STELLWAGEN BANK, MA-Cod & BOSTON HARBOR-Stripers 6/18/05
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 12:06 pmSTELLWAGEN BANK, MA-Cod Fishing & BOSTON HARBOR- Striper 6/18/05
This week has ushered in some of the best cod fishing of the season. Limits of cod and equal numbers of haddock have been the rule. Further, numbers of large whale cod have been part of the catch. Due to the cod water, we are still fishing the eastern edge of Stellwagen and not on the deep-water hump where we usually fish this time of year.
At the same time, the inshore striper fishing is red-hot at well. In Boston’s inner harbor silversides are being coursed through by school bass with keepers mixed in, and in the outer harbor, schools of mackerel are the attraction of hordes of big bass on the move.
Jerry Gibbons and his group from Madison, NJ lucked-out on Saturday with the weather and the cod bite on B-Fast’s JANET B with Capt. Bob. A May weather cancellation pushed their annual cod trip in June. Using skimmer clams in the 200-250ft depths on the eastern edge, the group took their limits of scrod and market cod to 15 pounds. Mixed in were equal numbers of haddock to 10 pounds, a couple of wolfish and a few big cusk to 20 pounds.
A number of really big whale cod were hooked and lost on the way up to the boat. Part of the reason for this is a draw back of the high-tech, no stretch braided line. With really big cod, anglers have to give these fish their head, at the start of the battle, or else, due to the lack of stretch, the hook is literally ripped from the codfish lips. Excited anglers with a big cod on, invariably put too much pressure on at the start of the fight. Jerry’s pool winning 35 pound whale cod was the pool-winner. However, he had competition, as five times the BA-50 Seeker rods were bent to the max by his compatriots, only to go slack after a short distance from the bottom.
On the B-FAST, yours truly, guided Roger Thuot of Petersham, MA to his second banner inshore striper trip of the season. A cool northeast breeze made it feel like November on the ride up to Boston from Cohasset. At first light, the bass were smashing on the surface slurping silversides. ½ oz jig-head with 4 inch Fin-S rubber baits in gray, as well as Texas-rigged white Slug-gos, matched the hatch on light spinning gear. While, 2/0 chartreuse Half & Half fished on 350-400 grain Orvis DepthCharge line was the ticket on the fly rod.
On the morning flood tide, in the inner harbor, Rog landed about 15 bass between 20 and 27 inches using both surface presentation and down deep. One 32 inch keeper was brought to net and promptly released. Another 30 inch bass was kept for the table. Moving to the rock-ledges off Cohasset’s Minot’s ledge was equally productive from the high slack through the ebb-tide, using the same methods. Another 15-20 bass, as well as Roger’s biggest bass of the day—a 34 inch keeper, were enticed from the wash as the swell broke on the ledges.
Capt. Mike Bartlett
B-Fast Charters
www.bfastcharters.com
This week has ushered in some of the best cod fishing of the season. Limits of cod and equal numbers of haddock have been the rule. Further, numbers of large whale cod have been part of the catch. Due to the cod water, we are still fishing the eastern edge of Stellwagen and not on the deep-water hump where we usually fish this time of year.
At the same time, the inshore striper fishing is red-hot at well. In Boston’s inner harbor silversides are being coursed through by school bass with keepers mixed in, and in the outer harbor, schools of mackerel are the attraction of hordes of big bass on the move.
Jerry Gibbons and his group from Madison, NJ lucked-out on Saturday with the weather and the cod bite on B-Fast’s JANET B with Capt. Bob. A May weather cancellation pushed their annual cod trip in June. Using skimmer clams in the 200-250ft depths on the eastern edge, the group took their limits of scrod and market cod to 15 pounds. Mixed in were equal numbers of haddock to 10 pounds, a couple of wolfish and a few big cusk to 20 pounds.
A number of really big whale cod were hooked and lost on the way up to the boat. Part of the reason for this is a draw back of the high-tech, no stretch braided line. With really big cod, anglers have to give these fish their head, at the start of the battle, or else, due to the lack of stretch, the hook is literally ripped from the codfish lips. Excited anglers with a big cod on, invariably put too much pressure on at the start of the fight. Jerry’s pool winning 35 pound whale cod was the pool-winner. However, he had competition, as five times the BA-50 Seeker rods were bent to the max by his compatriots, only to go slack after a short distance from the bottom.
On the B-FAST, yours truly, guided Roger Thuot of Petersham, MA to his second banner inshore striper trip of the season. A cool northeast breeze made it feel like November on the ride up to Boston from Cohasset. At first light, the bass were smashing on the surface slurping silversides. ½ oz jig-head with 4 inch Fin-S rubber baits in gray, as well as Texas-rigged white Slug-gos, matched the hatch on light spinning gear. While, 2/0 chartreuse Half & Half fished on 350-400 grain Orvis DepthCharge line was the ticket on the fly rod.
On the morning flood tide, in the inner harbor, Rog landed about 15 bass between 20 and 27 inches using both surface presentation and down deep. One 32 inch keeper was brought to net and promptly released. Another 30 inch bass was kept for the table. Moving to the rock-ledges off Cohasset’s Minot’s ledge was equally productive from the high slack through the ebb-tide, using the same methods. Another 15-20 bass, as well as Roger’s biggest bass of the day—a 34 inch keeper, were enticed from the wash as the swell broke on the ledges.
Capt. Mike Bartlett
B-Fast Charters
www.bfastcharters.com