Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1898-11-06
FISH TRADE TRICKS.
HOW The Professionals LOCATE A
LIFTING" GROUND.
The secret OF sueee.sfui FishtsE On
the New Jersey Coast-hRrkinE the
Coed spats FOR Future Catches and
UoIulan uivuIs.

"GOt the range, WIZ
Looks like IL, 81"
"see the walnut tree on the hillf"
"Yes: stands about gost.northwest. A"
"And this church ttoeplo sou.sou-
westy'
"To the dot. 80 mistake about that"
Glow heads Ladomus' oottage;'
About due west. "
eve ought TO be nearly over IL now,
Will. Stand by TO let 90 when | sing
ont. Steady, now; steady Let her rip.
Nowl Now Bully boy Right over the
middle Of IT, "
That IL how the professional fisher
man along the Jersey coast finds his ia
yorite biting" ground. The latter may
be- 20 or moro fathoms deep, and a
dozen or more miles ofishore; but.
with the aid Of such landmarks ~ trees.
steeples and beach cottages, lying In
various directions along tho strand,
these crack surfmen seldom make o mis-
take in picking up" the ground sought
offshore. It's no easy job this finding
Of some particularly good fishing ground
that has no mark ON the chart and is
only fixed In the mind Of fishermen by
study Of distances from the shore.
Itisawell known fact that fish must
be sought They will not, as rule.
come 10 tho fisherman, be the latter
professional or amateur. Sea fish, ~
well % lake fish, like rocky bottom, aud
IL is over this kind Of bottom that the
best catches aro made Il isno easy task
20 locate a rocky bed along the Jersey
coast, and even with ranges on land.
marks one h not always certain 60 lind
II ON another days fishing trip The
ranges are manipulated this way.
In an ordinary surfboat, such as the
majority Of the Jersey fishermen use.
the beach line that looks 10 white aud
extensive close inshoro resembles q
white thread at distance NJ. ny. 10
miles from the land When tho fisher.
men discover new ground at or about
that distance offshore, they generally
pick three marks on land-One north.
one south and the third directly 90 the
westward. by bringing these three
marks 20 "a conyergenco the happy hunt.
ing ground is located.
As rulo these fishermen are q bic
selfish when new grounds are discover
cd They conceal the fact ~ long as
possible from one another, for business
reasons principally, for there is q ripg
competition among these beach comb.
ers, aud It is only by playing postum
and keeping weather eye open that
one learns what bis rival sometimes
/ knows.
One day last season reporter was IN
one Of these surfboats ! 8 miles oifshuro
/ from Barnegat. The fisherman in charge
Of the tiny craft was heading for rocky
bottom as far ofTshore M be dared 10 90
without compass and provisions When
within mile or 20 of the ground. an
other fisherman aud his helper woT,
seen ut anchor. They were hauling NJ
whacking big bass n fint ~ they could
throw out. and altogether they seemed
10 be having a glorious time. After tbs
two boats had separated sufficiently &
permit private conversation the pro
fessional in charge Of the first mention
ed craft said 20 his shipmate;
"Did you mark it,
eyes, " answered the other. eth
piers 10 the westward, the life savini
station is 60 the norihward and th
cottage Of that old crank is Co the south
ward.
That's tho way made It, " repliei
the first speaker. All this seemed lik
20 much Greek to ono Of the amateur
in the boat who began 20 ask questions
"That's % new ground, said the fish
crman. eve didn know that 30 exist
cd. Yes, they are catching lots Of iish
Why don't go back and Try ~ Well
/ do not like 20 initiate people-at leus
/ do not care 90 let them see mo cop
them. I'll try II some other day. "
Il may have been professional prid
] or etiquette, this sharp Bit OF practice
{ but In other walks Of life IL would b
p. called a trick of the trade. It's done aI
along the beach, Here's another trio
of the trade that "a surfman at Bolma
taught this landlubborly reporter
There's a schooner that takes city FOL
= from Asbury Park oiIshoro 90 fish. ~
j, was anchored ten miles otishoro thi
\ particular morning over % newly foun
;. ground. and there were half a dozen
n more surfboats clustered about her It
4 biting was fret class, but presently on
n Of the big fishing steamboats, from 81
}. Battery was sighted heading down Oh
beach. There was an interchange
conversation On the part Of the profe
ional fishermen, but they sudden
v pulled up anchors as II one man al
r began rowing around.
II The schooner weighed her bower oil
D. and under her headsnils and mninsa
{. reached oifshorc. Naturally the am
70 tenrs ;~anted TO know why a shl
ID should be- made, especially ~ the strik
~ were unusually lively "That's the II
Corster coming down, said one Of q
fishermen In half whisper, as " tho
ON the steamboat could hear him,
d though she was fully two miles ava
y eve have a good ground here, and
r don Z want her pilots 10 find the rang'
re- She'll keep % the southward, and we
n circle around until she gets out OF 4
e. way. That's how we save our bacon
IS And they did save IL too. The steal