Conference wahoo::fishing

================================================================================
Note 736.0                       CODFISH REPORT                       No replies
WAV12::GREENBERG                                     18 lines  23-MAY-1988 18:17
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Here's a report fresh off the boat. Went out of Newburyport on the
    Miss New Englander on Sunday 5/22. They say the two best days for
    fishing are "yesterday" and "tomorrow" and it's true. They apparently
    did real well on the trip the previous Wednesday, but the weekend
    was awful. We fished Northern Jeffries Ledge.
    
    The pool winner was a 10 lb cod and the biggest fish on the boat
    wasn't in the pool, but it was a 15 lb cusk. My son and I caught
    15 fish, the biggest was about 3 lbs. Bait worked slightly better
    than jigging, but nothing was real effective. 
    
    At one point there were hundreds of dead hake floating on the surface,
    left there by the gill netters or draggers. I suspect they cleaned
    out the area.
    
    Going to try again now that the weather has cleared, but the outlook
    is so-so.
    

       Some friends told me the best bait to use out there right now
    is shrimp. I believe they mean brine shrimp that is sold at the
    bait shops. They said it did much better than the clams.
                                                 Denny

    From the reports I am hearing and my own experience it sounds
    like stellwagon is producing better than Jeffries so far this
    year. Any of you folks that are doing party boats may want to try
    to go out of gloucester, lynn or green harbor so that the boat
    will be fishing stellwagon instead of jeffries. As the water warms
    up I think things will switch around but every year is different.
    With luck I will be fishing stellwagon later this week and will
    report if I get out there.
    
    Bruce

    This is more of a general fish report. It is taken from the Boston
    Globe.
    
     North and East of Cape Ann: Merrimack river mouth is the sight
    of a lot of action. Pollock, mackerel, and school stripers dominate
    the catch. Skates (as I well know) are a problem.
    
     Marshfield to Cape Ann: Mackerel starting to leave. Blues starting
    to come in, but mostly small ones. B-Buoy is doing pretty well for
    the early blues. Bluefish should appear soon on Stellwagen. Flounder
    are doing well in Manchester Bay.
    
     Cape Cod Bay: Mack's are on the way out, being chased by the blues.
    Few cod left in the bay.
    
     South of Cape Cod: Blues coming in strong. Stripers are already
    in, with a few keepers, to boot. Most of the blues are under 10
    lbs.
    
     The Doctah (just_thought_you_might_like_to_know)

    Anybody have any current info on codfishing on Stellwagon/Middlebank?
    I am planning a charter trip out of Scituate Harbor this weekend
    and we are probably heading to Stellwagon. Anything specific you have
    to share would be appreciated. Thanks.
    
    Art

    This is the time to go. The reports o out of green harbor have been
    excellent. I fished out towards the nw corner last week and there
    were many small fish and some nice markets. I will hit the
    bank if weather permits sunday and expect to do well.
    
    The steakers should be showing up. Macks are in.
    
    Bruce

    Thanks for confirming what I suspected was true. I'll put a report in
    here next week after my trip.
    
    Art
    

    The weather didn't cooperate this past weekend. Our charter that was
    scheduled to go from Scituate to Stellwagon (Middle Bank) never made it
    across. Too much wind. We stopped about 6 miles east of Scituate Harbor
    at an area called Stone Ledge. 
    
    Caught tons of mackeral. I did however notice an interesting
    phenomenon. While the other guys were catching mackeral 3 and 4 at a
    time, I noticed they would occasionally bring up a small codfish. So I
    put on a big cod jig and a teaser about 15 inches up. On one of my
    first drops, I felt a mackeral take it. Instead of reeling up, I let
    the mackeral swim around while the big jig took it back down to the
    bottom. I jigged it once when it hit bottom. Got a a ferocious hit 
    and eventually reeled in an 18lb codfish on the jig with the mackeral 
    still on the teaser. 
    
    Interesting lesson. I think the big cod was attracted first to the live
    mackeral and then grabbed the jig.
    
    The fish was big enough to take first place in the Scituate Codfish
    Tournament that day. I'm happy.
    
    Overall the codfishing was very spotty. Blame it one the wind.
    
    

    A quick report from stellewagon on sat. Mackeral were so thick
    you could not get a jig with teasers to the bottom to catch cod.
    The middlebank was a little slow for cod but that is where at least
    4 party boats were fishing. We move up the bank to a spot about
    1/2 mile north east of the northwest corner and loaded up on
    market fish. We took 30 keepers and threw back close to that many.
    Could have had more if it weren't for the mackeral.
    
    Expect bluefish on the bank in about 2 weeks and the mackeral to
    take a powder.
    
    Good show of humpbacks on the bank also. 
    
    Mackeral and cod were feeding on sand eels.
    
    Bruce

    Stellwagon continues to be hot with small fish. We fished the n/w
    corner on 6/1 and loaded up on small cod and about 12-15 pollock
    in the 3-5lb range. We caught the biggest mackeral I have ever seen,
    many going near 3lbs.
    
    Great weather and another good show of humbacks. All fish
    were feeding on sand eels and are still spawning.
    
    Even Lucky got a good share of fish! :-)
    
    Bruce

I tell ya, catching 5 macks pushing 2-3 pounds on a Xmas tree w/8lb XL is FUN!!!
The whales were beautiful, as always.  Even the weather cooperated (after a
while)!


"Lucky"

(looks like I got a new nickname)

    FOR THOSE COD FISHERMEN OUT THEIR, I JUST GOT BACK FROM A TRIP OUT OF
    GLOUCESTER WITH CAPT. TOM LUKE AND IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST TRIPS I'VE
    HAD IN A LONG TIME. OUT OF 25 FISHERMEN ON THE BOAT WE PULLED IN OVER
    1000 LB OF COD & POLLOCK WITH SOME MACKEREL. ALSO WHILE FISHING WE WERE
    GRETED BY A DOZEN FRIEDLY WHALES WHICH DID NOT DISTURB THE FIISHING AT
    ALL.
    
    	I USUALLY PUT TOGETHER 4 TO 5 TRIPS A YEAR WITH CAPT TOM LUKE
    ALWAYS WITH GOOD LUCK. OF COURSE THEIR ARE THOSE DAYS WHEN YOU DONT DO
    THAT WELL BUT WE HAVE NEVER GOTTON SKUNKED, BUT I GUESS THAT'S WHY THEY
    CALL IT FISHING AND NOT CATCHING. HA! HA!
    
    	FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED SEND ME A NOTE (WFOOFF::CERVONE)
    AND I WILL GET YOU MORE INFORMATION.
    
    GOOD FISHING FRANK

    I agree about fishing stellwagen I believe it will produce better right
    noe than jeffries. I hear that jeffries priduces better in the fall.
    		Frank

    Art,
    	Just came back from Stelleagon/Middlebank and did real well I caught
    about 30 codfish some pollock and mackerel on 16 oz jigs with shrimp
    teasers (red) in collor on the boat I say thier must have been over
    1000 lb of fish caught. Good luck
    
    		Frank

    Art
    
    	How did you do on your fishing trip to Stellwagon known as
    Middlebanks, you said you would update and I'm curious.
    
    Frank