FISHES OF CHESAPEAKE BAY 
259 
nets, 21 per cent in haul seines, and 3 per cent in gill nets. The counties with the largest catches 
were Norfolk, 12,010 pounds; Warwick, 5,310 pounds; and Princess Anne, 5,000 pounds. 
The fishing season extends from April to October, the most productive months being May, 
June, September, and October. The hogfish is virtually unknown above Solomons, Md., and is 
seldom caught within the waters of that State. In the vicinity of Crisfield, Md., however, it may 
be taken with hook and line and gill nets, but the catch usually is very small. In the lower part of 
the bay it is most common in the vicinity of Cape Charles, Buckroe Beach, and Ocean View, Va. 
During the late fall small, unmarketable fish, 4 to 6 inches long, are exceedingly abundant, and a 
catch of 50 or more of these fish within a few hours by a hook-and-line fisherman fishing for “spots” 
is not unusual. 
This fish is much esteemed in the Chesapeake region, and during 1921 and 1922 the retail 
price averaged about 20 cents a pound. The size of the fish observed in the markets usually ranges 
between one-third and 1 pound. The maximum recorded weight is 2 pounds. The names most 
generally used in the vicinity are “hogfish” and “pigfish.” The pigfish is not taken in commercial 
quantities north of Chesapeake Bay. Southward, however, and particularly in North Carolina, 
it is a food fish of great importance. 
Unlike many fish that are in prime condition just prior to their spawning period, the hogfish 
is notably thin when in full roe. In the fall, several months after spawning, it has gained consider- 
ably in weight. The weights of the following fish, taken in May, may be compared with those 
listed in the table for fish caught in October: 6J^ inches, 2 ounces; 7 inches, 2.8 ounces; 8 inches, 
3.7 ounces; 10H inches, 7.2 ounces. 
Habitat . — New York to Mexico. 
Chesapeake localities. — (a) Previous records: From various sections of the southern part of 
Chesapeake Bay; one record from the Potomac River at Gunston, Va. ( b ) Specimens in collec- 
tion: From many localities, from Love Point, Md., southward to Cape Charles and Cape 
Henry, Va. 
