The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-04-26
HAGKBBSACK FISHERS.
What They Hatch, and How
They Turn Catches into
Cash.
VERY THRIVING INDUSTRY
Tom Gods and Founders in Five
Pound Bundles-Shad and
Weakfish Plenty.

The fishermen are painting their boats,
tarring their nets, driving their poles and
in other ways preparing for the season
now almost at hand, which promises to be
a busy and profitable one. In few days
weakfish. shad, bass, founders and other
members of the finny tribe, will be ready
for the tables of the people. and every man
is eDicure enough to realize how welcome
they will be. So crowded has the lower
bay become with improvements that the
fishermen have practically gone out Of the
business there. A few can be found,
however. along the Hackensack River
and the New York Bay shore. near Green
vile.
recently visited several Of these old
fishermen at both these places and they
told me that the present fishing season
was back ward, but it was expected that
although the season will be short one,
when it does set in the toothsome fish
will be plentiful. The fishermen along
the Hackensack for the past Two weeks
have been kept busy setting their poles
and nets. The occupation OF catching
fish Is carried on by fishing crews who,
when not at work on the Hackensaek
follow their calling off the New Jersey
coast When the fishing season in the
Hackensack and adjacent waters draws
near, the South jersey fishermen come
north. Teams and wagons are Kept busy
hauling long, slender hickory and white
oak trees from woods near the water
which are trimmed aud dashed together
to be used as net poles. While one party
is kept busy hauling poles others are
making nets. All the nets used are made
from stout Irvine knit into four inch
meshes by the fishermen.
HOW THE WORK Is PREPARED
One OF the hardest tasks the fishermen
have is the sinking of the heavy poles.
They are carried out into the river in
boats, ana when shoisted In a perpendicu-
lar position. are allowed to sink to the
bottom. A piece OF timber is then made
fast TO the pole, in the shape OF I, and
the fishermen climb upon the cross-Diece,
and by jumping up and down finally sue
coed in fastening the butt end of the pole
securely IN the mud at the bottom Of the
river, The next move, after the poles
have been placed, is to set the nets and
then await the arrival of the fish from
| their retreat in the southern waters.
The nets are lifted" on every flood
| tide. when it Is nearly at its full
| The fisherman is generally rewarded
for his trouble with good mess,n al
though at times there is not even one of
the tlnny tribe IN the nets. After haul
the fish are sorted. the smaller ones, such
as founders, sunfish aud tom Gods are
picked out and tied up IN five pound
striags.
These strings are sent to the New Y rk
markets, where they bring ON an average
| four cents a pound. or twenty cents a
string. The larger fish, such as shad and
weakhsh, are Kept separate. Shad are
sold to the niarketmen at an average OF
| eight cents apiece. Weakfish bring four
cents pound Bass are not plentiful in
the Hackensack, but a good mess is
caught now and then. The marketinen
| pay four cents pound for these.
/ FIsHERMAN's PROFITS.
During the busy season and when they
have a good ran OF luck the fishermen
| often clear as much as $50 u week. They
! seldom get more than $500, however, for d
seasons work. But then there is consid-
cradle expense attached to the occupa-
ton. The nets seldom last more than
| one season and the hauling and sinking
of poles is expensive.
Last season nearly one million shad
were sent from the Hackensack River to
| the New York markets, and the average
! weight OF each fish was four pounds 1t
was not unusual to catch fish weighing
over six pounds each. A new law is 60 be
| put into operation this year compelling
all fishermen to lift and keep Ep all nets
| between shutdown Saturday and sunrise
| Monday, thus allowing schools of fish to
escape capture and ascend the river to
| deposit their spawn. The new law is u
precautionary measure to keep up the
supply, which was fast becoming lessened
by sewerage from cities and sludge acid
| from oil rehneries- To counteract the
| destruction caused from the above cause
! the 1ish commissioners are endeavoring
| to prevent oil refineries from allowing
| the sludge to run into the river.
In few days the sportshBen who cap
ture the finny tribe for the sport there Is
in it will be able to HE to their favorite
\ true disciples OF Isaac Walton, fish from
| sunrise TO sunset Rods and hooks can
| be bought cheap, almost for song, and
| any one wishing to have q good days
| sport need but invest couple of dollars
in these necessary adjuncts, provide him
self with few clans or sandworms and
| hiring boat. which can be had for sew
| enty-f1ye cents a day, row out into the
noble Hackensack, cast his line and wait
| for uibble.
The more fastidious sporrsmen might
| prefer the flies, miniature frogs and dra
| CONS made OF rubber and chicken
| feathers. which are died in brilliant col
| ors SO as to attract the fish. These car
also be bought cheap, but they are not 81
I reliable as clans or sandworms.
! boy with bent pin and a worm will of
ten catch more fish than his more fastid
ious rival who use the flies.
A capital place for q good days sport anG
| from which one seldom returns without
| a good string is the Communipaw shore
! of the New York Bay. especially neal
| Caven Point. During the season fish car
be found there in plenty
! ~---