126 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
Richardson’s Bay as the fish are passing through the Golden Gate, but 
they often go across to the east side of San Francisco Bay at the same 
time. About October 20 gill nets are set in Richardson’s Bay and upon 
the shallows <^n the east side of San Francisco Bay, from Union City 
Creek to Alameda Pier, aud off Point Richmond. Fishing continues 
in these localities until about the middle of March, but the fish change 
their positions frequently, being influenced by wind and weather, and 
occasionally schools of herring enter the adjoining bays. The greater 
part of the catch is taken in Richardson’s Bay, where from 35 to 40 
boats engage in the fishery, which succeeds the smelt fishing. 
The principal fishing grounds for smelt are in the southern part of 
San Francisco Bay. Smelt are taken with gill nets and seines in the 
shoal water of the east side of the bay, between Alameda Pier and 
Union City Creek, from November to February. A favorite fishing 
ground from January 15 to June 15 is in the channel from off Point San 
Bruno to Potero Point, at the head of the bay, and some are caught 
here even as late as August. Smelt are taken in April from Point San 
Bruno to Point San Mateo, and in May in the shallow water north of 
0%kland Pier as far as Brooks Island. Another locality resorted to in 
July arid August is near the shore, a short distance south of the city, 
between Mission Rock anti Point Avisadero. 
During April and May fishing for salmon with drift gill nets begins 
on the ground from off Point Richmond to Oakland Pier; this is con- 
tinued to July; the catch is small here during June and July. In May 
and June nets are set for salmon in the channel south of Oakland Pier, 
and a few fish are taken there. From April to September salmon are 
netted in San Pablo Bay, from Point San Pedro to Benicia, from Mare 
Island up Napa Creek, and on the north side of the bay, in the channel 
leading to Petaluma Creek, and on the shoals off Sonoma Creek. Sal- 
mon are taken throughout Suisun Bay in spring and fall. 
Shad are caught incidentally in nets set for other species in San Fran- 
cisco Bay and the adjacent bays, also in the Sacramento River. 
Flounders are taken all over San Francisco and San Pablo Bays, 
chiefly where the water is shallow, so that the u sweep nets ” or paran- 
zellas can be most successfully operated. Specially favorable localities 
in San Pablo Bay, both for flounders and sturgeon, are the broad, fiat 
reach (inside the 6-foot curve) on the north side of the bay (see map, 
plate yi), the bend west of Penole Point, and the deep, bay-like curve 
between the latter and Point San Pablo. 
Sturgeon occur all over the bays and streams emptying into them, but 
are generally most numerous in the shallow reaches near v shore. 
Fifteen of the largest market boats engage in trawl line fishing out- 
side the Golden Gate at all seasons of the year whenever the weather 
will permit. A large number follow this fishery in summer. Between 
April and November trawls are set along the coast south of the Golden 
Gate as far as Pigeon Point, but the “ south shore” is not frequented in 
