The New York herald., 1922-10-29
Concerning Young BIucfish.

/ Young biuefish. known as snappers, abound
in the inshore waters about New YORK IN
with light rods for sport and food, and they
are q. most excellent panfish. tasting like
ths adult bluefish. but sweeter and more
delicate. To catch them. a light rod is used.
the hook Is kept usually two three feet
below the surface. batted with smaller fish
alive or dead fundulus or menidla preferred.
hut at times they bite voraciously Oh clam or
worm bait.
Fishing commences In August. when the
snappers are about AZ inches long without
tail f.n); The museum has specimens Az
inchea. Cold Spring Harbor, l.. L., August
-. and 4A from the same locality In Au-
gust. They grow rapidly and In September
reach length OF inches. with TIA weight eight.
Hook, October 8. 1897. are ga and "a inches
long; one from the Hudson River. September
"a. 1851, ~ inches long.
On August DO 1913, DIR. William II. Wieg-
mann OF New York. found young snappers
being caught abundantly at Sheepshead
Bay. and at the writer's request made meas
urements OF 30 individuals Five we're l3
10 1875 cn. (5ii in.), six 1873 crn. (6is in)
eight II en-. (6A in.,. thirty l'.0 to Is en-.
q in.) Ions.
The gap in sizes between the five smallest
and the others Ia noticeable. In this con-
uection may note "A similar gap in fish
at Lloyds Point. on July 30.
On August ls 10 20, at Princes Bay, Staten
Island, seven fish Az to inches long were
obtained by the writer and others Of about
the same size observed. II will be noticed
smaller ones at sheepshead Bay of cor
responding date.
II Il reported that on September I, many
snappers were taken at Princes Bay about
SIX inches In length but the SheeDsheac bay
fish we're mostly larger, for DR.. WeiEmann
meast red about 100 there on August 30. with
average size is cn1. g inches).
On July 30, 1913, the writer found small
snappers, iss to Inches long, swimming in
close ranked schools like mulet or herrings.
At Lloyds Point & n .aa m dsep dse @itb larS
ends 20 their tails. a small de'achment
rather close in TO the gravelly shore was
rounded up with q mirnow seine. and about
forty little fish. ali about OF a size cap
tured verifying the Identification OF the
others that had been seen. At this date
there were also a few larger fish. perhaps
3is inches long, in smaller companies much
swifter and wider ranging. already besnning
to strike at the regulation bait. Probably
there Ia n marked change In habit at about
this age. Well preserved material which
would admit of critical stomach examina-
tlon would make this easy to detcruine: pu,
unfortunately our museum does not possess
such material at present
In past years the writer has seen a few
rluch smaller fish. probably less than an
inch in length. occurring sinsy IN shrsiersu fsied
near New York. These were weak SWIM
ming, and easy to capture. ike BABY trou,
or salmon in the shadows at the edges OF
,he etreams where they breed-fishes which
a little later are leading more active and
predaceous life in the channels OF tne salare anc
linens OF thees smallest bluefish preserved
from which accurate dates ana meaeuic-
nents could be obtained
The evidence, however, ~ clear that tne
bhieflsl1 spawns off our shores In early sum
mer and there is material TO snow tno
growth OF the young while with U.s.
According 10 pr; G. Browne Goode. Amer r
Roosevelt records that he observed the blue
fish fry less than an inch In length IN tho
inlet Of Far Rockaway, ". Y, on July lo.
Dr Ynrrow does not give any facts In re-
gard 20 this subject, at Fort Macon, excep,
female caught July II. The only positive
evidence IL that of Capt. Pcase, VINO states
It as the general impression about Edgar, gar,
or the first OF August. He has seen them
when he thought they were spawning on the
sand. having caught them short time be-
fore full OF spawn, and finding them after
ward for q time thin and weak. He thinks
their spawning ground is on the white candy
bottom to the eastward OF Marthas Vina-
yard, toward Muskecget.
Or. Tarleton H. Bean, writing In the re-
port Of tho New York Forest. Fish and Game
Commission for 1900. gives detailed state
ment of the sizes OF young buefieh In Crent
South Bay In the summer OF 1901. lie says. .
"The smallest individual taken IN July
measured 3h inches. In tho first half of Sep
ternber the lengths varied from 80 TO 7M
Inches. Young bluefish IA inches long were
caught In August; single young bluefish
Tt5 inches long was selncd In the foot. por-
ton OF swan fuvei September o.
II VIII be seen that these sizes agree very
well with those given. above. but show a
wider variation. Probably tho former gives
q fair idea of the average OF the schools.
There is also material 10 show that the
season vs. earlier further south. In the mu-
scum collections a single specimen Al inches
1910. and TO 3is inches long from Marco
1910, and to Sis inciiVa iuais t.v.n n,arco
Pass. Florida, February IS. 1910, indicate
that It 10 five months earlier In f7crida.