EISHES OF CHESAPEAKE BAY 275 
who do not take the time at the pound nets to return them to the water alive. This wastage is 
notably evident in the vicinity of Buckroe Beach and the lower York River, Va. 
Much the greater part of the annual catch of spots is caught in the lower part of the bay, particu- 
larly in the fall, when they are caught with large haul seines. In the vicinity of Ocean View, Norfolk 
County, Va., two large haul seines were operated in 1920 by stationary shore equipment. About 
164,000 pounds of spots were caught with these two seines, constituting a large part of the entire 
catch from Chesapeake Bay. From September 23 to October 27, 1922, in 40 separate hauls with 
the same two seines, 270,420 spots, weighing about 169,000 pounds, were caught, making an average 
of 4,225 pounds per haul. The largest single haul of spots ever taken in Chesapeake Bay, as far 
as known, was made by Lambert brothers (owners of one of the above-mentioned seines) on October 
23, 1922, which consisted of 90,000 spots, weighing 50,000 pounds. 
Haul-seine fishing for spot is begun in July, and sometimes large catches are made during the 
summer, but usually only small numbers are caught before September. The haul seines generally 
vary in length from 100 to 300 fathoms, and the largest seines are operated in the vicinity of Ocean 
View, Va. The Ocean View seine is 1,800 feet long, 25 feet deep, with 1-inch bar mesh in the 
center and lJ4-inch mesh at the ends. Both leads and corks are placed about 18 inches apart. To 
use such a large seine it is necessary to find a large area of water that has the proper depth and a 
comparatively smooth, clean bottom. Two of the largest seines at Ocean View are operated by 
crews of about 22 men each. The seine is set out a short while before low tide in order that most of 
the hauling may be done on slack water. The entire seine is carefully arranged in a seine boat, 
which is towed by a power boat while making a haul. The boats are run from the beach in a per- 
pendicular line until a 200-fathom hauling line has been paid out. Then the 300 fathoms of seine 
are put out in the shape of a half ellipse. To the end of the seine put overboard last a hauling line, 
350 fathoms in length, is attached, and this is paid out in an oblique line until shore is reached. By 
experience the fishermen are able to judge these distances very closely. After the seine has been 
paid out and the boats have returned to shore hauling is commenced by means of a winch operated by 
electric power. For about an hour no work, excepting that of two men who coil the lines as the seine 
is slowly being drawn to shore, is required of the fishermen. After the staffs or ends of the seine 
reach shore, the entire crew is needed to complete the haul. By means of a hook attached to loops 
made on the lead line, the power winch continues to do the heavy work of hauling, but now on only 
one end of the seine. When one end has been brought ashore a certain distance the other end is worked 
similarly. After about two-thirds of the seine has been beached the fishermen haul in the remainder 
of it without the aid of the winch. The closer the seine gets to the shore, the more care must be 
exercised in “footing” the lead line and apportioning the strain on the seine. If the catch of fish is 
small the seine can be drawn upon the beach by the crew. Very often, however, a large catch is 
made, which necessitates scooping the fish out with small hand nets, each of which is operated by 
two men. An average haul was timed as follows: 
1. Started to prepare equipment for making haul at 7.20 p. m. 
2. Beginning of haul, seine boat left beach at 8.11 p. m. 
3. Seine boat returned to beach after paying out seine at 8.23 p. m. 
4. Seine and catch of fish landed at 10.15 p. m. 
When a catch of spots is landed the fish are scattered on the sandy beach and thereby become 
coated with sand. They are then packed carefully in “trays” and hauled to market by auto 
truck, or, if held over night at the fishery, they are placed in a cold-storage room. A tray is a 
shallow wooden box that holds about 120 J^-pound spots. The process of packing the fish in trays 
is called “setting up.” 
A large part of the catch of spots is shipped to various parts of Virginia and Maryland and 
a small part to outside markets. The spot is the favorite fish of Norfolk and many parts of 
Virginia, and for this reason the market is rarely glutted. During the heavy runs in the fall many 
consumers buy a tray of spots to salt down for use in the winter, and many are held in cold storage 
and disposed of during the winter, when fish are scarce locally. Ocean View, Va., is famous for its 
fine spots, and the trade name “Ocean View spots” is commonly used in the markets. During 
October the fish are in prime condition and large numbers are caught by anglers, who preserve their 
catch by salting. 
