THE MENHADEN FISHERY. 347 



THE USE OF MENHADEN BAIT IN THE COAST FISHERIES. Menhaden bait is also used in 

 the coast fisheries for sea bass, on the "bull-tows" or "trot-lines," and in the eel and lobster 

 pots. They are not much in favor for the latter use, however, for the oil of the fish is thought to 

 permeate the flesh of the lobster, imparting to it an unpleasant flavor. 



Menhaden have also been used as bait for bluefish in the same manner as in the mackerel 

 hook-fishery, the menhaden being chopped up fine and thrown in the water to attract the schools 

 of bluefish. This method of catching bluefish is called " chumming." 



EXTENT OF BAIT-FISHERY IN NEW ENGLAND. Capjtaiu Babson, of Gloucester, whose account 

 of the bait-fishery of Cape Ann is quoted elsewhere, and who has given much other valuable 

 information, states that there were over 60,000 barrels of "round-fish" taken in his district in 

 187.'!. NYssels belonging to the companies of the Maine Oil and Guano Association sold in 1873 

 for bait 2,977 barrels; in 1874, 10,400; in 1877, 10,795. Prom the bait fisheries about Marblehead, 

 in the vicinity of Provincetown, 1,000 to 2,000 barrels were taken for bait in 1873, according to Mr. 

 Loring. At Chatham, for the past five years, the average catch has been about 5,000 barrels, a 

 large portion of which are sold to the George's Bank codfish vessels. There are some bait-fisheries 

 about Nantucket, which are, however, quite unimportant. 



Most of the fish taken at Martha's Vineward are used for bait; in 1873, according to Jason 

 Luce & Co., there were 5,000 barrels. 



At Gloucester, according to Capt. F. J. Babsou, the 00,000. barrels of round fish make 20,000 

 barrels of "slivers," worth $4 per barrel to the producer. At Marblehead it averages $1 per barrel 

 for fresh and $6 for salt; at Chatham, $1.50 fresh; at Nantucket, 50 cents to 75 cents, and at 

 Martha's Vineyard 50 cents, as I am told. In Narragansett Bay, according to Mr. J. M. K. South- 

 wick, bait sold in 1871 for $1 and $1.50. 



BAIT-FISHERY IN MERRIMAC RIVER AND SALEM HARBOR. Fisheries of some importance 

 were formerly carried on at the mouth of the Merriinac River. The menhaden thus obtained were 

 used chiefly to supply the Cape Ann fishing fleet with bait, although they were salted for food to 

 a considerable extent. Ten seines and about seventy men were engaged in this fishery during its 

 continuance, which usually lasted about one month from the middle of June to the middle of 

 July. The seines were 100 to 200 yards long and 5 to 8 fathoms deep, requiring six to eight men 

 to manage them. The boats from which they were worked were light scows, about 25 feet in 

 length and 8 feet in breadth of beam. The seine was set from the stern of the scow, and was 

 worked from the shore by means of long warps. 



Capt. Moses Pettingell, of Newburyport, to whom we are indebted for the above facts, states 

 that the seine-gangs have occasionally taken 2,000 barrels offish in a single day. 



Boston and Gloucester vessels were accustomed to anchor at the mouth of the river and wait 

 for their supplies of bait. At one time in 1877 there were 25 fishing schooners waiting. Captain 

 Pettingell estimates that 500 supplies of bait from 10 to GO barrels were sold annually by the Mer- 

 rimac seine-gangs. 



The regular price of fresh bait for ten years prior to 1878 was $1 per barrel. Probably 1,000 

 barrels of slivered fish were prepared in 1876; these sold for $5 per barrel. Captain Pettingell 

 estimates the catch for 1876 at 2,000 barrels to a boat, making an aggregate catch of 20,000 barrels, 

 or perhaps 6,600,000 fish. The returns were probably not far from $20,000 in a good season. 



The following table is from the Report of the Commissioners of Inland Fisheries for 1877 

 (p. 65). It is possibly not complete. 



