FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 47 
trap is lifted so that the iron hoop hangs horizontally and can be pulled 
up in this way without danger of spilling the contents of the bag.* 
Methods of fishing . — The methods of fishing, so far as they apply to 
the use of gill nets, drag seines, troll lines, and trawl lines, are essen- 
tially the same as in other localities. It need only be said that in all 
hook-and line fishing crayfish are the most tempting bait. Brief allu- 
sion may, however, be made to the method of fishing with the hoop 
“ traps ” for crayfish. These are set in shallow water inside the kelp 
beds that fringe the coast. Almost anything in the shape of fish an- 
swers for bait, but bonito is believed to be most attractive to the rock- 
lobster. The location of each trap is marked by a small buoy attached 
to the top end of the buoy line, which bobs up and down on the waves 
at the surface. When set, the net lies loose and flat on the bottom, 
with the iron hoop resting upon its edge, while the bait hangs over the 
center. There is nothing to prevent the crayfish from escaping after 
they have eaten the bait, though it is natural for them to lie upon the 
net beneath the lure until they have consumed it. For this reason the 
fishermen carefully watch their nets, rowing along from buoy to buoy, 
peering down over the boat’s side into the water to see if any crayfish 
are in the traps. If one is seen on the net it is quickly pulled up and, 
being prevented from escaping by the depth of the bag, is taken into 
the boat and the trap is reset, new bait being put on if necessary. 
Sea otters, seals, and sea lions are killed by shooting them ; the use of 
firearms about the islands has a tendency to increase the remarkable 
natural shyness of the sea otter and to render its capture more difficult. 
Preparation of products, marhets , and shipments ,— The fish are mostly 
sold fresh; a few are dried in the fall and early winter and shipped to 
San Francisco. The abalone meats are dried, and the shells prepared 
in the ordinary way. These are taken by Chinese in junks from San 
Diego or San Francisco ; but, as the shells are obtained in this county 
and shipped from Santa Barbara, the products have been included here, 
and are additional to what has been credited to the junks. 
Seal oil is tried out by the fishermen; it is worth only $10 a barrel. 
Most of the fish are consumed locally. The majority of those not 
taken by the local trade are sent to San Francisco in a fresh condition. 
A large percentage of the crayfish go to this market ; but the demand 
for crayfish appears to have greatly decreased since 1880, when, accord- 
ing to Jordan, Santa Barbara supplied nearly all the demand for this 
crustacean at San Francisco, and the catch was about ten times as much 
as now, or a total of 90 tons per annum. 
The want of a convenient market is severely felt by the fishermen. 
It is thought that a good demand could be created along the line of the 
railroad connecting Santa Barbara and Los Angeles if effort were made 
* The same result was obtained with the New England lobster net by using a single 
line bent to the wooden hoops where they cross each other. This is a simpler and 
cheaper method, 
