308 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Coffin Land Ground or Inner Ground bears SSE. 8 miles from Charleston light, and is 3 miles long 
cast and west by miles wide north and south. The bottom is of coral rock, and the depth 7 to 9 
fathoms. Smacks and boats fish on this ground with hooks and lines (the only method pursued on 
these grounds) principally from April to December. Jacks are caught from April to August, porgies 
from July to October, and blacklish and sea bass from the first of October to the first of December. 
The average daily catch to a man, of all kinds, is about 400 fish. 
Old Farms Ground bears SSE. 18 miles from Charleston light, is 5 miles long east and west by 3 
miles wide north and south, and has a depth of 12 to 17 fathoms, with a bottom of coral and broken 
shells. This is a winter fishing-ground, and only smacks resort to it. Sea bass, red snappers, and 
bastard snappers are the principal fish taken from October to April; but, besides these, a few tautog, 
black grunts, and redmouth grunts are caught. The bait used on this and other grounds in the vicinity 
is blackfish, shark, and squid. The blackfisk is the best. The daily catch of fish to a man is about 
three hundred. 
Outer Old Farms Ground bears SSE. 25 miles from Charleston light, and is 3 miles long east and 
west by IV miles wide north and south. The bottom is of coral rock with “ willows,” and the depth 
17 fathoms. This is also a winter ground for the same kinds of fish that are caught on the Old Farms, 
and fishing is carried on from October to April. 
Inner South Ground bears S. | E. from Charleston light ; distance, 15 miles. Its length is 1£ miles 
east and west and its width one-half mile north and south. It has 12 fathoms of water, and an uneven 
bottom of coral rock and yellow “ willows.” This is a winter ground, resorted to by smacks only from 
December until April. Blackfish, bastard snappers, red snappers, black grunts, porgies, and occa- 
sionally sharks, nursefish, and squirrel-fish are taken. Bastard snappers are the most plentiful, 
while the other kinds are generally scarce. 
Outer South Ground bears S. 1 E. 271 miles from Charleston light, and extends 2 miles east and 
west and three-fourths of a mile north and south. The depth of water is 141 fathoms, and the bot- 
tom consists of coral rock, yellow “willows,” and sponges. It is a winter ground, fished on from 
December to April. The same kinds of fish occur upon it as upon the Inner South Ground. 
Edisto Bank bears SE. by S. 11 miles from Edisto Harbor. It is 1 mile long east and west by one- 
fourth of a mile wide, and has a depth of 8 to 10 fathoms. The bottom consists of rocks and shells, 
and on the north side of red sand. Smacks fish here from April to October. The fish taken are sea 
bass, porgies, redmouth grunts, a few jacks, and occasionally a cobia. Sharks (puppy sharks) are 
so plentiful in June as to stop fishing. 
Blank Ground bears SE. IS. 8 or 9 miles from Outer South Ground, and extends 4 or 5 miles east 
and west and 2 miles north and south. It has 14 fathoms of water, and the bottom consists mostly of 
“ willows,” with some other corals. Fishing is best in January. 
Tybee Ground bears E. 1- N. 12 to 14 miles from Martin’s Industry light-ship. It is 1-J miles long 
southeast and northwest, and one-lialf mile wide. The bottom consists of shells and corals, the depth 
being 9 to 9) fathoms. This ground is resorted to by the smacks, from August to January, for black- 
ball and trout, which are taken to the Charleston market, 50 miles distant.* 
GENERAL IMPORTANCE AND NATURE OF THE FISHERIES. 
Taking tlie value of the products of the fisheries as a basis, South Carolina ranks 
third among the States of this region, being surpassed by North Carolina and eastern 
Florida. The State occupied the same relative rank in 1880. In the number of per- 
sons engaged, South Carolina is in advance of Florida, owing to the relatively large 
semi-professional fishing population in the river fisheries. Compared with 1880, the 
results of the present canvass show an increase in persons and property and a de- 
crease in the quantity and value of the catch. An analysis of the returns indicates 
that the decline has been chiefly in the shrimp, sturgeon, and alewife fisheries, while 
an advance is to be noted in the yield of terrapin and shad. The most important 
fishery of this State is that for shad, after which, in order of their value, are the fish- 
eries for sea bass or blackfish, oysters, whiting, and shrimp. 
* The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States. <Section hi, The Fishing Grounds 
of North America. Pp. 53-55. 
