THE COAST FISHERIES OF TEXAS. — 409 
ARANSAS BAY. 
Aransas Bay lies southwest of Mesquit Bay and empties its waters 
into the Gulf of Mexico through Aransas Pass. The Mission, Aran- 
sas, and other rivers, all together draining an area of about 2,200 square 
miles, empty their waters into this bay. One of its tributaries, Copano 
Bay, nearly equals it in area, It also has several smaller estuaries, 
viz, St. Charles Bay, Mission Bay, Puerto Bay, Shallow Bay, ete. The 
area of Aransas Bay and its tributaries is 163 square miles. Its great- 
est length measures nearly 20 miles, and the average width of the bay 
proper is about 5 miles. Its largest tributary, Copano Bay, is about 
13 miles long and 5 miles wide. 
The depth of water in Aransas Bay proper ranges from a few inches 
to 14 feet, the latter depth being found in front of the city of Aransas 
Pass and about 15 miles from shore. The average depth of water is 
about 10 feet. Southwest of Goose Island and from 14 to 2 miles dis- 
tant there is a channel 30 feet deep. 
In the eastern portion of the bay there are a number of reefs over 
which the depth of water ranges from a few inches to 6 feet. The most 
prominent of these reefs are Grass Island, Half Moon, Long, Pelican, 
and Poverty reefs. In Copano Bay, the northern portion of Aransas 
Bay, the depth of water does not exceed 10 feet and the average is not 
more than 7. In this tributary are Shell Bank reef, Copano reef, Lap 
lteef bank, and Lap reef; these reefs are narrow, but extend several 
miles in length. As there is little depth of water over them they mate- 
rially affect the navigation of the bay even by small fishing craft. 
Importance of the fisheries.—Since the abandonment of the beef-pack- 
ing business about 1880, and up to the present time, the fisheries have 
been the most important of the industries prosecuted at Aransas Pass 
and Fulton. In January of 1880 a small establishment for canning 
fish was erected here by Messrs. Kearney & Mercer, but it was in opera- _ 
tion only a short while. The fish marketed fresh were shipped on the 
steamers of the Morgan Steamship Line to Galveston and other ports, 
and thence distributed throughout the interior. This business was quite 
extensive for several years before those steamers abandoned this port. 
On the completion of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad in 
1888, a number of fishermen from Matagorda Bay moved here, and two 
fish-marketing houses were established. In 1890 these two were con- 
solidated, but before the close of that year another market-house was 
erected, and the two are now doing business. 
In 1890 there were engaged in the fishery industries of Aransas Bay 
210 men, using property valued -at $59,540. The catch amounted to 
2,055,150 pounds, for which the fishermen received $62,822. The 
taking of fish by means of bay seines is the most important fishery 
here. The oyster industry ranks second, and considerable attention is 
given to the capture of green turtle. <A few fish are taken by means of 
hook and line, and quantities of crabs, flounders, mullet, etc., are taken. 
