Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1904-08-20
Cumming
FOR BLUES.
How the Sport Is Made
Business Along the Jersey
Coast.
BIG CATCHES ARE MADE.

Down on the Sandy Hook peninsula,
Branch the native is busy harvesting
His crop is bluefish, for bluefish re-
presents real money to the owner of
every available fishing smack and sen
skiff long tho coast. Toe daily run to
the fishing banks starts as eurly as
halfpast three in the morning. At
this hour activity prevails at the vari-
ous fishing stations.
At the first streak of dawn boats are
| launched across the breakers and
hundreds of mon push, haul and train
away at the craft, forcing them into
the water. Just as the boat floats up
on the first huge wave the crew
scramble aboard. grasp the oars and
pull Justify for the open sea, boat fol-
lowing boat, forming a long process
sion, pulling steadily away and disap-
pearing beyond the eastern horizon.
A majority of the boats are propelled
by oars. although many are fitted with
naphtha engines, and the latter chug-
chug-chug through the water, speedi-
ly distancing the craft propelled by
white ash breezes ''fs-7',,y''sF. - saH'
Speed is not great factor, however.
as fishing for blues is moro matter
of luck than speed or skill. and the
most poorly equipped or last boat out
may be the first to return, with a
fifteen hundred or two thousand pound
catch.
This sort of fishing is not pastimo,
as the labor necessary to successfully
maintain prosperous fishing boat re-
quires not only muscular strength,
but an iron constitution and strong
will with which to batter wind, wave
and tide in all kinds OF weather, and
amid rough seas to wrest from old
ocean portion of her abundance.
Plving Long Island Sound and the
lower bay are several decreipt looking
boats, in appearance somewhat like
understood tugs, stanoh and unpre-
tentious, but i'll smelling and oil be-
grimed, lying easily at anchor or
sneaking in lazy style out past Sandy
Hook. Out on the ocean s surface are
numerous school of non edible fish,
known as mossbunKers, each school
composed of thousands upon thousands
of small fish, travelling at the very
top of the water, and at times partly
out of it. These are the fish the queer
looking craft seek. BIZ he use of nets
great shoals of mosshunkers are
hauled aboard and later SOLD to the
genuine fishermen at about forty
cents bushel
MCssbunkers are used as bait for
bluefsh About dusk daily scores of
bare footed fishermen push their
beach carts down to the eamhoat
landings along the Shrewsbury river
and purchase loads of mossbunkers,
which are carted to the fishing station
and put OH ice. to be kept fresh for
the next days iIshing. Mr.. Bluefish
| is particular and likes his mossbunker
fresh. Moreover, it must be ground
to pulp, or sort of fish hash, in
which shape it is thrown on the sur
face of the water. At this stage the
mossbunker becomes known as chum
Chum is q delicacy no blueflsh can
resist. Thus when ohum, aud plenty
of it, is cast upon the waters surface
blueflsh gather from far and near for
the feast, and Immediately make war
upon any object TINT may mingle with
the chum.
Here is the fsherman's opportunity.
Small blocks Of white wood, with
| (NOntiuned on 1on0e D