174 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



mile overland from the lake. It has about 800 inhabitants, who are 

 mostly Americans, engaged in farming, and, to some extent, in boat build- 

 ing. The fishermen are nearly all of German descent, and live together 

 at " fish town," at the mouth of the river, from which all the fishing is 

 done. 



Set-line fishery. — Although gill-nets and pound-nets are extensively 

 employed, the set-line or trawl is the favorite apparatus here. To illus- 

 trate by figures the extent of the set-line fishery, it may be stated that 

 the lines used in 1885 had an aggregate length of 1,787,500 feet, or 338 

 miles, while the hooks numbered 168,000. Minnows are used for bait. 

 Sturgeon and trout are thus caught, the former in greater quantity, and 

 very exceptionally whitefish are also secured. Each of the six steamers 

 fishing at Saugatuck employed set-lines along with other apparatus. 



This fishery is followed chiefly in the fall and winter. The sturgeon 

 caught average about 30 pounds dressed, this being considerably smaller 

 than the average weight ten or fifteen years ago. 



Other fisheries. — Sturgeon are also caught in gill-nets (of which 165 

 were set in 1885) and in pound-nets. 



Trout and whitefish are taken in gill-nets and pound-nets (1,082 gill- 

 nets and 11 pound-nets being employed) ; the latter species is the most 

 abundant one at Saugatuck. Good spawning grounds for whitefish 

 and trout occur on " Honey Comb' 7 Eeef, about 1J miles southwest of 

 the mouth of the river, in from 3 to 12 fathoms of water. 



The other fish occurring in this section are not taken in sufficient 

 numbers to be of any importance, with the exception of perch, as will 

 appear from the statistical summary. They are bass, pike, catfish, and 

 suckers. 



Fishermen and lay. — The number of fishermen at Saugatuck in 1885 

 was fifty-seven, of whom twenty-six were professionals. When hired, 

 the fishermen receive from $25 to $30 a month and board, or $2 a day. 

 The firms prefer to hire by the day, but when they do so have to run 

 the risk of not being able to secure the men's services when wanted. 

 In many cases the shore fishermen and steamer's crews join forces with 

 this understanding : the former furnish bait and apparatus, and the 

 latter set and haul the gear, bring the fish to port, and take two thirds 

 of the catch as the steamer's share. 



Statistics. — More than $30,000 were invested in the fisheries of this 

 region in 1885, as follows : 6 fishing steamers, worth $15,000 ; 7 gill-net 

 boats and 25 other boats, worth $1,810 ; 165 sturgeon gill-nets, 36,313 

 feet long, 1,082 whitefish and trout gill-nets, 238,726 feet long, 10 other 

 gill-nets, 1,800 feet long, worth $5,638; 11 pound-nets, worth $2,700 j 

 1,787,500 feet of set-lines, with 168,000 hooks, worth $1,135; 1 seine, 

 1,320 feet in length, worth $100; 2 fyke-nets, worth $20; other appa- 

 ratus, worth $1,700; wharves, buildings, etc., worth $2,165; and work 

 ing capital to the amount of $600. 



