a 

 good sized reel holding 200 yards of No. 12 linen line. Use 

 a three foot metal leader and a 4/0 Sproat or O'Shaughnessy 

 hook. The fish must not be allowed to get any slack line 

 after he is hooked. Young bluefish or snappers as they are 

 called may be caught on trout tackle and No. 4 Carlisle hook 

 by fishing about three feet deep, keeping the bait in rapid 

 motion. The fish run only from six to ten inches long. The 

 best fishing is in early morning. 



The red snapper is a bottom feeding fish of the South, 

 common off the Florida coast. It frequently reaches a weight 

 of twenty-five pounds. It is found near the rocky reefs 



