688 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
bring a slightly higher price owing to the fact that they pack better, 
and more can be put ina package. They also absorb the salt better 
than ‘*ciscoes.” In some instances salt herring are sold under the 
trade name of ‘* family white fish.” Lake Huron herring average 
in weight from one-third to three-fourths of a pound, though an ocea- 
sional one weighing 3 pounds is taken. 
Suckers are caught from Detour to Port Huron, but the largest 
quantities are taken in the lake off Cheboygan and in the Cheboygan 
River at that town, and in the Saginaw River. At Cheboygan they 
are caught penny in trap nets during the spring, ee rile in May, 
while in the Saginaw River they are caught in fyke nets and pound 
nets from November 1 to April 15. About one-half of the entire catch 
of the lake is eat and the remainder sold fresh. Suckers average in 
veight from 14 to 2 pounds each. 
v6 ‘ellow per oh ordinarily bring a small price , an average being from 
# to 1} cents per pound. Along the Saginaw River, however, during 
the winter they are shipped to New York City by the fishermen and 
net them from 2 to 9 cents per pound. They are taken mainly in fyke 
nets, pound nets, and trap nets, and are all sold fresh. Perch vary in 
weight from 6 to 11 ounces each on an average. 
With the exception of sturgeon, white-fish are the most valued of the 
commercial species taken in Lake Huron. They are caught in every 
county bordering on the lake, but are most plentiful around Little 
Charity Island, near the entrance to Saginaw Bay. ‘This island is the 
property of a fishing firm at Bay City which supports a very extensive 
fishery there. White-fish are sold fresh except at times during the 
summer, when the flesh becomes soft from the extreme heat. The fish 
thus affected are salted before being marketed. In this process it is 
customary to open them down the back, as they do not keep well if 
opened down the belly. Practically the entire catch of white-fish is 
taken in pound nets and gill nets, the catch with the latter being prin- 
cipally by steamers. The average weight of white-fish taken in Lake 
Huron is from 2 to 8 pounds each. Off Caseville they are Ahoaae 
taken weighing 17 pounds each, and one was taken in the fall of 190 
weighing 19 pounds. Those weighing 5 pounds or more are nae 
jumbos and sell for double the price of the smaller ones. 
Among the other species taken in this lake that assume some impor- 
tance in certain localities are pike and pickerel, Menominee white-fish, 
rock bass, cat-fish, long-jaw white-fish, bullheads, and sturgeon. <A 
few other species are also taken incidentally along the lake, but are of 
less importance. 
xcept on the Saginaw River very few fishermen along Lake Huron 
ship their own catch, but sell to local dealers. At West Bay City and 
Essexville there are five dealers who handle practically all of the fish 
