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STELLWAGEN BANK, MA-Cod Fishing 4/16//05

PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 9:38 am
by bfast
STELLWAGEN BANK, MA- Cod & haddock fishing 4/23/05

The cod and haddock fishing were excellent this week in the deep-water east of the bank. By mid-week, action on the shoals in the 90-120 ft depths improved significantly for cod while the haddock remains consistently good in the deepwater to the east for this time of year.

Ed Ajamian from the Atlantic Highlands and friends from the Bergen County Saltwater Anglers Club, on B-Fast’s JANET B, worked hard to tally a decent catch of market cod and a few Haddock on Sunday. However, the pool-winning catch was the largest of 5 wolfish-(25 pounds)- that came over the rails.

Monday’s trip with Frank Rankin and friends from Philadelphia, PA was the best of the season for Capt. Scott’s DECISIVE. By 11:00 am, the Philly anglers were limited out on market cod that jumped on the fresh “Jersey Clams”—these clams have a special glow all there own, and seem to out-fish our indigenous surf-clams. A 20# whale cod took top-honors. B-Fast’s SASAMY had a great day in the same area for big cod, landing two steakers in the low 30’s and one tipping the scales at close to 40 pounds.

On Tuesday, yours truly guided Jeff Claycomb and friends, also from the Philadelphia area. The fishing started out slow, but by mid morning the bite on market cod to 15 pounds filled the boxes, spiced with a few haddock to 10 pounds. On the last drop, Skip the eldest angler, hooked what proved to be the pool-winner—a 30 wolfish, which rounded out a Stellwagen Bank grand slam.

Paul Knowles group from Neptune, NJ did extremely well with haddock on their annual cod trip to New England. 3 times as many haddock as cod came over the rails for the group on Friday’s trip on Stellwagen’s eastern edge. With water temps now in the mid-40’s, the shoals starting to produce good numbers of scrod and market cod and excellent numbers of fine eating haddock and some big cod to the east, Stellwagen Bank ground fishing is about as “good and it gets”!

Capt. Mike Bartlett
B-Fast Charters
www.bfastcharters.com
781-293-6402