FISH AND FISHING. 



ALMANAC FOR SALT WATER FISHER- 

 MEN. 



The following will be found accurate and valuable 

 fcr the vicinity of New York City : 



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

 tember. Haunts: The >urf and deep channels of 

 strong tide streams. Baits: Blood worms, shedder 

 crabs ind beach crustaceans. Time and tide : Flood, 

 early morning. 



Plaice— Fluke, Turbot, Flounder. May 15 to 

 November 30th. 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 tide : 

 Night, half-flood to flood, to half ebb. 



The Drums, Red and Black. June to November. 

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

 Skinner clam. Time and tide : Day, flood. 



Blackfish — Tautog, April to November. Haunts: 

 Surf, vicinity of piling and old wrecks in bays. 

 Baits : Sand worm, bloodworm, shedder crabs, clams. 

 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. 



Croaker. 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 Novem- 

 ber. 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 pre- 

 ferred. 



Blue Fish—Horse Mackerel. June to November 1st. 

 Haunts : Surf, open sea and large bays. Baits : Men- 

 haden, surf mullet and trolling squid. Time and 

 tide ; Daytime not affected by tides. 



HOW TO PLANT FRY. 



I wish to ask of you and your readers 

 some information which I hope will be of 

 value to all. Before putting my question, 

 however, I want to make a brief statement. 



In the State of New York, as in other 

 States and countries, large sums of money 

 are annually expended in the artificial 

 propagation of food and game fishes. As 

 is well known, this generally is done by 



planting fingerlings and fry. The first 

 method is highly efficient; but the point of 

 this communication has reference to the 

 planting of fry. 



I believe all fry which is allowed by the 

 State should be first deposited, not in the 

 great body of water proposed to be stocked 

 and there left a prey to predatory spawn 

 eaters and numerous other dangers, but in 

 a suitable rearing pond. The fry should 

 be there nurtured until the young and help- 

 less fish become fingerlings, at least. Then 

 when planted they are much better able to 

 care for themselves. 



Precisely this plan our local fish and 

 game protective club is going to adopt this 

 year, as applied to muskalonge. We are 

 going to build a pond and supply it with 

 the same water as that of the lake where 

 the fish will finally be liberated, which we 

 can obtain from, the water company. We 

 shall make the pond as nearly like the lake 

 as possible, with regard to bottom and 

 aquatic plants. The chief difficulty con- 

 fronting us and the one which prompts me 

 to write this letter, is, what are we going 

 to feed the young fish? Mr. James An- 

 nin, Jr., State Superintendent of Hatch- 

 eries, says the great trouble seems to be to 

 provide them with proper natural food. 

 Last year our experiments, such as breed- 

 ing young suckers, etc., for them to feed 

 on, failed to produce the desired result. 

 They will not take food like other fishes. 

 So the problem is, what can we feed young 

 muskalonge? 



If your readers can suggest anything as 

 to the construction of a pond, its dimen- 

 sions per 1,000 fish, its plants, equipment 

 or any other matter, but more especially 

 as to the food for the young muskalonge, 

 it will be of assistance to us, of information 

 to your other readers and of possible value 

 to the country ; for protection and preserva- 

 tion of game and food fishes depend as 

 much on the naturalist as on the legislature. 



Ernest G. Gould, 

 Sec. N. Y. State Fish, Game and Forest 



League, Seneca Falls, N. Y. 



ANSWER. 



The general proposition that fry hatched 

 artificially should, when practicable, be 

 reared in retaining ponds until they are 

 better able to take care of themselves when 

 liberated, is sound as a fish cultural prin- 

 ciple. _ With most species it is simply a 

 question of expense. Neither the general 

 government nor any of tne States has ever 

 appropriated sufficient funds for any exten- 

 sive work of that kind. 



As regards the muskalonge, the only 

 State that has done anything toward its 



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