There are few activities in fishing that are more romantic and rooted in the idea of 'place' than Cod fishing on Cape Cod. You can extend the 'cod' group to include haddock, pollock, and other associated groundfish. When I was my son's age the restrictions and seasonal closures didn't exist as they do today. My son, Jack, loves ground fishing, and I introduced him at a young age to fishing for near shore haddock in the spring and to Cod fishing in the summer. At the release of this blog, the season for the area classified as 'East of Chatham' is closed from May to September. Whenever the regulations and the weather allow, I launch the Steigercraft from Stage Harbor at sunrise and point the bow due East of Monomoy and head towards the shipping lanes in search of nostalgia and few fillets for the freezer.
In this blog, I'll try to focus on some of the basic principles for Ground Fishing specific to the area East of Chatham. Many of those ideas can be applied to other areas.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
RODS AND REELS
RIGS AND JIGS
We fished 115’ with diamond/Viking jigs and high low grub teaser rigs. Cod eat a variety of different forage along the bottom and yesterday we found they were on shrimp and crabs below. Some of the cod we caught had whole crabs in their bellies and this is why I favor the orange and red teasers. No bait was needed. Just jigging.
The largest fish was 30” and there were quite a few over 25”. The limit is 10 per person out east which is considered ‘south of Cape Cod’ in the regulations. (Cod retention and regulations and are much more limited in the GOM). There’s never a need to get 10 per person as a Cod fillet goes a long way in terms of feeding a group of people. All in all a wonderful day.
For those that tuna fish, it’s a very good Plan B. Explore and drop a jig and rig down. You may come across some very productive bottom.
The memories of yesterday will carry me through my work week.
Tight Lines everyone.
*This blog appeared in the MyFishingCapeCod Forum and is being reposted here followers of Monomoy Tackle.
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