SALT-WATER Fisu. The blue perch, nibbler, ehog,set, salt-water perch, or burgall, names fre quently applied to the runner, is found in great abundance along the coast. It is easily caught with but light tackle and almost any kind of bait, although clam bait seems to have a special attraction for them. Precedence must be given to the striped bass, or, as it is sometimes called, rock bass, which may he counted the hest game fish in the United States. It is a sea-fish, but spawns in tidal rivers, and will often make its way up fresh-water streams in its search for food. Its weight ranges from 8 to 75 pounds, and the bait required may consist of anythtng from a piece of cotton to a small fish. (See BAss.) It is sometimes caught with the arti ficial fly, and again a line baited with small fish thrown into the surf as in fly-casting will be successful. The minnow is the best bait for trolling. The strength of the fish, together with its weight, demands an exceptionally expert fisherman for its capture. It is very strong, very cunning, and very game, making long and fierce runs, severely taxing the skill and strength of the fisherman before it is finally subdued and captured. The blackfish, or sea-bas.s, is found some' little distance from the shore along the coast of the Northern States. It is caught with a special tackle similar to that used for runners, although the former is also frequently caught with lobster bait, or in sea nets. Both these varieties are good food-fishes. One of the most common fishes in the South is the sea-elmb, fre quently called the Lafayette, owing to the fact that it was found in special abundance in 1824, the year of General Lafayette's visit to this country. The fish most common to all the coasts of the United States in the last half of the year is the weakfish, which, in the South, is occa sionally mistaken for the trout, owing to the similarity in flavor of the two fishes. With this fish, also, the clam is the most attractive bait, and the best time for catching is usually during flood tide. It varies in weight from six ounces to over seven pounds, occasional specimens having been caught weighing over 20 pounds. The fish has a large mouth and very soft jaws, and is caught with much the same tackle as is used for black bass, the principal feature being a large hook made of fine steel. Its peculiarity as a food-fish lies in the fact that it must of neces sity be eaten almost immediately after capture or its flesh will become soft. The sheepshead, Southern fish weighing about eight pounds, is an exceptionally hard fish to secure, but is of cor respondingly rare delicacy as a food-fish, and is one much valued by epicures. The scup, known in some parts as the porgie, or paugie, is found more particularly along the Atlantic coast. An other gamy fish is the bluefish (q.v.), also known as the skopjack, horse-mackerel, or snapper. Snappers are found in this part of the world anywhere on the American coast between Massa chusetts and Brazil. They are best caught with a squid trolled from a sailboat, and occasionally from a line thrown out from shore. if they are
running in 'schools,' the fishermen take them in great abundance with their trolling-lines. A pe culiarity about them is that they keep near the surface and will snap at any living thing in sight. Like' the weakfish, they suffer in value for eating purposes if kept very long before cook ing. A smaller kind of bluefish is caught along the New shore with a light tackle and a minnow bait. Along the north coast of New Jersey the smelt is caught in large seines; they spawn under much the same conditions as the salmon. The umbrella tackle used in the State of Maine is a very peculiar as well as effective method of catching the smelt. The umbrella frame is attached to the end of a fish-pole and hanging from the end of each rib is a short line and hook. Mackerel afford excellent sport, and may be fished for with hooks baited with small pieces of mackerel flesh or skin, although they are more generally taken in seines. The herring is the most common victim of commercial fishing, but it may also be caught by the individual fish erman in the springtime of the year with an artificial fly as bait. its near relative, the shad, will also give very excellent sport when fished for with the ily. The king of the herring is the tarpon, which frequents the Gulf of Mexico and the coast of Florida. They vary in weight, but often exceed 150 pounds. They are caught on rod and line, as also arc the leaping tunas of the Pacific Coast, gigantic mackerel, equaling in size and weight the tarpon. Blackfish weigh ing from two to nine or ten pounds, and caught by a bait of soft clams, or bits of lobster, with either hand lines or rods, may be found between South Carolina and Massa chusetts Bay. In some parts it is known as the tautog (q.v.). Its favorite running places are near sunken wrecks, deserted docks, or where the coast is of rocky formation. The fish above mentioned are the ones which may legitimately be classed as game fish; most of the others, usually deep salt-water fish. as cod, haddock, whiting, and halibut, being caught prin cipally for the market and as a means of liveli hood. (See FIShERIEs.) Sharking (q.v.) is occasionally indulged in off the eastern coast, and sometimes near Nantucket Every State in the Union has its separate fish laws, which, however, are constantly changing in a matter of detail, although their general principles remain the same. Some fish are protected by law from capture by netting, spearing, or any other method except hook and line; and then .only during certain months, known as the 'open sea son.' in some States it is unlawful to take fish under a regulation size or weight, and fines and imprisonments are penalties imposed for the transgression of such laws. In brief, the general trend of the law throughout the United States is to prevent the employment of any method which will destroy the supply. The reader is further referred to ANGLING; BAIT-FISHING; FLY-CAST ING GAME LAWS: GRAINING; SALMON-FISHING; SHARKING; SWORD-FISHING; TARPON-FISHING; TROLLING; TROUT-FISIIING.