The fishing is done from a boat anch.o.r.ed near the edge of the channels or in the vicinity of hard shoals of sand, ledges of rocks, or near oyster bars, in water of pretty good depth. The bait may be shedder-crab, clam, blood-worm, or shrimp. All are good, but crab is, perhaps, the best, and should be kept in motion.

The northern kingfish must not be confounded with the kingfish of the Florida Keys, which is a fish of the mackerel tribe, akin to the Spanish mackerel, a game-fish of high order, growing to a weight of forty pounds. I was amused several years ago when a correspondent applied to the angling editor of one of the sportsman's journals for information concerning the kingfish of Florida. The editor, not knowing any better, confounded it with the northern kingfish, and recommended the usual means of capture for that fish. I wondered, at the time, how the inquiring angler succeeded with the nimble acrobat of the coral reefs, still-fishing, with such tackle.

There are two closely allied species--the Carolina whiting (_Menticirrhus america.n.u.s_) and the surf or silver whiting (_Menticirrhus littoralis_), which differ somewhat in coloration and in some unimportant structural differences; otherwise they are very similar to the kingfish. The former inhabits the deeper water, while the latter frequents the shallow sandy sh.o.r.es of the southern coast from Carolina to Texas. Their feeding habits are similar to those of the kingfish, and in their season they can be captured in the same way.

THE CROAKER

(_Micropogon undulatus_)

The croaker was described by Linnaeus, in 1766, from South Carolina. He named it _undulatus_, "undulating or wavy," owing to the undulating character of the markings on the body and fins. Its range extends along the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico from the Middle states to Texas, though it is more abundant from the Chesapeake Bay to Florida. The outline of the body is somewhat elliptical and compressed, not much elevated on the back, but with rather a regular curve from the snout to the tail; its depth is less than a third of its length. The head is about as long as the depth of the body, with a prominent, somewhat blunt snout, and a rather large mouth, with small barbels beneath the lower jaw.

[Ill.u.s.tration THE WEAKFISH]

[_Cynoscion regalis_]

[Ill.u.s.tration THE KINGFISH]

[_Menticirrhus saxatilis_]

[Ill.u.s.tration THE GERMAN CARP]

[_Cyprinus carpio_]

The border of the cheek-bones is strongly toothed. The teeth of the jaws are in brushlike bands, with somewhat longer ones in the upper jaw.

There are two dorsal fins, slightly connected; the caudal fin is double concave or trifurcate. The back is dusky gray with silvery l.u.s.tre, sides silvery or bra.s.sy, belly white and iridescent. There are a number of dusky or cloudy vertical or oblique bands, and the upper part of the body is profusely sprinkled with numerous dark spots, irregularly placed, in undulating lines. A dusky spot is at the base of the pectoral fin; the dorsal fins are marked with dark spots, which form lines along the soft dorsal fin.

The croaker frequents gra.s.sy situations in the brackish water of bays and bayous, feeding on crabs, shrimps, and other crustaceans, and small fishes. It grows to a length of ten or twelve inches, and is a good pan-fish when perfectly fresh. It sp.a.w.ns in the autumn.

On the gra.s.sy flats of the Patapsco and other tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay I have caught countless numbers of the "crocus," as we boys called it. Just under the gill-cover, nearly always, we found a parasitic crustacean or sea-louse, a half inch in length, resembling the land crustacean known as the wood-louse, or sow-bug,--probably an isopod.

A very light rod, a fine linen line, snelled hooks Nos. 1 to 3, and a small sinker or bra.s.s swivel for connecting line and snell are all that are needed for the croaker, as a reel is not necessary. The boat is anch.o.r.ed on gra.s.sy flats in water from six to twelve feet in depth.

Shrimp is the best bait, though cut-bait of clam or fish is good. A float may be used to keep the bait from the bottom in still water. While this fish and the next, the spot or Lafayette, are usually cla.s.sed as small fry, and particularly suited to boy anglers, they are such good pan-fish that many "grown-ups" are quite enthusiastic in their capture.

They hold about the same relation to the more important game-fishes of the coast that the sunfishes do to the black-ba.s.s, trout, pike, etc., of inland waters. When no better fishing offers they will fill the void very satisfactorily when light and suitable tackle is employed.

THE LAFAYETTE

(_Leiostomus xanthurus_)

The Lafayette, spot, or goody, as it is variously called, was described by Lacepede, in 1802, from South Carolina. He named it _xanthurus_, meaning "yellow tail," under the impression that its caudal fin was yellow,--which, however, it is not. Its range extends from Cape Cod to Texas, though it is most abundant from New Jersey to Florida. It is found throughout its range in brackish-water bays and bayous, and is somewhat similar in appearance to the croaker. It has a short, deep body; the back in front of the dorsal fin is compressed to a sharp edge or "razor-back"; the outline of the back is arched, highest over the shoulder, with a steep profile from thence to the snout; the depth of the body is more than a third of its length. The head is not so long as the depth of the body; the snout is blunt and prominent; the mouth is small. There are few or no teeth in the lower jaw, while those in the upper jaw are quite small. The throat is well armed with molars and brushlike teeth. There are two dorsal fins, slightly connected; the caudal fin is forked. It is bluish or dusky above, with silvery sides and white belly; when fresh from the water it is very iridescent. It has about fifteen narrow, dark, wavy bands extending obliquely downward and forward, from the back to below the lateral line; the fins are olivaceous and plain; it has a very prominent and distinct round black spot just above the base of the pectoral fin, which has given rise to the name spot in some localities.

Like the croaker, the Lafayette resorts to gra.s.sy and weedy situations in the brackish-water bays, estuaries, and tributaries. In Florida it is present all the year, but does not enter northern waters until summer and autumn, when it is often found in company with the croaker or white-perch. It feeds on shrimps and other small crustaceans and small mollusks. It sp.a.w.ns in southern waters in the fall. Although but a small fish, growing to eight or ten inches in length, and usually to but six inches, it is a great favorite as a pan-fish, as when perfectly fresh it is a delicious tidbit or _bonne-bouche_ of most excellent flavor.

The same tackle recommended for the croaker is well adapted for the spot, though the hooks should be smaller, Nos. 4 to 6. It is found in the same situations as the croaker, and often in shallow water, or about the piling of bridges and wharves, wherever shrimps abound. My method, many years ago, was to use a light cane rod, ten or twelve feet in length, and a fine line of about the same length, very small hooks, about No. 8, with bait of shrimp, cut clam, oyster, sandworm, or earthworm. I used no float, but held the rod elevated sufficiently to keep the bait from touching the bottom, thus maintaining a taut line, so that the slightest nibble of the fish could be felt, when I would endeavor to hook it at once, for it is as well versed in bait-stealing as the cunner.

It is only necessary to refer to the many names by which this little fish is known in various sections of the country to prove its popularity. Some of these are the spot, goody, Cape May goody, and Lafayette of northern waters, the roach and chub of Carolina, and the chopa blanca (white bream) and besugo (sea-bream) of the Portuguese and Spanish fishermen of Florida. It appeared in unusually large numbers in northern waters about the time that Lafayette visited this country in 1834, hence one of its numerous names.

Years ago I have seen crowds of men, women, and boys occupying front seats on the wood-wharves of Baltimore harbor engaged in fishing for spots and croakers, on Sat.u.r.day afternoons, and many a boy was tardy at Sunday-school the next morning through picking out the bones from his Sunday breakfast.

CHAPTER IX

THE DRUM FAMILY (_CONTINUED_)

(_Sciaenidae_)

The most conspicuous and characteristic features by which the members of this family may be known were given in the preceding chapter, where the brackish-water and salt-water species were described. There is but one species found in fresh water, a description of which follows.

_Aplodinotus grunniens._ The Fresh-water Drum. Body oblong, much elevated, and compressed; profile long and steep; snout blunt; head 3-1/3; depth 2-3/4; eye moderate; D. X, 30; A. II, 7; scales 9-55-13; mouth small, low, and horizontal, lower jaw included; teeth in villiform bands, pharyngeals with coa.r.s.e, blunt, paved teeth; preopercle slightly serrate; the dorsal fins somewhat connected; scaly sheaths at base of spiny portion of dorsal and a.n.a.l fins; second a.n.a.l spine very large; gill-rakers short, 6 + 14; pyloric coeca 7; caudal fin double truncate.

THE FRESH-WATER DRUMFISH

(_Aplodinotus grunniens_)

This well-known fish of the Middle West is also known as lake-sheepshead on the Great Lakes, white-perch on the Ohio River, gaspergou in Louisiana, and as bubbler, croaker, thunder-pumper, and other names in various sections of the country. It was first described by Rafinesque, in 1819, from the Ohio River. He named it _grunniens_, meaning "grunting," from the grunting sound it makes, in common with other members of the drum family, when taken from the water. It inhabits the Great Lakes and other smaller lakes in the vicinity, extending along the Mississippi Valley to Louisiana. Texas, and Mexico.

The fresh-water drum is somewhat elliptical in outline, with quite a hump over the shoulders, with a depth of about one-third of its length, while its head const.i.tutes more than a fourth of the length of the body.

The single dorsal fin has the appearance of two. The ear-bones (otoliths) are quite large and resemble porcelain in their peculiar whiteness, and have a semblance of the letter "L" seemingly cut on them.

From this circ.u.mstance they are known as "lucky-stones," and are often carried by boys as pocket-pieces.

It is of a grayish silvery hue, dark on the back, fading to white on the belly. In the lakes of the North it has several oblique dusky streaks or bands, resembling in a minor degree those of the sheepshead of the coastwise streams and bays. In southern waters the streaks are not so apparent, and it is called white-perch, owing to its silvery appearance.

It is a bottom fish, feeding mostly on mollusks, which it crushes with the blunt teeth of the throat. It also feeds on small fishes, crawfish, and other small organisms. Its sp.a.w.ning habits are unknown, but it probably sp.a.w.ns in the spring and summer.

On the Great Lakes it grows to an enormous size, occasionally reaching fifty or sixty pounds, though as usually taken by anglers it is from three to ten pounds in weight. It is of no value as a food-fish in that region, being seldom eaten and heartily despised. On the Ohio and lower Mississippi rivers its weight is much less, from one to six pounds, and it is there considered a good pan-fish, selling readily in the markets.

There is no doubt but that it is of better flavor in southern waters when of small size.

As a commercial fish it is taken in nets in the North, and in fyke-nets in the southern extent of its range. On northern lakes it is often taken by anglers when fishing for black-ba.s.s, and being a strong, vigorous fish with the family habit of boring toward the bottom when hooked, it furnishes fair sport, and with considerable jeopardy to light tackle, when of large size. The angler is at first elated with what he imagines to be a fine ba.s.s until its ident.i.ty is established, when his enthusiasm gives place to infinite disgust. And this is one reason why it is despised in northern waters, and very unjustly, too, for it is game enough, so far as resistance is concerned, and is ent.i.tled to that much credit. In southern waters it bites freely at small minnows, crawfish, or mussels, and is there better appreciated and has a fair reputation as a game-fish. I have enjoyed fishing for it with light tackle on White and St. Francis rivers in Arkansas, and some of the streams in Mississippi. Light black-ba.s.s tackle is quite suitable for it.

CHAPTER X

THE MINNOW FAMILY

(_Cyprinidae_)

This family of fresh-water fishes numbers probably a thousand species, mostly of small size in America and known universally as "minnows." In the eastern hemisphere the species grow larger, and of these, two have been introduced into America,--the German carp and the goldfish.

_Cyprinus carpio._ The German Carp. Body robust, compressed, heavy anteriorly; head 4-1/2; depth 3-1/2; scales (normally) 5-38-5; mouth moderate, with four long barbels; teeth molar, 1, 1, 3-3, 1, 1; dorsal fin elongate, dorsal and a.n.a.l fins each preceded by a serrated spine. D. III, 20; A. III, 5.

THE GERMAN CARP

(_Cyprinus carpio_)

The carp was described and named by Linnaeus in 1758. Its original home was in China, and from thence it was introduced into Europe, and from there to America.