Evening star., 1925-03-01

POUNDS OF 1000 ANNUALLY.
The weakfish or trout is caught IN
large numbers along the Atlantic
coast between Massachusetts, and
Florida. It first appears in large
schools in April and May, in various
bays and sounds along the Atlantic
coast, and a little later part of the
f1sh migrate to the ocean to spawn,
and part accomplish spawning in the
larger bays, such as the Chesapeake.
In the Chesapeake Bay region the
first run of fish appears between April
l and May l, according to the tenn
perature of the water. A heavy run
of these Ash occurs until June, and
then the commercial Summer catches
decrease, but again in October good
catches are made, especially of the
larger fish. The last of the fish leave
the bay by December l.
The striped bass or rockfish, which
are caught in the Potomac River as
far up as the Chain Bridge IN the
Spring, have a range from the st.
Lawrence River to Mobile Bay, Ala.
Its mlgrations differ from those of
shad, as the striped bass hibernates
over the Winter, and is found at this
time in the lower Potomac and other
suitable waters. It is a rather long
lived fish. and some of them have
been known to reach the age of 16 to
viduals being caught that weighed
125 pounds, but most of the market
catch weighs between l and 10 pounds.
The gamey striped bass is well
known to the sport fishermen and
puts up an exceptional fight when
hooked, either in deep water or in the
grass along the shore of streams.
Angling for the big rockfsh in
Chesapeake Bay during the Fall
he en- yoh two .
and the number of fishermen seeking
this sport is increasing every year.
1t is the nearest approach to fishing
for the big ones in Florida waters,
and when a big" one is hooked the
angler has all he can handle until his
fish is finally landed in the boat.
The bluefsh, being of excellent
flavor, has become one of Americas S
most important food fishes and com
mands a high price, 1t has a very
wide range, being found around the
Malay Archipelago, Australia, Africa
and the Mediterranean Sea. On the
Atlantic coast II ranges from Maine
to Texas, travelling in great schools
and attacking other fishes with a
waptonness nowhere exceeded in the
whole world of finny tribes Bluefish
make menhaden their principal food.
One authority, writing about these
cIivities to an animate chopping
machine, whose business is to cut to
pieces and destroy as many fish as
possible; and, like a pack of wolves,
they attack everything in their
path, killing many times as much
prey as they can eat. seemingly from
the sheer fun of killing, and mark
Ing their trail with fragments of
fish and stains of blood.
The bonito belongs to the family
OF rlackerels Its relatives are the
common mackerels the frigate
mackerel, the tunnies, the albacores
and the kingfshes. It lives mainly
in the open sea, travelling in large
schools and approaching land only
in search of food or for spawning.
This fish sometimes reaches the
leng4h of from two to three feet and
a weight of from 10 to IL pounds,
but Its average weight is pounds.
ovef 100000 pounds of bonito are
taken annually from American At
Ianttc waters. 1t ii known as one
of the oceans fastest swimmers and
for IT'S beauty and strength.
The striped mullet for long time
ranked low In the list of food fishes,
but flately has become one of the
most highly regarded, especially
when eaten soon after being cap
tured 1t is found in both the At
.lantfc ano Pacific Oceans, from Mas
sachasetts to Brazil and from Cali
fornfa to Chile. It Is not given to
preyfng on other fishes, as are the
bluefish; rather 1t gets its nourish
ment by chewing mud and separating
the SMALL food particles therefron1.
Travelling in schools, the striped
muIIet is abundant in salt or brack
ish water areas. 1t reaches length
of 80 inches and a weight of 10
pounds.
The sheepshead, once rather COM
mon, is now seldom found north of
Cape Henry, Va. 1t is found in
greatest numbers between North
Carolina and Texas. Unlike so many
other fishes, 1t does not travel in
large schools, but wanders in small
groups The spawning season of the
she epshead begins in February and
lasts until May. 1t is not uncommon
in Chesapeake Bay, where fish rang
ing from ! to Is pounds are caught.
The kingfsh, known also as the
northern whiting and sea mink, is
FOUND from Cape Ann to southern
Florida AS a food fish 1t ranks very