464 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
Larco has never seen any fat mackerel on the coast and doubts if they 
ever become fat. They sometimes school in small “pods” during the 
summer months in Santa Barbara Channel, but he has never seen them 
school in the vicinity of San Pedro or farther south. They are caught 
by trolling and in gill nets, but chiefly by the former method. 
The herring accompany the mackerel, but remain much longer in this 
region. Strong westerly winds drive them offshore, where they remain 
until the wind changes. They are taken in gill nets and drag seines. 
Sardines ( Clupea sagax)sLre found here the year round in considt rable 
numbers, and are captured in gill nets and drag seines, chiefly for bait. 
They are affected by westerly wiuds in the same manner as the herring. 
Bottom fish bite best in the morning and on slack tide. Fat-heads, 
yellow tails, red rock-cod, black rockfish, and whitefish are similar in 
their habits to the shore cod and pollock of the Atlantic coast. 
Bock-lobsters or crayfish, sardines, and herring make the best bait, 
although whitefish and pefeh aye very good. Squid are sometimes 
caught in great numbers in nets and drag seines, but, strange to say, 
it is stated that the fish will not bite at them, and they are not consid- 
ered worth the trouble of attaching them to the hooks. 
Sea bass, of which no specimens were taken by the Albatross , are 
said by Mr. Larco to be first seen sometime in March. After remaining 
upon the coast about two months they suddenly leave, reappearing in 
July and August. They have been known to strike the coast three 
times during a season, but as a rule they Appear only twice. The cus- 
tomary method of fishing for them is with gill nets. The net is 40 
fathoms long and 3 fathoms deep, with a 6-inch mesh. A southeast wind 
causes them to seek deeper water, and very few are taken at such times. 
Sharks and dogfish give the fishermen much trouble in the summer, 
when they are very abundant, playing sad havoc with the nets and all 
other kinds of fishing appliances. There are many excellent places 
on the Santa Barbara Islands where try works could be built at slight 
expense in localities where these species might be captured in large 
numbers within half a mile of the shore. 
During January, February, and March only hand-line fishing is re- 
sorted to. Through the four succeeding months no attempt is made 
to catch any fish but barracuda and mackerel. During the last months 
of summer but little attention is given to fishing of any kind, there 
being little demand for this kind of food. The poor demand for fish at 
that season arises from the fact that the fishermen have not the means 
of preserving and marketing their catch in suitable condition. The 
price of ice is so high that its use would increase the cost of fish beyond 
the means of the majority of the people. Most of the fish are now sold 
at from 10 to 15 cents per pound in the Santa Barbara market, but 18 
cents is sometimes paid for fat-heads, whitefish, red rock-cod, and 
yellow-tails. 
Nearly every spot about the Santa Barbara Islands where rocky 
