122 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1908. 



Products, by apparatus of capture. The distribution 

 of the total value of products, according to apparatus 

 of capture, for the state and for each district, was as 

 follows : 



i Less than J100. 



The product taken by crowfoot dredges largely 

 exceeded the catch with all other forms of apparatus, 

 comprising 14,431,000 pounds of mussel shells, which 

 had a value, including pearls and slugs, of $155,000. 



Mussel products. The mussel fishery of the state 

 has developed since 1903 and is responsible for almost 

 the entire gain in the value of the fishery products of 

 the Ohio River district since that date. The large 

 value of the pearls and slugs is noteworthy, nearly 

 equaling that of the mussel shells and exceeding the 

 aggregate value of all food fish. 



Lake trout. The lake-trout catch was larger than 

 that of any other species of fish reported for 1908. Over 

 four-fifths of the catch was taken in the vessel fisheries, 

 in which this species contributed the entire amount, 

 with the exception of 3,000 pounds of lake herring. 

 Trout were taken almost entirely with gill nets. The 

 following comparative statement shows the catch for 

 stated years : 



uct in 1890 was $3,200; in 1899, $7,200; and in 1903 

 only $2,300. By 1908 it had increased to $8,400. 



Catfish. Catfish and bullheads ranked next to lake 

 herring in value in 1908. The Ohio River district fur- 

 nished almost the entire catch. Over one-half of the 

 catch was taken with fyke nets and most of the remain- 

 der with lines. Catfish formerly led in quantity and 

 in value, but a great decline in both these respects was 

 shown in 1908, as is indicated by the following tabular 

 statement: 



Yellow perch. Yellow perch, with a catch of prac- 

 tically the same value as that of catfish, was a product 

 of the shore and boat fisheries of Lake Michigan. The 

 greater part of the catch was taken with gill nets, 

 although considerable quantities were caught in pound 

 nets. This species was taken in greater quantities in 

 1899 than in 1908, but the value was no greater in the 

 earlier year. 



Other products. Drum and sturgeon were taken in 

 both districts, the former mostly in the Ohio River 

 district and the latter mostly in Lake Michigan. The 

 catch of fresh-water drum decreased at about the same 

 rate as that of catfish. The value of the yield from the 

 Ohio River district alone was $20,000 in 1894, but by 

 1899 it had dropped to $11,000, while in 1908 the value 

 of the catch for the whole state was only $7,600. The 

 quantity has decreased in much the same proportions. 

 The yield of the sturgeon product has been fluctuating, 

 the lake catch being valued at $2,800 in 1890, $800 in 

 1899, $300 in 1903, and $6,300 in 1908. 



The buffalo-fish product was valued at only a little 

 less than that of either of the foregoing species. 

 Nearly the whole catch was from the Ohio River and 

 two-thirds was taken by fyke nets. The catch of buf- 

 falo fish shows a decrease in value from $17,000 in 1894 

 to $7,700 in 1899 and to $7,000 in 1908. German 

 carp increased in weight and in value reported from 

 $1,100 in 1894 to $2,300 in 1899 and to $6,000 in 1908. 



