Angling in Florida. 
Concluded from page 501. 
The striped bass (Roccus lineatus) is perhaps 
setter known to Northern anglers as rockfish. 
This fish is quite common to our Atlantic coast, 
■anging from Northern Maine to Mexico, and is 
jne of the most popular of salt-water game 
fishes. It is a gamy fighter and weighs up to 60 
pounds or more. Small bass are caught in the 
numerous Florida streams, and for bass up to 25 
pounds, light tackle is used. 1 he large, or 
'jumbo bass,” are taken by casting out into the 
surf. 
Large bass require a 12 to 18-ounce rod and 
a large, well-made reel holding 125 to 150 yards 
of 9 or 12-thread linen line; O Shaughnessy 
Looks from 9/0 down to 6/0 size are used. Mul¬ 
let is the best Southern bait, although sand- 
worms, shrimps, crabs and clams are all good. 
Small bass from 5 to 10 pounds rise well to a 
bright yellow or green fly. 
The red grouper (Cerna maria ) is also known 
as red snapper, groper and brown snapper. It is 
a very common fish and is caught up to 20 -odd 
pounds upon the “grouper banks.” It is a fair 
game fish, but fights from the bottom. In the 
inlets grouper are caught up to 12 pounds, large 
fish being common in the deeper water of the 
gulf. A light striped bass rod of io-ounce weight; 
9-thread line and a 2/0 or 3/0 O’ Shaughnessy 
hook completes the equipment. Crawfish, shrimp, 
fiddler crabs and clams are good baits. 
The sheepshead (Archosargus probatocepha- 
lus) is a common fish having a wide range, and 
is much angled for both in Northern and in 
Southern waters. As the sheepshead is altogether 
a bottom feeding fish, a sinker is necessary 
weight depending upon the tide—to keep the bait 
near the bottom. In Florida sheepshead aie 
plentiful upon both coasts and as its principal 
food is shellfish, the sheepshead is found around 
old piles and around the mangroves where the 
“coon oysters” hang in clusters. It is often 
caught ten or fifteen miles up fresh water 
streams and in the Homosassa and Withlacoo- 
chee Rivers, sheepshead fishing is very fine. It 
does not grow as large in the South and the 
sheepshead of New Jersey is a pound or two 
heavier than the Southern fish. Like nearly all 
bottom feeding fishes, the sheepshead seldom 
makes long rushes, and while it pulls hard it is 
not a very active game fish. 
A six-foot bass casting rod of 7 ounces, an E 
bass line and a 2/0 sheepshead or O’Shaughnessy 
hook is a good outfit. As the teeth of the sheeps¬ 
head are very, sharp and strong, a light piano- 
wire snell should be used. Fiddler crabs and 
clams are the best baits. 
The yellowtail (Ocyurus chrysurus ) is com¬ 
mon in Florida waters and like the grouper is a 
fair game fish of the bottom feeding species. 
About the keys of Southern Florida it is very 
plentiful and is always willing to take a bait. Its 
characteristics are very similar to the grouper, 
and its tactics when hooked are the same. A 
10-ounce bass rod, 9-thread line and a 3/° 
O’Shaughnessy hook are used. Crawfish, shrimp, 
fiddler crabs and clams for baits. 
The dolphin ( Coryphcena hippurus) is a deep 
water fish, and as it is seldom caught in shoal 
water, few anglers are acquainted with this 
species. I have caught but two specimens, and 
that happened by accident when trolling foi 
mackerel, from a sloop, some eight or ten miles 
off the coast. It is a gamy fish, however, and 
being powerfully built, the dolphin puts up a 
sturdy resistance when hooked. A heavy weak- 
fish rod of 12 ounces was used, 12-thread line 
and a pearl mackerel jig. If the feeding grounds 
of the dolphin were further inshore, it would no 
doubt claim considerable attention from the 
anglers. 
The pompano ( Trachynotus carolinus) is con¬ 
sidered the very finest of all Southern fish for 
the table, and is often taken on the California 
coast, where it is not common enough to keep 
the price much below forty cents a pound. I he 
pompano is not a large fish, and while larger 
specimens have no doubt been caught, the largest 
pompano I ever caught weighed a trifle over five 
pounds. It is a gamy fish, fighting with long 
rushes and many leaps. The best pompano fish¬ 
ing is near the inlets where these fish come in to 
feed upon the flood tide. Light tackle is neces¬ 
sary, a heavy bass rod and line and a 2/0 
O’Shaughnessy hook. Clam and mussel are often 
used for bait, but the best bait is a small shell¬ 
fish of the beaches, known as pompano shell. 
The red snapper ( Lutjanus blackfordi) is a 
very handsome, gray and red spotted fish that 
furnishes much sport. Although it does not put 
up a long or a very determined fight, it is one of 
the best table fishes. The snapper is a bottom 
feeding fish, and angling is done principally upon 
the “snapper banks,” as the small feeding 
grounds of these fish are called. -Striped bass 
tackle is used, as the rod and line must be stout 
enough to stand a sinker, which upon account of 
the tide cannot very well be dispensed with. 
Fiddler crabs and shrimp are suitable baits. 
The bluefish (P otnatomus saltatrix ) is a widely 
known and very popular game fish, known in 
different localities as horse mackerel, blue-snap¬ 
per, skip, tailor fish, white fish, and salt water 
jack. In Northern waters it is occasionally taken 
up to 25 pounds, but in the South the bluefish is 
much smaller, averaging hardly more than two 
pounds. Trolling with a hand-line and squid or 
jig has long been the usual method of captuie, 
but a more enjoyable way is by rod and reel. 
Like the mackerel and kindred surface feeding 
fishes, the bluefish will take a fly. When caught 
upon suitable tackle this fish is a very gamy 
fighter, making long rushes and breaking water 
many times before brought to gaff. In the passes 
small bluefish are almost always abundant, but 
the larger blues are taken in the deeper watei 
outside along the tide rips. 
A stiff weakfish rod of 10 ounces, 9-thread 
line and a 4 / o hook snelled to piano wire or a 
phosphor bronze wire leader is used. A sinker 
is sometimes useful for outside fishing. All 
small fishes make good bait, and if desired, arti¬ 
ficial minnows and spoon lures can be used with 
good results. Small bluefish rise well to a bright 
colored bass fly. 
The sea catfish ( Galcichtliys fclis ) is not a fa¬ 
vorite with anglers of the South and is merely 
given a place here that the new man may know 
the species as it is. The “blue-cat” is a persistent 
biter and greedily gobbles up many a bait in¬ 
tended for a more worthy fish. The catfish is 
not at all particular and will snap up a fly or any¬ 
thing else you may happen to have out. Its flesh 
is incomparably poor and it is so little thought 
of as a game fish that the aim of every angler is 
to avoid it if possible. Any kind of tackle and 
any variety of bait will catch any number of cat¬ 
fish. 
The moon or angel fish ( Chcetodipterus faber) 
is also known as three-tailed sheepshead. Having 
an exceedingly small mouth, it is somewhat dif¬ 
ficult to hook. It is not much of a game fish, al¬ 
though it is the best pan fish caught in the 
South. Usual weight rarely exceeds three pounds, 
although 1 have seen them caught up to five 
pounds. Black bass rod and tackle and a No. 2 
hook are used. Fiddler crabs, shrimp and clam 
for baits. 
The bonefish (Albula wipes ) is known in the 
South as ladyfish. It is found upon both coasts, 
but appears more abundant on the Atlantic side. 
The true bonefish is, strange to say, known 
altogether as ladyfish, while the true lady- 
fish ( Elops saurus ) is always miscalled bonefish. 
The true bonefish rarely exceeds three feet in 
length, and for its size is a game fish of the front 
rank. It is taken in the shoal water of the inlets 
where it comes with the flood tide to feed upon 
the numerous Crustacea which form its principal 
food. Black bass tackle and a 2/0 hook are used. 
Flies are also satisfactory, red, green and yellow 
being favorite colors. Fiddler crabs and shrimp 
are the best natural baits. 
The ladyfish ( Elops saurus) is a near relative 
of the tarpon, and is found upon both coasts. 
It is rightfully considered as the gamiest fish of 
the South. Although resembling the bony fish, 
the ladyfish is a better fighter, and while these two 
fishes are so confused by name, they can be 
easily identified by counting the number of rays 
upon the first dorsal fin. The bonefish ( Albula 
vulpes) has twenty rays on the first dorsal fin 
and thirteen upon the anal fin, the ladyfish 
(Elops saurus) having but fifteen rays on the 
dorsal and only eight rays on the anal fin. The 
ladyfish also leaps repeatedly into the air when 
hooked, while the bonefish makes long, savage 
rushes, but never leaves the water. A black bass 
rod, 9-thread line and a 3/0 hook snelled to gimp 
or piano wire are used. Mullet is a favorite bait, 
but crabs and shrimp are good. 
The large mouth black bass ( Micropterus sal- 
moides) is known in the South as trout, bayou 
bass, chub, Oswego bass and moss bass. It is a 
widely known fresh-water game fish, and in the 
lakes of the South grows to a much larger size 
than in our Northern waters. A 25-pound large 
mouth is frequently caught, and many catches of 
much larger fish are recorded. As the weight of 
