The Tackle Box

SPORT FISHING
Sport fishing-catching fish for fun-began in ancient times. Man fished first for food, of course, then made a sport of it. Primitive man used a gorge, forerunner of to­day's fishhook. It consisted of a piece of bone, wood, or shell sharpened at both ends. A line was tied to its center and the gorge was hidden in a bait. When a fish swal~ lowed the morsel, the line was pulled tight, lodging the gorge crosswise in the fish's gullet.
Barbed hooks are mentioned in the Bible, and the Red H~ckle, an artificial fly first described by the Romans, is still used to this day. By 1496, when Dame Juliana Ber­ners, a Benedictine nun, published "The Treatyse of Fys~hynge wyth an Angle" in The Book of St. Albans, fishing had definitely become a sport.
Then came lzaak Walton, patron saint of modern ~shing, whose classic book, The Compleat Angler, first ap­oeared in 1653. A truly contemplative angler, lzaak Wal­on enjoyed a day by the stream as much as the catch is descriptions of the art of fishing are still inspiring.
Approximately 25 million fishing licenses are sold an­nually in the United States, and an estimated 15 million additional anglers fish where licenses are not required, as in most salt-water fishing areas. Every year anglers
ake some 500 million pounds of fish from fresh waters and about 600 million pounds from salt. Billions of dollars are spent on this most popular participation sport. In the United States, there are some 100,000 lakes and more than a million miles of streams and rivers for the fresh­water fisherman and more than 90,000 miles of coastline on which the salt-water fisherman can try his luck. Most important is the immeasurable pleasure enjoyed by each of these millions of fishermen.
Fishes are a varied group of some 40,000 species, most of which have skeletons of bone. The few hundred species of sharks, rays, and lampreys have skeletons of cartilage. Most bony fishes are covered with overlapping scales over which there is a thin skin that secretes a coating of slime. This aids the fish in slipping through the water and protects it from parasites. A fish's age can be determined by counting the rings on its scales. The typical fish has two sets of paired fins (pectoral and pelvic) and three un­paired fins (dorsal, anal, and caudal). It swims mainly by wagging its body from side to side and uses its fins for steering. A fish breqthes by alternately opening its mouth to let in waler, then shutting its mouth and forcing the water back over its gills and out the gill openings. As the water passes over the gill filaments, dissolved oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide.

A fish's shape is a clue to where it lives, how it feeds and the sort of fight it puts up when hooked. Fish of the open sea generally have a spindle-shaped body. They depend on speed to escape enemies and to catch food. They fight hard. Many kinds leap from the water as they try to get rid of the hook. Marlins, tunas
and mackerels are among these fast, streamlined fish.
At the opposite extreme are flat or chunky bottom-dwellers. Usually slow swimmers, they do not jump when hooked, but may pull hard as they bore deeper into the water. Some will saw the line in two on pilings or rocks.
Many fish that live in quiet waters between the surface and the bottom have a compressed body-flattened from side to side. Members of the sunfish family in fresh water or pompanos, among others, in salt water are of this type.
Many fishes are protected from enemies by sharp spines or spiny fins, some of which are poisonous. A puffer can inflate its body until it is too large for a predator to swallow. Groupers and flounders are among the fish that can change their color or pattern so that they blend with their surroundings.

SENSES Fish detect danger and find their food by their senses of sight, hearing, smell and taste. Generally, fish with a well-developed sense of sight are predators; they eat smaller fish or other live, active animals. Their sense of smell is not so well developed as it is in bottom feed­ers, many of which are scavengers.
SIGHT A fish's eyes are at the sides of its headj hence it can see behind as well as in front. Experiments have demonstrated that many fish can detect even slight variations in form and that they can see colors ranging over the spectrum from red to violet. Fresh-water baSSI for example, often show strong preference for lures that are red or yellow. A fish can focus on near objects and can detect even slight move­ments in distant objects. Distance vision is limited by the short range light travels in water. Fish that live at moderate depths or those that feed in dim evening or morning light may have large eyes. Fish that find their food mainly by its odor, as do catfish and eels, have small eyes. Fish that feed mainly by sight readily take artificial luresight rays bend in passing from wafer to air; hence fish's exact location varies with observer's viewing angle. A fish looks from the water through a circular window, which varies in size with the clarity of the water and the fish's depth.

HEARING Vibrations travel more rapidly and also greater distances in water than in air. Lures that gurgle, pop, or rattle attract a fish's attention; they can be "heardll without being seen and are effective at night or in murky water where silent lures pass unnoticed. Fish do not hear fishermen talking because these sound waves are in the air, but banging on a boat sets up vibrations in the water that may frighten fish away. A fish picks up vibrations through the ear bones in its skull; it has no ex· ternal ear openings. Its lateral line, with pores opening to the outside, detects low-frequency vibrationst such as footsteps on the bank, and changes in pres· sure or current direction.

SMELL AND TASTE are closely related, but smell is effec· tive at a distance, while an ob, ject must be contacted to be tasted. A fish's nostrils are blind sacs lined with a tissue that ii sensitive to odors. At spawning time, salmon find their way from the sea to their parental stream by the odor of its water. They can be guided to a new spawn· ing area by an odor path of the old stream. Odors given off by alarmed or injured minnows at· tract predators. Thus, a bass may seek a wounded (hooked) min· now used for bait. Taste orgons on the whiskers or borbels' help cotfish, drums, and others find food. Notural baits, especially those with a strong odor (p. 58), work best for these fish.

Any fish that is fun to catch on hook and line qualifies as a sport fish. Opinions vary about which fish are the most game, however. A 14­inch Smallmouth Bass, a prize catch to a Midwest fisherman, might be scorned by a 'Florida fisherman ac­customed to battling Tarpon or a California fisherman who catches Albacore. Most fishermen agree that salt-water fish show more speed, strength, and stamina than do fresh­water fish.
Gameness varies, too, with habi­tat and climate. Largemouth Bass caught in cool northern lakes often fight harder than Largemouths of the same size from warm southern lakes. Walleyes taken from rivers battle much harder than do Wall­eyes from lakes. But extra size may make up for the difference, as Largemouth Bass grow larger in the South and Walleyes living in lakes grow larger than those in streams.
The gameness a fish shows de­pends also on the kind of tackle used. A quarter-pound Bluegill hauled in on a 20-pound test line puts up no fight at all, while the same fish caught on a limber fly rod and fine leader is a real battler.

Most fish, in fact, fight gamely when caught on light enough tackle. Light tackle puts more zest in a salt-water fish's fight, too, and really large-size battlers can be bested with light tackle if it is used properly. The fighting chance light tackle gives the fish makes fishing more fun.
Fish normally swim about as fast as a man walks. But when hooked, some fish literally burn the line from a reel. Marlin and sailfish may reach speeds of 60 miles an hour in short bursts. Tarpon can rip off line at 30 miles an hour, and even small game fish, including fresh-water trout and bass, have been clocked at 20 miles an hour. The harder and faster a fish fights the more exciting it is to catch, as any veteran fisher­man will testify.
The principal sport fish of fresh and salt waters in North America are described and illustrated on the following pages. Included with the sport fish are some of the common rough and pest species that provide sport or fun simply because they are caught so abundantly. The common names used are those recommended by the Outdoor Writers Association of America; the scientific names are those adopted by the American Fisheries Society

TARPON range over the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and in the Atlantic north to Virginia and as far south as Brazil. in­shore fish, they often ascend riv­ers to fresh water. They are per­manent residents in the Florida Keys and 10,000 Islands. In U.S. waters they are most abundant in spring and summer, migrating northward in spring.
BONEFISH are found on the flats bordering warm seas the world over. In the continental U.S. they rarely occur north of Biscayne Bay on the Atlantic or the 10,000 Islands on the Gulf_ They are plentiful the year round in the Florida Keys and the Ba­hamas. Most active on the rising tide, they feed night and day_
LADYFISH are found in the in­shore waters of tropical seas the world over. They are plentiful in the Gulf of Mexico and range northward in summer to the Car­olinas in the Atlantic. Ladyfish are active all year in southern Florida, feeding day and night. They are caught around inlets and over deep flats.
AMERICAN SHAD enter rivers on the Atlantic from New England to North Florida. Hick­ory Shad do not occur abundant­ly south of the Carolinas. Both are caught in fresh water during spring spawning runs.
Trolling, drifting, and still fish­ing are best methods for big Tarpon. Smaller fish are taken by spinning, bait casting, or fly fishing. Nocturnal feeders, they are caught most readily at night. Favored natural baits are live crabs, pinfish, pigfish, and mul­let. Cut mullet or bonito are also good, as are jigSt plugs, spoons, and flies.
Baiting an area with conch chum, then still fishing is classic fishing method. More popular is stalk­ing the fish by poling or wading across flats. Best natural baits are shrimp, hermit crabs, and conch. Effective lures are pork chunks, bucktail jigs, and flies. Spinning gear is best; fly tackle is more sporting.
Casting small bucktails with spin­ning tackle is the best way to catch Ladyfish. Best natural bait is live shrimp, but they also take cut mullet and live minnows. Streamer flies, small surface plugs, and spoons are good at times. Whatever the lure, it should be fished behind a heavy nylon or light wire leader.
Most popular angling method is casting small spoons or brightly colored weighted flies with spin­ning tackle. Trolling is also prac­ticed in slow rivers of the South. Shad are rarely taken on nat­ural baits.
ATLANTIC MACKEREL roam the open waters of the Atlantic north of Cape Hatteras. Schools appear off Hatteras in March, migrating northward to New England by late May, and there they venture into inside waters. Elsewhere, they stay offshore.
KING MACKEREL winter in the Caribbean and along the Florida Keys. In spring, migra­tions carry them into the north­ern Gulf and as far north as North Carolina. Usually found a mile or more offshore.
SPANISH MACKEREL range through inshore and offshore waters of the Gulf and the At­lantic south of Virginia capes. in summer they range northward; resident in southern Florida.
CERO MACKEREL are rarely found in the U.S. north of the Florida Keys. Common in the Bahamas. They like coral reefs.
PACIFIC MACKEREL occur along the Pacific Coast from Washington south to Mexico. Most abundant off beaches south of Santa Barbara to Ensenada.
SIERRA MACKEREL range from Peru to Baja California. Rarely seen north of Ensenada.
WAHOO are nowhere abun­dant, but are found in the Gulf Stream and over coral reefs south of Hatteras. Greatest n um­bers occur in West Indies.
Trolling with feathers, spoons, or diamond jigs is the standard angling method. After a school is located by trolling, mackerel may be caught by casting with fly or spinning tackle. Natural baits are rarely used, but fish will hit trolled strip baits.
Trolling with spoons or large feathers is the most popular fish­ing method. Chumming with pieces of mullet is practiced in the western Gulf. Many are taken on trolled baits of ballyhoo or mullet when fishing for sailfish.
Trolling with small spoons or white bucktail and nylon jigs is the most popular method. Cast­ing the same lures with spinning tackle also good. Minnows and shrimp are best natural baits.
Ceros are best caught by trolling small bucktails or spoons around the outer reefs. Deep retrieves with bucktails are favored.
Usually caught from piers or small boats on strip baits, live sardines, or anchovies. They readily strike trolled spoons, squids, and small bucktail jigs.
Trolled strip baits, jigs, and spoons are e,ffective. Good live baits are anchov.iesr sardines.
Deep trolling over coral ledges is best method. Wire line is often used with large feathers or spoons. Best bait is whole Span­ish Mackerel trolled deep.
BONITOS range from Long Island to Florida in the Atlantic and in the Gulf. In the Pacific they are found south of Pt. Con­ception. Usually stay offshore; most plentiful in summer.
BLUEFIN TUNA are found from Bahamas to Nova Scotia. in the Pacific they occur south of PI. Conception offshore. Atlantic school tuna (10-100 Ibs.) stay offshore, but giants (over 100 Ibs.) work inshore in north.
BLACKFIN TUNA range south of Cape Hatteras to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Blue­water fish, they roam open seas and edge of Gulf Stream. Sum­mer fishing is best in U.S. waters.
YELLOWFIN TUNA roam the Atlantic south of Hatteras and the Pacific south of Santa Bar­bara. They are most plentiful in spring and summer in blue water well offshore.
SKIPJACK TUNA or "Oceanic Bonito" occur south of New Jer­sey in Atlantic and south to Pt. Conception in Pacific. Prefer blue water, summer weather.
LITTLE TUNA range from New Jersey south in the open sea and edge of the Gulf Stream. Some­times come close to inlets and beaches. Summer and fall best.
ALBACORE are found in the Pacific north to Alaska, often in the deep blue water near shoal green. Most common in summer.
Many Bonitos are caught by anglers trolling for Bluefish or for school tuna (10-100 Ibs.). Strike strip baits, buckt<;lils, spoons, and metal jigs. In Pa­cific, live sardines are favored.
School tuna are taken trolling with spoons, jigs, and plastic squids and fish. In Pacific, live sardines and anchovies are used. Giant tuna are chummed with herring and baited with mullet or mockerel.
Trolling with strip baits, buck­tails, or spoons is best method. Large specimens often hit sail­fish baits off Florida. Sometimes co ug ht from com pact schools by casting jigs or squids.
Usually caught more by accident than design, these fish often strike trolled mullet or bollyhoo baits intended for sailfish or marlin. In Pacific waters, they pick up Bluefin Tuna baits.
Fast trolling with feathers, metal jigs, or spoons is most consistent method. Strip baits are fair for trolling. Live sardines are the favorite bait in the Pacific.
Very fast trolling with strip baits, metal squids, or bucktail and feather jigs is best method. Casting the same lures works well when school is located.
Caught from live-bait boats off California on anchovies and sar­dines. Trolling with feathers or metal jigs also good.
SAILFISHES occur in the warm­er waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific. The Atlantic Sailfish ranges south of Hatteras, stay­ing neor the Gulf Stream, and into the Gulf of Mexico. -The Pa­cific Soilfish, also a blue-water fish, is found throughout the tropical Pacific north to Baja California. Both are active the year round.
MARLINS roam the warm seas of the world. They are highly regarded game fish. The Blue Marlin occurs far out in the Gulf Stream from Cuba to Hat­teras and also in the West In­dies and Bahamas. Marlin fishing is best in spring and summer in U.S-. and Bahamas waters. Striped Marlin range from the middle California coast south to Chile in deep, blue water. Active all year from Mexico south, they are found in California waters from spring until fall. White Marlin range from Montauk south to the West Indies. Most abundant late winter to summer in Florida and Bahamas; reach Long Island in late summer.
SWORDFISH are virtually world-wide in distribution, rang­ing south from Santa Cruz to the tropics and in the Atlantic from Nova Scotia to the Tropic of Capricorn. Best spots are the for offshore waters out of Mon­tauk and Block Island; San Pedro to Avalon; and off Peru and Chile. Swordfish are highly prized and nowhere common.
Best method is trolling baits of mullet, ballyhoo, mackerel, or sardines, with line clipped to an outrigger. Sailfish strikes the skipping bait with his bill and jerks the line from the outrigger. As the line goes slack, the bait sinks as if stunned. Sailfish then picks up bait and runs with it. Slow trolling with live fish for bait is also good.
Trolling is by for the best method for marlins. Outriggers are used to keep the baits on the surface and to allow a drop­back when a fish strikes. For Blue Marlin the tackle is heavy and the baits large-Bonefish, Spanish Mackerel, or Dolphin up to 5 or 6 pounds. For Striped Marlin the favored baits are mackerel, mullet, and flyingfish. These fish will also hit very large feather jigs and strip baits. White Marlin are caught on baits intended for sailfish. They also take trolled mackerel, eels, and squids. Plastic squid and small fish imitations make good lures, os do large feathers and nylon jigs.
Usual technique is to find the fish basking near the surface, then to troll baits of squid or mackerel in fish/s line of vision. It is best to stop the boat and allow the bait to sink slowly in front of the fish. This brings many strikes. Tackle must be heavy, but drag on reel set light, as Swordfish have tender mouths despite power and stamina.
AMBERJACKS range from Hat­teras south to Brazil along the edge of the Gulf Stream, over offshore wrecks and, around heavy coral reefs. Present all year in Florida and Bahamas. Migrate nortbward in summer.
CREVALLE JACKS range from North Carolina to the Carib­bean. They are found the year round from Florida south; sum­mer elsewhere. Enter bays and rivers; even fresh wafer in Fla.
HORSE·EYE JACKS are com­mon in West Indies and Ba­hamas, also Fla. Rang.e inshore and over offshore reefs.
BLUE RUNNERS occur over same range as Crevalle but more in outside waters. Inlets good.
BAR JACKS range through the same waters as Yellow Jacks, often in the same schools.
YELLOW JACKS are common from the Caribbean north to Florida Keys and Bahamas. They are found all year over reefs.
GREEN JACKS range from Baja California to Peru. Most abundant off Central America.
PACIFIC YELLOWTAILS
range from Pt. Conception south to Guadalupe. Most plentiful off Boja California and in Gulf of California. Waters around is~ lands with rocky shores, also kelp beds. All year Baja Calif., north in spring and summer.
Best method is slow drifting with live baits of grunts, croakers, or other small fish. Chum of fish chunks will excite fish to strike. Spoons and bucktails are' good artificials. Hooked fish may be kept overboard as lure.
Caught mostly by casting or trolling bucktail jigs, spoons, plugs, or f1ies. All natural baits are good, with live shrimp best. Crevalle Jacks are usually taken while seeking other fish.
Small spoons, jigs, and flies best fished with light tackle. Use fast retrieve. Night fishing is the most prod uctive.
Best method is casting small bucktail jigs around buoys out­side inlets. Spoons also good.
Casting or trolling with small jigs, spoons, or strip baits are best methods. Use -fast retrieve.
Best caught trolling or casting with jigs, spoons, and squids. Live fishes, strip baits good.
Most popular method is chum­ming with live anchovies, butter· fish or sardines, using same chum and bait. Slow trolling with feathers and spoons is also effective. Deep jigging with large bucktoils or metal jigs can produce fine catches.
POMPANO occur along the At­lantic Seaboard from Virginia to Florida and in the Gulf of Mex­ico. A fish of the surf; inlets, and bays; also offshore oil rigs in Gulf. Resident in Gulf and Flor­ida, summer to the north.
PERMIT, or Giant Pompano, are found in limited numbers on the lower Gulf Coast of Florida, in the Florida Keys, and on east coast of Mexico. They like very deep passes, range over shallow flats also. Summer best.
AFRICAN POMPANO range through the Caribbean and West Indies north to Florida Keys and Bahamas. Found over bright sand bottom near outer reefs. Fishing best from late winter through summer.
LOOKDOWNS occur in tropi­cal Atlantic north to South Flor­ida, sometimes straying farther north in summer. Common in Keys around bridges, inshore reefs or wrecks, and also in creeks. All year, nighttime best.
BLUEFISH are world-wide in distribution. They roam the west­ern Atlantic from Maine to Bra­zil, including the Gulf of Mexico. Bluefish travel in schools, feed­ing well offshore, in the surf, around inlets, and into bays. Their migrations are erratic, but they prefer rather warm water. Found all year in Florida waters, roaming north to cooler waters from spring until fall.
Best method is surf fishing wi h baits of sand f1eas or clam. Also good is casting and iigging with small bucktails and other jigs. Chumming with crushed clam or crab will attract Pompano to area to be fished.
Fishing deep in passes with blue crabs is best method. Permit can also be stalked on flats like Bonefish, using spinning tackle and bucktail lures. Pink iigs es­pecially good. Crobs or live shrimp good baits for flats.
Trolling over reefs with strip baits, spoons, or metal jigs is best method. Troll fast up to 10 mph. Casting with either spin­ning or bait-casting gear and using spoons or bucktails is also a productive technique.
Caught by drifting live shrimp with tide; spinning and fly fish­ing are also good. Small streamer f1ies and bucktail jigs fished around bridge shadows at night catch many fish. Use very light tackle.
Many methods are suitable for bluefishing. Offshore, trolling with metal squids or feathers is preferred. Near inlets and in bays, the fish are ottracted by chumming with ground-up men­haden, then fished for by cast­ing jigs or squids. I n the surf they are caught by squidding (using artificial baits) or by fish­ing with cut mullet or menhaden. Will hit all lures, most baits.
BLACK GROUPERS range north to offshore South Carolina in summer but are resident in Florida waters and in the Gulf. They prefer coral reefs or other rocky bottom well offshore. Only the small fish venture close in­shore. I n Gulf best.
GAG GROUPERS occur north into Florida and Bahamas waters and the Gulf of Mexico. They are found on coral reefs, but unlike Black Groupers, they also enter inshore and inside wafers. Very common in summer on grass flats on Gulf Coast. YELLOWFIN GROUPERS are found in the Florida Keys, in the Bahamas, and on rocky bottom offshore in the Gulf. Small speci­mens move inshore in Keys around coral patches. Adult fish stay on rugged offshore reefs. Active all year.
RED GROUPERS. the most abundant groupers in U,S'I range from the banks off North Carolina southward and into the Gulf of Mexico, where numer­ous. Found mostly on offshore banks but also come to inshore passes. Fishing good all year. NASSAU GROUPERS are more numerous in the Bahamas than in U.S. waters, but they are fairly common in the Florida Keys. They occur south to the West Indies. They rarely ven­ture far from coral reefs. Nas­sau Groupers ore active all year.
Deep trolling with feathers tipped with strip bait is be method. Drifting over rocks with baits of cut mullet, spiny lobster tail, or small live fish is also good. Do not use light tackle, for Black Grouper must be "horsed" from rocks.
Spinning or bait casting with bucktails, spoons, or plugs are best methods. As Gags feed in comparatively shallow water, ar­tificial lures can be used. Drift­ing over grass flats with live minnows or shrimp also good. Slow trolling best offshore.
Most Yellowfin Groupers are caught more or less by accident when fishing for other species. They strike bucktails, plugs, and spoons. Best baitS" are cut mul­let, spiny lobster tail, and live shrimp. Bottom fishing on outer reefs best method.
Still fishing and slow trolling with live fish or shrimp or with cut mullet are best methods. Feather and bucktail jigs are best lures. They should be jigged deep. Red Groupers up to 3 or 4 pounds pursue lures actively; larger fish do not.
Drifting over outer reefs with baits of live fish, cut mullet, or lobster tail fished near bottom is best method. Small specimens often strike bucktails and feath­ers intended for Yellowtail Snap­pers or other fish. Do not re­trieve fast; fish slow to strike.
SPOTTED JEWFISH are found inshore or offshore on reefs from the east coast of Florida to the Gulf Coast and Mexico. They often move into inside wafers and passes. Active all year.
BLACK JEWFISH are bottom fish of deep waters from the Carolinas to Gulf. Most plentiful spring and summer, offshore.
SEA BASS are found in Atlantic from Cape Cod to Florida. A closely related species occurs in Gulf. Sea Bass are numerous off­shore on hard bottom in depths to 100 feet. Small specimens en­ter inside waters of Atlantic and Gulf. Fishing best in summer.
GIANT SEA BASS occur in the Pacific from middle California south to Mexico. Most abundant south of San Diego. They prefer deep channels and kelp beds, often close to shore. All year.
KELP BASS are found in the Pacific as far north as San Fron­cisca. Most abundant south of Pt. Conception. Sand Bass range north to Monterey. Both species are found in kelp beds all year. Summer fishing best.
STRIPED BASS. or Rockfish, range in the Atlantic fram Maine to Florida, and in the Pacific from Coos Bay, Oregon to Mon­terey, California. A few fish live in rivers emptying into the north­ern Gulf. Stripers roam the surf, bays, and rivers. Spring and fall best, day or night.
Still fishing with baits of live jacks or other fish is best method. Slack tide best time to fish. Tackle must be heavy to haul these powerful fish from their rocky underwater lairs.
Usually caught on cut bait from drift boats bottom fishing on deep offshore reefs. Heavy tackle necessary.
Bottom fishing from party boats accounts for most of the Sea Bass landed. Baits are usually clam or squid, but nearly any bait will do, as will any tackle, in­cluding hand lines. Deep jigging with bucktail jigs is good. Young fish in bays strike lures readily.
Best method is still fishing on bottom with baits of mullet, mackerel, or other fish, whole or cut. Tackle must be heavy, as for Spotted Jewfish. Use SO-pound test line, size 14/0 hook.
live-bait fishing with anchovies, queenflsh, or tommy croakers best method. Strip baits, shrimp, and squid also good. Artificials effective if they co n be used without hanging in kelp. Weed· less spoons, bucktail jigs best.
Squidding with large plugs, jigs, rigged eels, and squids is popu­lar when fish are in surf. Spin­ning with light tackle and lures good for river and bay fish. Fly fishing also good in bays. Troll­ing off beaches with plugs, feath­ers best for big fish. Squid, her­ring, crabs good natural baits.
SNAPPERS, a family of tropical and subtropical fish of over 250 species, range in size from a few ounces to over 100 pounds. Man­grove Snappers, the most impor­tant species to sport fishermen, live on coral reefs and in creeks and bays. Active all year, they range north to Florida and the Gulf. Schoolmaster Snappers are found in same range and loca­tions. Lane Snappers frequent grass flats and hard bottoms in same range. Muttonflsh oc­cur on reeis on both coasts of Florida. Yellowtails are abun­dant over reefs in Keys and Ba­hamas; Red Snappers in deep water (aver 100 ft.) in Gulf and Atlantic from N.C. south.
GRUNTS, related to snappers, are a family of mostly tropical panflsh. They feed day and night on bottom. The White Grunt oc­curs on Florida's lower east coast and in the Keys. Like most grunts it prefers hard bottom and is found both inshore and offshore The Margate Grunt occurs in the Bahamas and Florida Keys. The Bluestripe Grunt ranges north to mid-Florida along both coasts. The French Grunt, a very small species, strays up Florida's east coast in summer. The Black Mar. gate, largest of the grunts, is more abundant in Bahamas but also occurs in Keys. The Porkflsh is found on Gulf and Atlantic coasts of south Florida. Pigflsh occurs in Gulf and, in summer, north to Chesapeake Bay, where. it is known as Hagfish.
All of the snappers (except Red Snapper) can be caught by the same methods. Chumming with chapped or ground-up mullet, preferably mixed with sand, works well to attract these wary fish. When the fish are taking chum freely, use unweighted baits of the chum on monofila­ment line. Bottom fishing with a bait of cut mullet is good, espe­cially at night. Live shrimp are very effective in creeks and bays. Do not use either a float or a sinker_ Bucktail and feather jigs are the best artificials and should be fished deep and retrieved jerkily. Red Snappers are caught bottom fishing with cut fish bait, usually from party boats.
Bottom fishing with light tackle is the best method in fishing for grunts. The best bait is live shrimp, though clam and cut mul­let also work well. In the ideal rig, the line runs freely through an egg sinker, with a short mono­filament leader and size 1/0 hook at the end. This allows bit­ing fish to take out line without feeling the weight of the sinker. Use this rig in hard-bottomed swash channels, from bridges, and around coral heads. Tackle should be fresh-water style bait­costing or spinning gear. Most grunts will strike small artificial lures fished close to the bottom. Bluestripe Grunts, White Grunts, and Pigflsh will hit feather or bucktoil jigs and small metal squids. Fish the lures slowly, re­trieving with short jerks.
PORGIES of various species oc­cur in the Atlantic from Cape Cod south to the West Indies. Sheepshead range from Chesa­peake Bay to the Gulf Coast.
Jolthead Porgies occur fromsouthern Florida southward.
Northern Porgies are found from Cape Cod to Hatteras, mostly offshore on hard bottoms. South­ern Porgies, nearly identical in appearance to the northern spe­cies, range from Hatteras to the Gulf over hard bottom. Grass Porgies are found in the Gulf on grass bottom, as are Pinflsh, which occur in bays and lagoons from North Carolina to Texas.
BERMUDA CHUBS are plenti­ful all year in Bermuda, Florida Keys, and Bahamas ~aters. They hover over coral heads, feed in the surf, and sometimes follow ships to feed on wastes thrown overboard.
TRIPLETAILS are known from Chesapeake Bay to Texas, but are cammon only from South Carolina south. Hang around buoys and pilings near inlets and passes. On Gulf Coast, enter inside water. All year southern Fla., to north summer.
SNOOK are found in the in­shore waters of the Atlantic and Gulf from Florida to Central America; also in Gulf of Cali­fornia and Pacific Coast of Mex­ico. Ascend rivers to fresh water, where they spend long periods. Feed day and night all year, but spring and summer best. Use light bait-casting or spinning gear for all porgies. The light­biting Sheepsheod is best caught with the rig described for grunts (p. 2B), using fiddler crabs or sandbugs for bait. Hang bait near piling just off bottom or over shell bed. At first sign of a tug, lower rod gently as fish pulls, then strike hard. North­ern and Southern porgies are caught by bottom fishing with baits of crob, c1aml or shrimp. Jolthead Porgies are caught mostly by accident from party boats. Grass Porgies and Pinflsh take live or cut shrimp fished over grassy bottom. Chubs are best caught on small baits of shrimp, crab, or cut fish. Use small hook (size 2-4) and fish near bottom. Strike hard to set hook in tough mouth. Ber­muda Chubs strike flies and small jigs fished slowly.
Best method is spot casting to fish after sighting them at chan­nel markers. Use medium-weight bait castine or spinning tackle and bucktail or feather jigs. Live crabs and shrimp are best nat­ural baits. Pinflsh are also good. Fish hit best on strong tide.
Bait casting, spinning, and fly fishing are all excellent methods. Snook strike nearly all artificial lures, including surface and un­derwater plugs, spoons, jigs, flies, and spinners. Cast lures close to shorelines where fish lie. Pinflsh, mullet, and shrimp are good natural baits, used live.
WEAKFISH range from Cape Cod to northern Florida in in­shore waters. They a re most abundant from Long Island to Virginia. Feeding day and night, they roam the surf and into bays and rivers. Summer best.
SPOTTED WEAKFISH are common in the inshore waters of the Gulf and north in the Atlan­tic to Virginia, straying rarely to New Jersey in fall. Found in bays, inlets, and surf. Grass flats good. All year in South.
WHITE SEABASS, closely reo lated to Atlantic weakfishes, are found in the Pacific from Alaska to Baja California. Most abun· dant around kelp beds off south. ern California. Often enter in· side waters. All year.
ATLANTIC CROAKERS occur from Delaware Bay to Texas, with the center of abundance Chesa­peake Bay. Feed over shell or sand bottom in bays and lower reaches of rivers, and most ac~ tive in late spring and summer.
SPOTFIN CROAKERS are found in the Pacific from Pt. Con­ception to Pt. Banda. Feed in surf, bays, and sloughs and are active year round. Most abun­dant in late summer and fall.
YELLOWFIN CROAKERS range from Pt. Conception to Gulf of California along sandy beaches and up to a mile off­shore. Most abundant in Baja California. Late summer and fall.
Use fresh-water bait casting, fly or spinning gear for both nat­ural bait and artificial lure fish­ing. Good lures are bucktails, spoons, and streamers. Best baits are peeler crabs, squid, and shrimp. Night fishing best.
Spinning with small jigs and re­lated lures is best method. Boi casting and fly fishing are also productive. Plugs and streamer flies goad lures. Best natural baits are live shrimps and min­nows, fished under a float.
Best method is drifting over kelp beds and submerged banks with baits of live sardines or an­chovies. Slow trolling with strip baits, spoons, or jigs also effec~ tive. Fish deep in daytime, near surface at night.
Bottom fishing with baits of cut shrimp, clams, or peeler crabs is best method. It is preferable to drift s[owly rather than to an­chor. Bucktail and feather jigs will catch croakers when bumped slowly along bottom.
Surf fishing with baits of mussel, clams, sandworms, or crabs is most popular method. Bottom fishing in bays with same baits is also good. Use fresh-water style tackle for most sport.
Best method is surf fishing with baits of sea worms, clams, mus­sel, or crabs. Bottom fishing while slowlv drifting with same baits is effective offshore. For most fun use very lig ht tackle.
CHANNEL BASS range along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Delaware to Texas. They are surf and inlet dwellers in the north­ern part of their range (spring to fall) but prefer flats and shorelines in ins"ide waters in Fla. and along Gulf all year. BLACK DRUM are found in he inshore waters of the A Ian ic from Delaware Bay to Florida, and over the Gulf Coast a Texas. Their favorite haunts are oyster bottoms in boys and lagoons. Spring and fall are best.
SILVER PERCH are common from New Jersey to Texas in bays and lower reaches of riv­ers. All year in F[orida.
SPOTS occur in bays and rivers from New Jersey to Texas. Espe­cially abundant in Chesapeake Bay. Most active in summer.
CORBINAS, closely related to Atlantic whitings, are found in­shore in the Pacific from Pt. Con­ception south to Gulf of Cali­fornia. Sandy surf is best. Also bays on sand bottom in water 2 to 20 feet deep. All year.
WHITINGS are represented by three species. Northern Whitings range from Cape Cod to the Virginia Capes. Southern Whit­ings are found from Maryland to Florida's east coast. Silver Whitings are common only on the Gulf Coast. Fish of the surf and most active in summer.
Best method is bottom fishing with small baits or cut shrimp, crab, or mullet. Small jigs and squids are good fished deep.
Still fishing on bottom with small baits of shrimp, clam, or sea worms is best method. Use very light tackle; size 6 hooks.
Best method is surf fishing with baits of sea wormsi crabs, clam, or shrimp. Bottom fishing in bays around old piers also good. Cor­binas will strike small jigs and squids fished slowly along bot­tom. Use light tackle
TAUTOGS range from Maine to South Carolina on rocky shores and around jetties, wrecks, and old pilings. Most plentiful from Cape Cod to Cape May, they bite best in spring and fall.
CUNNERS are found from Lab· rador to New Jersey inshore around docks, pilings, and jet­ties. Also offshore to depths of 200 feet. Often found with Tau­togs. Spring to fall.
CALIFORNIA SHEEPHEAD. often called Sheepshead, occur from Monterey Bay to Gulf of California the year round. Fish around kelp beds, mussel beds, and rocky shores. Enter very shal· low water on high tides.

ROCKFISHES, or Scorpion. fishes, are an important family, with some 56 species on the Po· cific Coast. The Bocaccio ranges from British Columbia to San Diego in water depths of 300 feet and over. The Olive Rock· fish ranges from San Francisco to San Quentin Bay in shallow water, around kelp beds.
SEAPERCHES and SURF· PERCHES are important fish on the Pacific Coast. Sea perches generally occur in comparatively deep water or along rocky shores; surfperches are found off sandy beaches. Barred Surfperch roam California's_ sandy surfs south to San Diego all year. White Sea perch range from Van­couver to San Diego in bays and inlets the year round.
Still fishing on bottom with baits of green crab, fiddler crab, sea worms, grass shrimp, or clam is best method. Use medium-weight tackle, as these fish dive into rocks like groupers.
Bottom fishing wi h small baits of cut seaworrns, clam, or lobster is best method. Use small hook (size 4 maximum) ond fresh-woter tackle to overcome heir boi­stealing skill.
Best method is still fishing or slow drifting with baits of m s· sel, clam, shrimp, or crab. Ready biters. California Sheephead sometimes take live fishes or trolled strip baits or jigs. Deep fishing usually best.
Best method is still fishing with baits of live or dead fish, or mus­sel, clam, shrimp, or strip baits. Larger, deep-water species, like Bocaccio, prefer baits of small mackerel, herring, or other small fish. Rockfishes of shallow waters prefer mollusks or crustaceans, but will hit spoons and jigs slow. Iy trolled.
Barred Surfperch and other surf· perches are cauqht best by surf casting with baits of clam, mus­sel, rockworms, or sand crabs on small hooks. Fresh-water tackle is adeq uate, but heavier gear must be used sometimes to make long casts to reach fish. White Sea perch and other sea­perches are caught by still fish­ing with small baits of sand­worms, shrimp, musset or clam.
WEAKFISH range from Cape Cod to northern Florida in in­shore waters. They a re most abundant from Long Island to Virginia. Feeding day and night, they roam the surf and into bays and rivers. Summer best.
SPOTTED WEAKFISH are common in the inshore waters of the Gulf and north in the Atlan­tic to Virginia, straying rarely to New Jersey in fall. Found in bays, inlets, and surf. Grass flats good. All year in South.
WHITE SEABASS, closely reo lated to Atlantic weakfishes, are found in the Pacific from Alaska to Baja California. Most abun· dant around kelp beds off south. ern California. Often enter in· side waters. All year.
ATLANTIC CROAKERS occur from Delaware Bay to Texas, with the center of abundance Chesa­peake Bay. Feed over shell or sand bottom in bays and lower reaches of rivers, and most ac~ tive in late spring and summer.
SPOTFIN CROAKERS are found in the Pacific from Pt. Con­ception to Pt. Banda. Feed in surf, bays, and sloughs and are active year round. Most abun­dant in late summer and fall.
YELLOWFIN CROAKERS range from Pt. Conception to Gulf of California along sandy beaches and up to a mile off­shore. Most abundant in Baja California. Late summer and fall.
Use fresh-water bait casting, fly or spinning gear for both nat­ural bait and artificial lure fish­ing. Good lures are bucktails, spoons, and streamers. Best baits are peeler crabs, squid, and shrimp. Night fishing best.
Spinning with small jigs and re­lated lures is best method. Boi casting and fly fishing are also productive. Plugs and streamer flies goad lures. Best natural baits are live shrimps and min­nows, fished under a float.
Best method is drifting over kelp beds and submerged banks with baits of live sardines or an­chovies. Slow trolling with strip baits, spoons, or jigs also effec~ tive. Fish deep in daytime, near surface at night.
Bottom fishing with baits of cut shrimp, clams, or peeler crabs is best method. It is preferable to drift s[owly rather than to an­chor. Bucktail and feather jigs will catch croakers when bumped slowly along bottom.
Surf fishing with baits of mussel, clams, sandworms, or crabs is most popular method. Bottom fishing in bays with same baits is also good. Use fresh-water style tackle for most sport.
Best method is surf fishing with baits of sea worms, clams, mus­sel, or crabs. Bottom fishing while slowlv drifting with same baits is effective offshore. For most fun use very lig ht tackle.
POLLACK range from Nova Scotia to Lang Island in open bays and offshore to depths of over 100 feet. Spring and fall best, but north of Cape Cod, Pollack are active all summer.
COD occur in the North Atlantic south to Maryland. All year north of Cope Cod; winter south. Tom­cods, smaller, enter bays from Nova Scotia to Va., fall to spring.
HADDOCK range from Nova Scotia to New Jersey in deep water (over 100 feet) offshore. Found all year on hard bottom.
SILVER HAKES range from Nova Scotia to New Jersey, com­ing inshore in fall and early winter. Active all summer in cold waters north of Cape Cod.
FLATFISHES are important on both U.S. coasts. Summer Floun­ders occur from Cape Cod to Hatteras, inshore in summer. A southern form is found from Virginia to Texas. Winter Floun­ders, from Nova Scotia to Hat­teras over mud flats in bays. Spring best. Starry Flounders occur all year from Alaska to Pt. Conception in inside waters. Calif. Halibut, from Pt. Concep­tion to Mexico. Summer best.
WINTER FLOUNDER Pseudopleuroneetes american us Av., Y2-1 Y2 Ibs.
Common, 2-3 Ibs.
Reaches, 5 Ibs.
I n offshore waters bottom fIsh­ing with baits of clam, squid, Or herring is best method. Inshore, use spinning, bait casting, or fly fishing with bucktails, plugs, or streamer flies.
Best method for Cod is bottom fishing offshore with baits of clam, squid, or herring. For Tom­cod, still fishing with small baits of clam; seaworms best.
Most practical method is hand­lining with heavy sinkers and baits of clam or squid. More a commercial than a sport fish.
Best met:~od is bottom fishing with baits of silverside minnows or sand launces. Strip baits, bucktails, and metal squids are effective if fished very deep.
Best method for Summer Floun­ders is drifting while dragging baits of live killifish along bot­tom. Deep-fished bucktails are good lures. Winter Flounders caught best by still fishing with seaworms, clams, or mussels. Chum of crushed mussels attracts fish. Starry Flounders taken by drifting bottom with strip baits or live minnows. California Hali­but usually caught drifting with live fish or strip baits.
SPADEFISH range from Chesa­peake Bay to Texas, south through the Caribbean. Primar­ily coral reef fish, but also like oyster bottoms, pilings, and wrecks. Abundant near oil rigs in Gulf. All year from Fla. south.
TRIGGERFISH occur in Florida and on Gulf Coast, straying north to Hatteras in summer. On coral reefs and around wrecks and pilings. All year in Florida and" southern Gulf.
PORCUPINE FISH are found from Florida and Bahamas south to West Indies over coral reefs and hard bottom. All year.
PUFFERS range from Cape Cod to Texas, the northern form be­ing found south to Florida, where southern form takes over. Grassy bays, shell bottoms.
TOADFISH are found in bays and rivers from New Jersey to the Gulf and south to Carib­bean. Summer north of Florida.
SOUTHERN SEA ROBINS oc­cur over Gulf Coast and north in Atlantic to Hatteras. Carolina Sea Robins range north to N.J.
HOUNDFISH range through the Caribbean and north to Ba­hamas and southern Fla. All year over shallow offshore banks.
NEEDLEFISH are common in Florida and the Gulf Coast, straying north to New Jersey in summer. Near surface, inshore.
Best method is still fishing with small baits of clam, shrimp, or crab. Use rig and technique that have been described for grunts (page 28). Spadeflsh fight hard, but fresh-water tackle is found to be adeq uate.
Still fishing or drifting with baits of fiddler crab, shrimp, or cut fish is best method. Fish are usuolly but not always near bot­tom. Small bucktails are effec­tive ortificials.
Still fishing or slow drifting with deep-fished baits of shrimp, spiny lobster pieces, or cut fish is best method.
Best method is still fishing or slow drifting with small hooks and baits of cut shrimp or crab. Voracious though small-mouthed, Puffers strike bucktails readily.
Bottom fishing with any natural bait is effective in catching this nuisance fish. Jigs are foirly good- artificials.
Best method is bottom fishing with baits of crab or shrimp. Bottom-bumped bucktoils and feathers are good artiflcials.
Casting with strip baits or small bucktails is best method. Use spinning tackle, small hooks, and light, braided wire leaders.
Fly fishing with small streamers is best method. Fish also hit small spinning buckta;ls, pork rinds, and strip baits.
MAKO SHARKS range over warm, deep waters of both Atlantic and Pacific but are no­where abundant. Most common around New Zealand. Frequent­ly seen in Gulf Stream, sometimes near schools of King Mackerel, on which they prey.
HAMMERHEAD SHARKS (five species) are found in the Atlantic and the Pacific. Very common in large passes along Gulf Coast. Often attack hooked Tarpon. All year in South.
TIGER SHARKS. always very dangerous, range inshore and offshore in all warm seas. Very common off Florida and Gulf Coast, especially in the Gulf Stream. Active all year.
SAND SHARKS are found on the Atlantic seaboard from New Jersey and south to Brazil. All year in South.
DOGFISH are common in the Atlantic. Spiny Dogfish occur in­shore ham Nova Scotia to North Carolina. Smooth Dogfish range south to Florida.
STING RAYS are common over the entire Atlantic seaboard south of Cape Cod. The southern form ranges north to Hatteras; the northern form to Cape Cod.
SKATES of various species are found in the Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Florida, but most occur only north of Hatteras. Inshore in surf and bays.
Best method is trolling baits of whole rigged fish such as mack­erel or mullet with fairly heavy tackle (80- to 130-pound test line). Usually caught by accident when trolling for tuna, marlin, or swordfish. Basking Makos oc­casionally take baits.
8est method is still fishing on bottom with large baits of cut fish and heavy tackle. Bloody or oily fish like bonito or tuna make best baits. Night fishing most productive.
Best method is drifting in or near Gulf Stream with large, unweighted cut baits of bonito, tuna, or other bloody fish. Use 130-pound test line, chain leader, 16/0 hook, 1210 reel.
Still fishing at night on fairly shallow flats with baits of cut fish is best method. Tackle may be reJatively light.
Bottom fishing in summer with baits of crab, shrimp, or squid is a sure way to hook these nui­sances. They are major pests on the middle Atlantic seaboard.
Pests rather than gamefish, Sting Rays may be caught at any time when bottom fishing. Best baits are clom, crab, or shrimp, but cut fish will also catch them.
Very easily caught by bottom fishing with almost any bait. Skates are considered pests rather than gamefish. Surf fish­ing is probably "best" method.
KING SALMON are found in bays and rivers of Pacific Coast from Monterey to Alaska. Spawning runs into fresh water occur in summer and early fall.
CHUM SALMON range along the Pacific Coast from northern California to Alaska, ascending rivers short distances to spawn. Summer and early fall best.
SOCKEYE SALMON occur on the Pacific Coast from northern California to Aleutian Islands. Common about islands and in swift tideways. Enters fresh water to spawn in summer.
COHO SALMON range from northern California to Alaska in bays and river mouths. like other salmons, enter fresh water to spawn. Runs occur in late summer prior to fall spawning.
HUMPBACK SALMON are found on the Pacific Coast from northern California to north­western Alaska. Spawning runs in September and October.
ATLANTIC SALMON ascend the cold, pure rivers on Atlantic Coast from Maine north through the Maritime Provinces. Also in northwestern Europe. Spring to early fall best.
LANDLOCKED SALMON. a form of Atlantic Salmon, are found in calC! lakes and streams from New York to Canada and Labrador. Spring and fall best.
Best method in salt-water bays is deep trolling with spoons or spinners. Driftinq with live baits also effective. Sometimes taken on small spinners in fresh water.
Trolling with spoons or spinners accounts for a few Chum Salm­on, but these fish are not easily caught. Still fishing in bays with baits of crabmeat best.
Slow, deep trolling ll1 tideways with spoons, jigs, or strip baits is good method. Best is "mooch­ing," a technique of trolling a strip bait upward from bottom at about 450 angle
Best technique is casting a weighted strip bait, allowing to sink, then retrieving upward at an angle. Slow trolling with spoons fair. Fly fishing effective in fresh water.
Best method is slow trolling with strip baits, crawfish toils, or brightly colored jigs. Small flashy spinning lures are effec­tive just before spawning runs.
Only method is highly special­ized fly fishing. Since fish do not feed on spawning runs, flies are designed to appeal to their curi­osity or arouse their anger. Elaborate fly patterns are used.
Best method is trolling with streamer flies, spoons, or spin­ners. In midsummer, deep troll­ing is necessary to reach fish. Fly casting effective in spring.
BROOK TROUT, originally no­tive to northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada, have been in­troduced into streams and ponds over northern half of country. Most active spring and fall.
BROWN TROUT. introduced to North America from Europe, occur in cool lakes and streams coast to coast but can tolerate warmer water than Brook Trout.
GOLDEN TROUT are found in the High Sierras at altitudes of 10,000 feet and over. Once na­tive to California, they like cold, deep lakes. Summer best.
CUTTHROAT TROUT range from the Rocky Mountains west to the Pacific from Alaska to California. Found in lakes and streams, often enter salt water.
DOLLY VARDEN TROUT are found in coastal streams from northern California to north­western Alaska. Migrate sea­ward in spring, inland in fall.
RAINBOW TROUT, native to western North America, have been introduced into cold lakes and streams over much of U.S. Enter salt water on Pacific Coast. Spring and summer.
LAKE TROUT are found in cold, deep lakes of northern U.S. and Canada. In summer they go deep (often to 100 ft. or more) to cold water (45°F.). Feed in shallows spring and fall.
Fly casting with wet flies, dry flies, or streamers is most popular method. Best in early spring is bait fishing with worms or smoll minnows. large Brook Trout strike spoons, small plugs.
Best method is dry-fly fishing, for these trout are active surface feeders. Wet flies, streamers also good. Worms and minnows best baits in early spring.
Best method is fly casti ng with wet flies, streamers, and small spinners. Dry flies are good in late summer. Best natural baits are small minnows.
I n streams, wet- or dry-fly fish· ing is best. In lakes, bait cast­ing, spinning, or trolling with spoons, spinners, or plugs is effective. Small minnows good.
Best methods are bait costing or spinning with spoons or spinners. Wet flies and streamers good for small fish. Best baits are small, live fishes.
Best method for streams is fly casting with wet or dry flies and streamers. Bait fishing with worms and salmon eggs also good. Trolling with spoons or spinners best in lakes.
Usual method is deep trolling, using spoons and wire line. In early spring and fall fly fishing, bait casting, and spinning are feasible. Caught through ice with live or cut fish baits.
LARGEMOUTH BASS are found in lakes, streams, and rivers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Slow streams and weedy lakes are best. Sometimes enter brackish water. Most active at dawn and dusk - all year in South, summer to fall in North.
SMALLMOUTH BASS prefer
clear, cool rivers, streams, and lakes. Found from Canada to southern U.S., except in Gulf states. Most active early summer and fall; feed day and night.
SPOTTED BASS, found from Ohio and West Virginia to east­ern Texas, prefer deep pools and slow streams in North, favor clear fast streams in southern range. Fishing best in fall.
SUNFISH are common. Princi­pal species is Bluegill, found in every state. Bluegills, Pumpkin­seeds, and long ears prefer lakes and ponds but also occur in streams. Rock Bass are found in rocky streams and cool lakes. WClrmouths like sluggish creeks. Spotted Sunfish and Redears prefer warm cypress lakes. Red­breasts like clear streams.
CRAPPIES have been widely in­troduced into waters over much of the U. S. Black Crappies like clear water; White Crappies tol­erate silt. Spring and fall best.
Bait casting, fly fishing, and spinning with many types of plugs, spoons, spinners, flies, popping bugs, pork rinds, and plastic earthworms. Weed less lures needed for weedy shallows. Best natural baits are live shin· ers, grasshoppers, and frogs. In streams, best methods are fly fishing and spinning with spin­ner flies or bucktails; also bait fishing with live hellgrammites, minnows, worms. In lakes, bait casting or spinning with plugs.
Fly fishing with small surface bugs, spinner flies, or streamers recommended. Spinning with small' plugs and spoons also good. Best natural baits are earthworms, crayfish! minnows.
Best method for most sunfish is still fishing with baits of worms, insects, or crayfish. Use a light cane polet monofilament IineJ and small hook. A bobber to hold the bait off bottom and to signal bites adds to the fun. Fly fishing with wet flies, dry flies, or small popping bugs is excel­lent. Ice fishing is also productive for taking Bluegills.
Try still fishing or slow trolling with small live minnows. Fly cast­ing and spinning with streamers, spoons, spinners or jigs are also good methods.
WHITE BASS are found in lakes and streams in Canada and the Great Lakes region, south through the Mississippi Valley to eastern Texas. Schools often feed at surface. Spring and summer best.
YELLOW BASS live in rivers, lakes, and streams through the Mississippi Valley to the Gulf Coast. Most abundant in south­ern areas. Usually form large schools in spring and summer.
WHITE PERCH occur in streams or brackish rivers and bays from Maine to South Carolina. Common in fresh-water lakes in New England, where they bite well all summer. Most aclive in spring and fall in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries.
YELLOW PERCH are found in mosl fresh walers along the At­lantic seaboard south to the Carolinas, in the Great Lakes region and Mississippi Valley. Prefer lakes, but live in tidal rivers, creeks, and lazy inland streams. Active all year.
WALLEYES, native to the Great Lakes and rivers of northeastern U.S., have been introduced into clear rivers and firm-bottomed, cool lakes across the country. They are night feeders, most ac­tive in spring and fall.
SAUGERS are common in lower Great Lakes, TVA lakes, and western Appalachian rivers. Spring and fall are best.
In spring, slill fishing with live minnows or worms is best. In summer, when White Bass are in schools and feeding at surface, try spinning, bait casling, and fly fishing with spoonsl spinners .. or streamer flies.
Still fishing with live minnows or small crayfish is probably best. Spinning and fly fishing with small spoons, spinners, and streamer flies are also good methods, as for White Bass.
Best method is slow trolling with minnow and spinner com­binations. After a school is lo­cated, still fishing with live min­nows or grass shrimps is best. Also try fly fishing with spinner flies or tiny spoons, and spin­ning with small jigs or spoons.
Still fishing with live minnows works well, winter or summer. Fly fishing wilh streamers, spin­ner flies, or spoons is very effec­tive in spring and fall. Spinning with sma II spoons or jigs is equally good. Jigging spoons are effective for ice fishing.
Trolling at night with June bug spinner trailing a night crawler, eel, or minnow is best. Slill fish­ing w.i.th live minnows is also good. Also effeclive are bait cast­ing or spinning with deep-run­ning plugs, spoons, or jigs.
Best method is slow, deep troll­ing with June bug spinner and minnow combinations. Still fish­ing with minnows is also good.
NORTHERN PIKE live in shal­low weedy areas in lakes and rivers in Canada and northern U.S. west through Great Lakes. Bite all year; spring, fall best.
MUSKELLUNGE occur in Can­ada and in northern U.S. from New York to Great Lakes area. Also in streams on west side of Appalachians. Prefer weed beds in shallows of lakes and rivers.
CHAIN PICKEREL are com­mon in weedy lakes and quiet streams from Moine to Fla. and throughout Mississippi Valley.
SQUAWFISH are found in rivers of the Pacific Coast from central Calif. northward. Abun­dant in Owyhee Reservoir, Ore.
CREEK CHUBS occur in small • clear streams from Canada to Georgia and west to the Ozarks.
FALLFISH range from Mari­time Provinces to Va'l in streams.
ARCTIC GRAYLINGS are found in Alaska and British Co­lumbia/ in streams tributary to Arctic Ocean. Subspecies found in Montana's Madison and Gal­latin rivers. Caught any time streams are ice free.
SHEE-FISH are common in most large streams and some lakes (Great Slave and Great Bear) in Arctic Canada. Often enter salt water. Shee-fish are active year round and may be taken whenever water is ice free.
Best method is bait casting with wobbler spoons or spinner·buck­tail combinations. Plugs also good. Live suckers and small perch are best baits.
Bait casting and trolling with large spoons, plugs, and spinner lures are best methods. Repeated casting to likely spots is advis­able. Still fishing with live chubs or suckers is also good.
Bait casting and spinning with wobbling spoons or spinner lures are preferred. Still fishing with live minnows also good.
Best method is fly fishing with wet flies, dry flies, or streamers. Spinning or bait casting with plugs and spoons also effective.
Fly. fish in!=) with small wet or dry flies and still fishing with worms are good methods.
Best method is fly fishing with small wet flies and streamers.
Best. method is fly fishing. Wet flies of standard trout patterns are good, but they should be fished deep. Graylings take a fly very gently, and you must be alert to hook them. During fly hatches, dry flies may work well.
Best methods are bait casting and spinning with fairly large plugs, spoons, or spinners. Still fishing with baits of live suckers or other small fish (to 12 in. long) also works well. Trolling good near river mouths.
CATFISH. native to much of the U.S. east of the Rockies, have been established in the West. Channel Catfish are com­mon in clear rivers on Atlantic seaboard and in Mississippi Valley. Flathead Catfish occur in slow rivers from the Great lakes through the Mississippi Valley and are most abundant in the South. Blue Catfish are found in the Mississippi and its tribu­taries, also in other slow rivers and mud-bottomed lakes of Southeast. White Catfish occur in rivers from New York to Flor­ida and have been introduced successfully in California waters.
BULLHEADS are popular over much of the U.S. Brown Bull­heads occur in lakes and streams from Maine to Fla.; also in Great lakes region, Ohio Valley, and Calif. Black Bullheads found from Hudson Bay south to Gulf Coast. Yellow Bullheads common from northern Midwest to . At­lantic coast, south to Fla.
CARP and SUCKERS provide sport for many anglers. Carp are found in lakes and streams of all U.S. mainland states ex­cept Maine and Florida. Suckers occur in clear streams east of Rockies. Spring best.
BOWFINS. GARS, and OTHER ROUGH FISH are found in most rivers/streams, lakes, and canals. Few furnish sport.
Most catfish are caught by bot­tom fishing with natural or spe­cially prepared baits. Stink baits made of cheese, dried blood, or spoiled chicken entrails are favorites. Night fishing is gener­ally best. Channel Catfish feed more by sight and less by scent than other catfish and olten bite well in daytime. They strike such artificial lures as spoons, jigs, and spinner flies. Flathead Catfish prefer stink baits, cut fish, or crayfish tails. Blue Cat­fish will bite cut or whole fish as well as stink baits. White Cat­fish can be caught on worms, minnows, or crayfish.
Bottom fishing at night is the best method for all bullheads. They also bite well during day­light hours in roiled waters. Baits may be cheese, stink baits, or even soap. The more conven· tional worms, doughballs, cray­fish, or minnows will also catch bullheads. Worms are probably used the most.
Best method for Carp is still fish­ing on bottom with doughballs or special preparations which may be purchased in cans. Do not use sinker or float. For suck­ers, still fish on bottom with worms. Night fishing best.
Most roughflsh are caught while seeking game species. Bowfins, gars, and sturgeons may be caught with cut baits.