Oct. 6, 1906.] 
FOREST AND STREAM 
539 
fish. On the ocean side there are Highland 
Beach, Seabright, Belmar and a score of other 
favorite places all along the Jersey coast south¬ 
ward. Surf casting is commonly practiced now, 
but at Seabright and other places one can em¬ 
ploy a boat with a husky oarsman who will 
show him the best waters offshore. Barnegat 
Bay, while too far from town for the one-day 
angler, is always good for bluefishing in sea¬ 
son, and good water for numerous other sea 
fishes. 
It is argued by those who are fond of blue¬ 
fishing and the wild, free sport of trolling for 
them in the open sea that while rod and line 
fishing may be the more sportsmanlike method, 
it is - r°t always an easy matter to manipulate 
rod and reel on beard a pitching, rolling small 
boat, whereas the handline is simple and effec¬ 
tive, although sentiment and the handline can¬ 
not go hand in hand. Where numbers are 
sought this may be true, but in the course of 
events the bluefish handline will give way 
among amateurs to the rod and reel, while in 
turn fine tackle will replace the billiard cue and 
chalk-line so often used by those who do em¬ 
ploy rods in this exciting sport. 
Years ago, when anglers informed their fel¬ 
lows for the first time that sea fish weighing 
fifty to several hundred pounds could be—and 
had already been—taken with ordinary heavy 
rod, reel and line, astonishment and even in¬ 
credulity were generally expressed. These 
anglers who go out on the open sea for its 
huge tuna and sea bass are working toward 
lighter tackle and almost daily demonstrating 
that with the exercise of the skill they have 
gained in killing large fish on light tackle, com¬ 
bined with the knowledge acquired concerning 
the habits and the actions of their prey, lines can 
be reduced in size and rods in weight, thus 
making the contest more and more one in which 
the fish has the advantage. The Santa Catalina 
Island Tuna Club is composed of anglers who, 
unaided, have brought to gaff tuna weighing 
100 pounds or more, there being no other means 
of gaining admission, and neither influence nor 
money avails the candidate who would gain 
admission otherwise. Its rules require that the 
tip of the rod (designated as all of the rod 
above the reelseat, thus obviating any weakening 
of the double hand-grasp in order to reduce 
weight) shall not exceed 16 ounces in weight, 
but the rod must be 6 feet 9 inches in length, 
while nothing larger than 24-thread line is al¬ 
lowed. Recently this club has favored even 
lighter tackle for sea fish weighing up to say 
50 pounds, and the sentiment responsible for this 
has resulted in the forming of a light tackle 
club at'this famous sea angling resort, with a 
maximum limit of 16 ounces for rods and lines 
of 9-thread only. 
On the other hand, many salt-water anglers of 
the Atlantic coast, fishing for codfish, channel, 
sea and striped bass, with the maximum weight 
under rather than over 50 pounds and the aver¬ 
age nearer 10 pounds, employ “billiard-cue” rods, 
immense cartwheel wooden reels and lines that 
would almost support a man’s weight. The ex¬ 
ceptions are indeed pleasing to lovers of fine 
tackle, for while it is comparatively simple to 
provide a rod for black bass fishing in fresh 
water, knowing the limitations, the same rule 
does not apply to sea fishing, for there one may 
hook a 3-pounder or one of twenty times that 
weight, and the rod must be first-class unless 
one depends on cutting away from dangerously 
heavy fish. It requires little skill to manufacture 
rods of the short, billiard-cue type, but the 
weakfish and surf-casting rods, properly made 
by an expert, are things of beauty in their re¬ 
spective classes. 
In view of these facts we look forward to the 
adoption at no very distant date of light tackle 
for all game fish of the Atlantic, and particularly 
the bluefish and the striped bass, for weak- 
fishermen generally employ suitable tackle now. 
Pearl or other squids are the favorite lures 
in trolling for bluefish, which are attracted by 
chumming. And as mossbunkers or menhaden 
are the favorite food of the blues, it follows that 
these are good for bait. Shedder crabs' and 
killies are also used in some waters. The young 
bluefish, or snappers, appear- late in the sum¬ 
mer or in early autumn, and when present are 
seen in small schools at the surface, especially 
near piers and in tide rips. Catching them on 
very light tackle is a pleasant pastime, for, like 
the adult bluefish, they are ravenous feeders. 
They are commonly seen in all our bays and 
tidal rivers. 
The striped bass is the only salt-water game fish 
to be found by anglers in the Hudson river this 
fall, and there is only one place where it is really 
worth while to fish for it—off Croton Point, 
three miles from Ossining and slightly nearer 
Croton Landing, at both of which places boats 
can be hired. A few are taken off Kingsland 
Point light in the Tappan Zee (boats from Tarry- 
town), and an occasional one at all of the old- 
time favorite points along the eastern shore of 
the Hudson as far down as Riverside Drive, 
particularly off Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil, 
but the almost incessant blasting, the sewage 
and the waste from the oil works and chemical 
plants have driven the striped bass that brave 
all these dangers to the quieter wide waters 
many miles to the north where, in the swirling 
tide rips off Tellers and Croton points, they find 
abundant food and fairly pure waters. Blood¬ 
worms attract them and shedder crabs are some¬ 
times used. The state law forbids the possession 
of striped bass less than eight inches in length, 
but it is safe to say that as far as the lower 
Hudson is concerned, no attention is paid to 
this provision, and while the writer has seen 
many striped bass taken by men and boys fish¬ 
ing from pierheads and floats all along both 
sides of the river, he has never seen a baby bass 
returned to the water, and bel'eves the majority 
of these fish taken falls below the legal limit. 
Especially.when Lafayettes are running—in early 
autumn, if at all-—and the number of persons, 
manipulating lines multiplied by tens and hun¬ 
dreds, are these little bass captured frequently. 
The law, too, forbids the taking of striped bass 
in nets from April 30 to July 30, both inclusive, 
in the Hudson, but it would be folly to believe 
that any striped bass caught in the gill-nets ever 
finds its way to any place other than the mar¬ 
ket, for fish caught by the gills seldom live long, 
and your gill-netter is not so loyal as to throw 
away dead bass, even though he might liberate 
live ones. 
Some of the Staten Island resorts previously 
mentioned are favorable for striped bass fishing- 
in autumn, especially Princess Bay and the 
waters off Huguenot, Annadale and Giffords, 
with several good places as one goes toward 
Sandy Hook and the Shrewsbury river. Bass 
are occasionally taken round about Liberty 
Island, and surf fishing at favorable points along 
Coney Island, Far Rockaway and Long Beach, 
with favorite grounds easily reached in boats 
kept for hire at these places. 
Asbury Park is a famous striped bass point, 
and some very large ones are taken there in 
season, but nearly any one of the villages be¬ 
tween that town and the Highlands boasts good 
surf fishing, with boatmen who will take care 
of those wishing to troll offshore when _ the 
weather conditions are favorable. While striped 
bass are erratic and uncertain, now here, now 
there, they seem fairly plentiful this season, and 
may be taken at the most favorable points‘dur¬ 
ing October. The Jersey coast, however, is 
better, for early fishing, with nearby Long and 
Staten Island waters for late' fishing. At times' 
good catches are reported from Greenwich, 
Conn., New Rochelle, and along the western 
side of Pelham Bay. These and other quieter 
waters are better than the ocean resorts as the 
autumn advances, and the methods are both 
trolling and still-fishing. Bloodworms are gen¬ 
erally used in generous quantities, and in trolling 
a small nickel spoon and a hook liberally baited 
seem to be‘the favorites, the boat being rowed 
slowly and very quietly. 
The weakfishing season opened early, has been 
a favorable one, and may be expected to last 
several weeks longer, although this is by no 
means certain. Indeed, there is nothing certain 
about this splendid fish until you actually have 
it in the net. He may be near the surface, 
where he is generally found, midway between 
surface and bottom, or near the latter, so that 
the angler must be prepared for surface fishing, 
float fishing with a tiny sinker, or bottom fishing 
with a sinker that will drift readily with the 
tide. Generally shedder crabs and killies are 
most attractive late in the season; but in this 
there is nothing certain,' and one should have 
bloodworms and sandworms handy, If these 
fail, try strips cut from menhaden or porgy, 
chumming liberally in any event, and keeping 
the bait in motion. Anchoring near a favorite 
fishing ground in such a position that the tide 
will carry the baited hook over it, be as quiet 
as possible. The line is attached to a short 
leader, this to a snelled hook, and the latter, 
baited, is allowed to drift with the tide for 100 
yards or more. Float fishing is similar. Small 
pearl squids are used by some anglers. 
Striking when a weakfish is hooked is a- deli¬ 
cate operation. One may take the bait with 
vigor and be off with it, in reality hooking it¬ 
self, when the angler should avoid striking at 
all; or if killies are used, the fish may take its 
time in turning the bait before swallowing, and 
striking should be delayed until it is reasonably 
certain a gentle twist will set the hook in the 
tender mouth of the weakfish. 
In bottom fishing a sinker of light weight is 
made fast to the end of the line, with a short 
leader and the snelled hook two or three feet 
above it, and some anglers use a second leader 
and hook two or three feet above the first one. 
The sinker should be raised gently now and 
then, so that the current will carry it along, 
and after a couple of hundred feet of line has 
been paid out, reel in carefully and go through 
the same operation again. Chum liberally, of 
course. 
Beach and Broad channels, Goose creek, the 
Raunt and Valentine point in Jamaica Bay are 
favorite early resorts, and weakfish are generally 
found there throughout the season, while all 
of the well-known places along the island coast, 
up to the Narrows, around Staten Island and 
down the Jersey shore, to and into the_ Shrews¬ 
bury river, including Raritan Bay and river, etc., 
are worth trying, the place depending upon the 
time at one’s command. Barnegat Bay is 
famous weakfish water early and late. 
Long Island sound yields weakfish now and 
then, but not often, and then at places not 
easily reached from the city in a short journey. 
Several steamboats leave the Battery shortly 
after 8 o’clock every day, and other piers earlier, 
for the famous fishing grounds in the Lower 
Bay, and these are interesting and usually suc¬ 
cessful trips for their passengers, while the 
stranger going down for the first time will see 
more fishing and hear more fish yarns than 
ever before in his life, perhaps, in so short a 
time. Here the short, stout rod. strong line 
and heavy sinker will be handy, for one may 
connect with a. heavy fish away down in the 
deep water, and in order to save his fish and his 
temper must bring it up to the side of the boat, 
where it may be gaffed, or even haul it up to 
the lofty deck on which he stands, meanwhile 
avoiding carefully any attempts of the fish to 
circle about and entangle the network of lines 
radiating from the steamboat. Bait, lunch and 
all etceteras will be found on the steamboat, and 
a livelier time one will travel far to see. than 
one of these fishing steamboats when the fish 
are biting freely. 
Over Anxiety. 
A member of the staff of Forest and Stream 
received a bulky letter one day from an enthus¬ 
iastic young angler in the south, who wrote 
across one end of the envelope the following: 
“Dere Mr. Postmaster pleeze be sure to see 
to it that Mr. -- gits this here letter 
cos Im awful scared it’ll g:t lost and theres 
forty pages inside and all about fishing, and if 
this here gits lost Ill have to write it all over 
again and I dont want to neither cos its a 
noful job too. “Yours truly, 
“Si. Haskins.” 
This indorsement evidently attracted the at¬ 
tention of more than one employee in the mail 
service, as the envelope showed signs of wear. 
