Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 301, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1913 — Inlets of Old North Carolina [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Inlets of Old North Carolina

THE North Carolina coast is a paradise for fishermen, and the past season has proven no exception to the rule. October and November are the banner months for the sportsmen, but there 1? good fishing at practically all times. In October and November continuous north and east winds cause the fish to leave the bays, creeks and rivers and seek the warmer waters of the ocean, “schooling up,” preparatory to migrating south. The waters around Beaufort, N. C., seem to have an especial attraction for a great variety of fish, much to the surprise and delight of visiting sportsmen. Among the many kinds caught with hook and line, are blue fish, sea trout, (squeteague) Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, black fish spot, flounders, sea bass, butterflsh, croakers, drum, king fish, cero with an occasional tarpon and cabio. The individual weight of the last three mentioned, being anywhere from 10 to 70 pounds.

Some Big Catches. Along Bogue, and Core sounds, around Harker’s Island, In the straits, and along the sandy shores, from Beaufort inlet to Cape Lookout Point, (a distance of ten miles), netfers are continuously on the watch for mullet during the fall months. The fish, at this time are large and fat, often weighing from two to three pounds. When a catch is made they are sold to the fish houses in the town, and immediately drepsed, cleaned and salted down in barrels of about 100 pounds each, shipped throughout the state and to northern markets. The seine fishing Is done by the larger boats, outside the three-mile limit. Often large catches are made in this way. The record catch of the season was made by the schooner “George B. Balstor,” consisted of 66,000 pounds, selling on the wharf for $1,600, being about two and one-half cents per pound. This catch was exceeded a year ago by the schooner “Dewey,” when 90,000 pounds were taken at one haul. This Jot was sold for $2,250 spot cash. Some 12 or 15 men constitute the crew, and in the case of the latter no man aboard received less than SBO for his share. The owners of the boat, captain and mate, of course, receiving much more. Shrimp are also caught along shore in great quantities during August, September and October. These are brought? to the fish houses, dumped on the floor, and every boy, white or colored, who wants a job, and can get a box to sit on, is set to work “heading” the shrimp, as shown in the illustration. Both hands are employed - in this work. The beheaded shrimp are thrown into a bucket in front of each boy. The full bucket is taken to the floor boss, who gives each boy credit. The shrimp are then packed in boxes with cracked ice, layer for layer, and immediately shipped north. Great hauls of shrimp have recently been

made, the largest consisted of 82 boxes (about one and one-half bushels to a box), they were sold on the wharf at $7 per box; $574 in all. The waters outside of the inlet were alive last fall with edible fish, and the “hook and liners” are having great sport, many declaring that the fish were so plentiful they could feel the sinker striking against their backs as It went down. One seine fishing boat brought to the fish house recently 10,000 pounds of trout (weak fish), as three other boats brought In 5,000, 3,000 and 2,000 pounds, respectively. > , Odor Only Waste. Greatest In point of value are the menhaden, often called bunkers, or fatbacks. These fish are very rich In oil, and millions of them are taken, to one of the edible variety. Twenty auxiliary schooners, with capacity of 200,000 to 300,000 are employed during the season from May to December ip catching these fish. Six factories, in the vicinity, receive these fish from , the boats, paying at the rate of $1 per 1,000 for them. The fish are "tried out" for the oil, and the remainder, called “scrap,” Is dried and sold for fertiliser. Nothing Is lost or wasted, except the odor, which permeates Uhe air for miles to leeward of the .factories.' The fish arb hoisted from the hold of the vessel by means of an endless chain of buckets, emptied into cars at the top of the hoist, and so carried on the railway to the factory. Some ten miles from Beaufort inlet,

the coast makes a sharp right-angled bend, with Cape Lookout at the apex. From the end of the cape, a narrow line of shoals, of coral formation, extends much farther out. The cape, and its submerged continuation forms a wall, ks it were, reaching seaward 15 miles or more. Cape Lookout is so shaped as to embrace a bay, a quiet and beautiful sheet of water, called "Lookout Bight.” The coast configuration thus forms a remarkable natural trap into which fall the fish, migrating northward. ‘