FISH AND FISHING. 



ALMANAC FOR SALT WATER FISHERMEN. 



The following will be found accurate and val- 

 uable for the vicinity of New York City: 



Kingfish — Barb, Sea-Mink, Whiting. June to 

 September. Haunts: The surf and deep channels 

 of strong tide streams. Baits: Blood worms, 

 shedder crabs and beach crustaceans. Time and 

 tide: Flood, early morning. 



Plaice — -Fluke, Turbot, Flounder. May 15 to 

 November 30. Haunts: The surf, mouth of tidal 

 streams. Baits: Shedder crabs, killi-fish, sand 

 laut. Time and tide: Ebb, daytime exclusively. 



Spanish mackerel — Haunts: The open sea, July 

 to September. Baits: Menhaden, trolling — metal 

 and cedar squids. 



Striped Bass — Rock Fish, Green Head. April to 

 November. Haunts: The surf, bays, estuaries and 

 tidal streams. Baits: Blood worms, shedder crabs, 

 Calico crabs, small eels, menhaden. Time and 

 ide. Night, half flood to flood, to half ebb. 



The Drums, Red and Black. June to Novem- 

 ber. Haunts: The surf and mouths of large bays. 

 Bait : Skinner crab. Time and tide : Day, flood. 



Blackfish — Tautog, April to November. Haunts: 

 Surf, vicinity of piling and old wrecks in bays. 

 Baits: Sand worm, blood worm, shedder crabs, 

 elams. Time and tide: Daytime flood. 



Lafayette — Spot, Goody, Cape May Goody. 

 August to October. Haunts: Channels of tidal 

 streams. Baits: Shedder crabs, sand worms, clams. 

 Time and Tide: Day and night flood. 



Croker — July to October. Haunts: Deep chan- 

 nels of bays. Baits: Shedder crabs, mussels. 

 Time and tide: Day flood. 



Snapper — Young of Blue Fish _ August to No- 

 vember. Haunts: Rivers and all tide ways. Baits: 

 Spearing and menhaden; trolling pearl squid. 

 Time and tide: Day, all tides. 



Sheepshead— June to October Haunts: Surf 

 and bays, vicinity of old wrecks. Baits: Clams, 

 mussels, shedder crabs. Time and tide: Day, 

 flood only. 



New England Whiting — Winter Weak-fish, 

 Frost-fish. November to May. Haunts: The 

 surf. Baits: Sand laut, spearing. Time and tide: 

 Night, flood. 



Hake — Ling. October to June. Haunts: Open 

 sea surf, large bays. Baits: Clams, mussels, fish. 

 Time and tide: Day and night, flood. 



Weak-fish — Squeteague, Squit. June to October. 

 Haunts: Surf, all tideways. Baits: Shedder 

 crabs, surf mullet, menhaden, ledge mussels, sand 

 laut, shrimp. Time and tide: Day and night, 

 flood preferred. 



Blue Fish — Horse Hackerel. June to November 

 1 st. Haunts: Surf, open sea and large bays. 

 Baits: Menhaden, surf mullet and trolling squid. 

 Time and tide: Daytime; not affected by tides. 



SOME NEEDED AMENDMENTS. 



We hope to have a law passed here 

 this year to shorten the time for taking 

 brook trout to the months of May, June 

 and July. I wish it might be still further 

 shortened to June and July, but we cannot 

 expect too much at first. 



I do not like the idea of protecting the 

 small trout and allowing those to be 

 caught that are old enough to deposit 

 spawn; for where do the small trout come 

 from if not from spawn. Who ever saw 

 a female trout under 6 inches in length 

 that had spawn ready to cast? That 

 matter seems to have been overlooked. 



I should say to save the trout 8 inches 

 or over in length and let those smaller be 

 caught. By following that plan our brooks 

 would be much better stocked with trout. 

 Am I alone in so thinking? 



C. L. Fisher, South Deerfield, Mass. 



ANSWER. 



The object of laws regulating the taking 

 of fish is to preserve the species in reason- 

 able abundance. Ordinarily this is done 

 by means of a close season; by fixing a 

 minimum size limit for the fish that may 

 be lawfully taken; and by limiting the 

 number that may be taken. The close 

 season, with most species, should include 

 their spawning time, and this results in 

 the protection of large fish at the time of 

 their greatest usefulness. Large fish are 

 also protected by limiting the catch. If 

 fishing is to be allowed during or closely 

 preceding the spawning time of the fish it 

 would certainly be helpful if the large, 

 ripe fish could be spared. But this 

 would probably prove impracticable. It 

 would seem that, if the close season is 

 made to begin some time prior to the 

 spawning season and continue during it, 

 the minimum size fixed at say 6 or 7 

 inches, and the catch limited to a low 

 number, the best results would be secured. 



The protection of adult fish has some 

 advantages, but nature, in a way, does 

 that. The old fish are more wary than 

 the young and inexperienced. Further- 

 more, the biggest ones usually get away 

 if you do hook them. B. W. E. 



SHARKS AND THEIR WAYS. 



The mouth of a shark is far underneath 

 his head; therefore he must be under his 

 prey and turn over before he can bite. 

 Sharks are fond of turtles; those big 

 ocean turtles, you know, that can swim 

 off with 2 or 3 hundredweight on their 

 backs. The turtle knows the shark loves 

 him, but the affection is not reciprocated. 

 When a shark presses his attention upon a 

 turtle, the latter dives to the bottom and 

 lies low. So does the shark, knowing that 

 the turtle must in time come to the surface 

 to breathe. As a shark's patience will out- 

 last a turtle's breath, the issue is not hard 

 to guess. 



On your next ocean trip look over the 

 stern of the vessel ; you will probably see a 

 dark brown fish, about 4 inches long, play- 

 ing around the rudder. They are pilot 

 fish. When you see them you may know 

 there is a shark not far away. Look astern 

 and you will see his back fin just above the 

 surface of the water, He is following the 



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