454 



BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



The data thus show that the bloater has a very wide depth range in the lake. 

 It is known to run from shore down to depths of 90 fathoms, and it is possible that 

 it strays to even greater depths. 



RELATIVE ABUNDANCE 



Data from the 1%-inch bait nets. — The bloaters are taken most abundantly in 

 the 13/2-inch bait nets. These nets do not take bloaters exclusively, but I have not 

 seen any catches made by them in which the bloater was not the predominating 

 species. In only five catches, however, have percentages of abundance been ascer- 

 tained, namely, from 5 miles SE. by E. of Sheboygan, Wis., on September 28, 1920, 

 in 30 to 32 fathoms (record 9); from 5 miles E. Y2 S. of Port Washington, Wis., on 

 September 25, 1920, in 30 fathoms (record 12); from 14 miles NNW. of Michigan 

 City, Ind., on Marcb 2, 1921, in 26 fathoms (record 27); from off Northport Point, 

 Mich., on June 23, 1920, in 28 to 40 fathoms (record 41); and from the west arm of 

 Grand Traverse Bay on July 18, 1923, in 30 to 40 fathoms (record 43). In lifts Nos. 

 9, 12, and 27 the percentage of hoyi was 75 to 96. In the lift off Northport and 

 Traverse City 50 to 60 per cent of the catch was of hoyi. 



In view of the composite nature of the catch of these nets nothing positive 

 about the habits of the small hoyi can be gleaned from the testimony of the fisher- 

 men who employ them. All, however, are agreed that the best depth for bait is about 

 30 fathoms on very soft clay or mud bottom. Virtually all the hook fishermen inter- 

 viewed agree that bait is most difficult to obtain during May, June, and July, and 

 that it is most abundant after late fall. From the accounts of the occurrence of 

 hoyi in the catches of other gear it will appear that these observations probably 

 would apply to small hoyi. 



Data from the 2 % /% to inch chub nets.— It has been stated already that the 

 summer of 1920 was very unfavorable for chub fishing (see p. 354), and therefore the 

 conclusions given below regarding abundance are not so satisfactory as might be 

 wished. 



In any nets of larger mesh than 2^4 inches only extreme examples of the species 

 can gill, and therefore the percentages of hoyi taken in the chub nets from any of the 

 Michigan ports, which use a minimum mesh of 2% inches for chubs, are not to be com- 

 pared with those from Wisconsin and Indiana, where the mesh of such nets is usually 

 smaller. The largest percentage taken in examined catches made by nets from 

 Michigan ports is 22 per cent of 1,400 pounds of chubs caught on October 4, 1920, 

 9 miles north of Point Betsie in 60 to 70 fathoms (record 37). 



Only occasional specimens occurred in the chub lifts (224-inch mesh) on June 22, 

 1920, and July 31, 1923, off Cathead light in 40 to 60 fathoms (records 40 and 42); on 

 June 29, 1920, 5 miles N. by E. of Charlevoix, Mich., in 40 to 55 fathoms; on August 10, 

 1923, 8 miles NNW. of Big Kock Point and on August 11, 1923, 3 miles NW. y 2 W. 

 in 35 to 60 fathoms; on August 21, 1923, from an unknown locality (records 46, 

 48, 49, and 50); and on August 12, 1920, 15 miles SE. by S. H S. of Manistique, 

 Mich., in 60 to 70 fathoms (record 52). They were rare also in lifts of similar 

 nets made on August 23, 1920, 12 miles E. by S. of the Sturgeon Bay ship-channel 

 mouth in 60 to 70 fathoms (record 6), but only 50 pounds of fish were taken in 

 the lift. 



