Cod and haddock are our primary offshore bottom fish. Depending on sunrise, we like to leave between 5:30 and 6:30. Our ride out, typically from Green Harbor, takes anywhere from 3/4 hour to 1+ hours, depending on the weather conditions. We fish Massachusetts Bay, from Boston to Gloucester to Provincetown and all waters in between.
In the springtime, we often hit both cod and haddock in shallow water on Stellwagen Bank. This means that we can catch nice fish in 80-130' of water. When this is the case, it's a shorter run to the fish and we have the option to lighten up our tackle. I've often used fluke gear in water like this. Usually that option is exercised by experienced fishermen used to the reel's drag and fishing for large fish on light tackle. It's a blast!
We do everything that we can on our fishing charters to get you on top of fish. Once there, we use our experience to teach you the best tactics to hook and battle these cod and haddock. We fish with bait (squid, shrimp, clams) or with jigs/teasers in water that ranges in depth from 80’ to 300’ of water, depending on where we have been finding the fish. On these trips, you never know what you're going to catch next. Check out the fish-species pages for descriptions on the fish that we will encounter on these trips. We may catch a dozen species in one day!
Some people prefer jigs over bait as jigs account for more large Cod (but bait accounts for more Haddock -> Catch22). When bait fishing, especially in the spring, you never know when you're going to hook into a nice wolf fish! As ugly as these fish are, they are even better eating!
We usually drift while fishing and we may make many moves during the course of the
day to stay on congregations of fish.
Occasionally we will anchor, if the conditions
dictate anchoring. The boat is well-designed for drifting, with everyone able to fish
comfortably from one side of the boat to minimize tangles and keep your lines from going
under the boat.
Cod and haddock are famous for being delicious and abundant. As you catch your fish, we bleed your catch immediately and pack them in ice to best preserve the fillets’ top quality. When chilled, we fillet, bag, and pack your fish in a cooler for you. We believe that this extra care for your fillets is worth the effort. I’ve had people frying their catch (from the freezer) 6-8 months after their trip! That’s quality fish.
Cod get big--60# and 70# fish are caught each year in Massachusetts! Haddock fight
hard and will bite until you catch them or they take your bait.
Those are some good traits!
If you are interested in codfishing, but have questions, you can reach Capt. Rich at captain@blackrosefishing.com
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