St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-05-10
Written for the FARAHR.1
A WINTERS FISHING
AMONG TuR FIsHERxEN ON TIL
ArcHAFALAYA.

ANON0 ~ SISnG&A.N w VuA
ArCpAFALAYA.
To Morgan City belongs the
honor Of being the principle point
in the United States whence catfish
are exported in large quantities. In
close proximity to rail and water
routes, her geographical location is
unsurpassed. Her market il con-
trolled by q few men, each owning
. small tug-bOat. AT the beginning
of the winters season all the fisher
men Of st. Mary and the adjacent
parishes will make contracts with
one of these men, agreeing to sup-
ply then with iish during the sea-
son. at so much per box. (The
box is 8 feet long, l6 inches high
Is inches wide, the price ranging
from 81 so to 81 per box, accord
ing to the supply.)
In the fall, say in October, the
fishermen are notified that on q Ger.
tain day the tug will be ready to
tow them to any place they may
select.
In the meantime the fishermen
will construct their oars, which are
usually from II to 20 feet long,
shaped like q skin, about 3 feet in
h eight, sharp at both ends, with
b Jles bored in the bottom and sides
! and built 10 that they can be made
water-tight by means of plugs, and
| towed easily tar their lines, snood
their hooks and knit their nets.
They provide themselves also with
a comfortable tent.
At the appointed time all the In
terested parties will congregate al
the starting point, or meet the boat
at certain places along the route,
the captain Of the tug assigning
each fisherman . place in the tow.
Generally fishermen Of the same
neighb0rhood at home camp to-
gether, or split up in two or three
different parties. The first couple
Of days are usually devoted to fix
ing up the camp, securing the cars
to stout stakes, cutting poles for
the lines and setting them out. A
good fisherman will take pains to
align his poles with military pre-
c%isiOn, and see that the poles and
hooks are equidistant. Every 30
or 40 feet he will place q pole,
stretch his line tightly, and on this
line tie his hooks, 4 or 5 feet apart.
He will fasten his line SO that in
low tide the hooks will not be too
much above the water, nor tOu
deep in high tide. As soon as the
hooks are set comes the question Of
batting them-the bite noire Of fish,
ermen. Bait sometimes is plenti-
full, sometimes very scarce. The
fisherman relies mainly on his cast
net. set net or seine for bait. Each
fisherman attends to from EGO to
600 or 700 hooks. II the lines are
all connected they can do this easily
enough, but il they ore one or two
miles apart, 1t Is . very hard task,
especially In rough weather.
Fish are sometimes very hard to
catch-the choicest halt will not al
lure them-while at times they will
bite at any old bait, even o. empty
hooks.
Usually two runs (visits) are
made to the lines, one about sun
rise and the other before sun down.
The hooks are then 5aited, the fish
.aken OF, and on arrival at cam,
are transferred to the cars.
Early in the fall and spring the
lines, hooks and fish are bothered
by sharks and gars. A shark will
cut a line like . knife, and il there
is . fish on the line the fisherman
will only find his head when he
makes his rounds. A gar will also
break lines and hooks and cripple
the Gsh. Foggy and rough weather
are dangerous for the fisherman, for
then he often gets lost. or is unable
to get back to his camp.
At least once . week the tug boat
will land at the camp and gather up
all the fish. II fish are plentiful
the boat is provided With two cars
rugged on davits, one on each side.
Empty, they are towed - . skin.
Arriving at the first camp. the pilot,
who is generally also captain, will
take the plugs out and sink them.
The fisherman, with his car net,
will dip the fish out Of his own car
and put them in his skin. From
there they are transferred into the
measuring box, placed over the
boats car. Each fisherman. hav-
ing measured his fish, is paid in
cash, and he is at liberty to send
for whatever he needs. Should
they wish to move, the boat is
ready to accommodate them.
As soon q the boats arrive at
Morgan City, the fish are trans
ferred into stationary cars, and the
movable cars are hauled up on
ways, plugged up, and ready for
the next trip.
The fish are then taken out Of
the cars and hung up, the skin cut
all around the body below the head
and pulled Oh with pincers, in less
than It takes to write this.
Once skinned. the fIeh (sellin9 ct