FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 279 



The first fishing here with gill- nets was in 1867, and in 1870 the num- 

 ber of gill-net boats was as large as twelve or fifteen. Steamers were 

 introduced into the fisheries in 1876. 



Sturgeon spawn on the rocky bottom along this shore, and are very 

 abundant here in June and July. During those months, farmers and 

 others go out in small boats and grapple sturgeon by dragging hooks, 

 with sharp-pointed prongs, along the bottom. In this way each boat 

 frequently takes ten to fifteen sturgeon in three or four hours. Some 

 sturgeon are taken in the gill-nets, but during the spawning season, 

 when they are abundant, they usually tear the nets into shreds and 

 most of them escape. Pound-nets would take large numbers of them 

 here in those months, and these could be set, notwithstanding the rocky 

 bottom, by ballasting instead of driving the stakes, as is done on the 

 rugged coast of northern Maine. Strong, large-meshed gill-nets also, 

 such as are used in the sturgeon fisheries of other portions of the Great 

 Lakes and of the Delaware River, could doubtless be employed here to 

 advantage. 



Mr. Elijah Jones, an old fisherman of Conneaut, claims that whitefish 

 also spawn on this rocky shore to some extent, basing his opinion prin- 

 cipally on the fact that he has caught ripe fish here in November. He 

 remarks that while all kiuds of fish are less numerous here than formerly, 

 the abundance of whitefish has increased since 1883. 



The catfish fishing with set-lines is scattered all along this coast from 

 Fairport to Elk Kiver. The number of men engaged in it, in the sum- 

 mer of 1885, between Fairport and the state line of Pennsylvania, was 

 about twenty-five, not including those at Fairport. Their stock aver- 

 aged over $125 each. 



Before the introduction of gill-netting, and for some time after that 

 date, some seining was carried on by residents of Conneaut, but it has 

 been wholly discontinued. 



Statistics. — The total number of men employed in the fisheries of 

 Lake and Ashtabula Counties in 1885 was 102 professional and 32 semi- 

 professional fishermen, and 31 shoresmen and preparators. The float- 

 ing property consisted of 5 steamers and 2 steam scows, worth in all 

 $14,800, 5 gill-net boats, $1,400, 1 scow, $200, and 16 small boats, $275. 

 Over 2,000 gill-nets were used, with a total value of more than $10,000; 

 18 pound-nets, worth $7,800; and 12 fyke-nets, 65 set-lines, and a num- 

 ber of sturgeon grappling hooks, worth in all $1,200. The value of the 

 shore property was $8,200, and that of the fixtures and accessory appa- 

 ratus $3,050, while the working capital amounted to $2,000. 



The products aggregated 1,742,500 pounds sold fresh, having a 

 value to the fishermen of $34,260 ; 145,000 pounds frozen, valued at 

 $4,200; 201,000 pounds salted, valued at $4,440, and 18,000 pounds 

 smoked, worth $850. Two hundred and forty-six thousand pounds of 

 fresh, and 5,000 pounds of frozen fish were whitefish, with an average 

 weight of two and a half pounds each ; 265,000 pounds of fresh, 40,000 



