John Toppa of Newport with a 20 pound cod he caught on a Francis Fleet vessel New Year’s Day. The cod was the largest fish caught on the boat that day.
Cod fishing is great for children too. Andrew Martin of Warwick went cod fishing New Year’s Day with his uncle. That’s a school vacation experience that will give him plenty of stories to tell when back in school.
Cod is an ideal species to target if fishing with children, because all they have to do is drop their line to the bottom. And, it is one of the most popular eating fish in New England. Cod are bottom fish that are basically lazy. They are not aggressively hunting, they pretty much stay on the bottom, often near structure (underwater wrecks, rock piles, holes, humps and drop offs), waiting for prey to come by. So you have to go to where the cod are to catch them. They are not likely going to come to you.
New Year’s Day I went cod fishing with twenty other anglers on a Francis Fleet party boat. A coast guard inspected vessel that takes more than six people fishing is commonly referred to as a party boat. Cod fishing for a full day (7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) generally runs about $80 depending on whether or not you use the boats gear or your own. It takes about an hour to an hour and half to get to where the captain likes to fish for cod (usually Cox’s Ledge if you leave from Point Judith, Rhode Island).
New Year’s Day was perfect, it was in the 50 degree range, seas early in the day were about four to five feet, but they laid down as the day progressed. Most every one caught cod fish on this trip. I caught four fish and two were keepers (cod must be 22” or longer to keep them). Some on board caught three, four and five fish. One angler who used jigs to fish most of the day caught eight. The largest fish of the day was caught by John Toppa of Newport, Rhode Island. His fish was 35 inches and weighted about 20 pounds.
There were some anglers in their 60’s and 70’s and a number of them in their 20’s and 30’s and my favorite angler who I fished next to all day was Andrew Martin of Warwick who was thirteen years old. His uncle took him for this special fishing trip during holiday school vacation. He will have some good stories to tell when back in school. Overall it was a great fishing day on the water and a trip that I would recommend. Visit the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association web site at www.rifishing.com for a complete list of vessels that fish for cod. Pick one with a heated cabin as it get pretty cold out on the ocean in January, February and March.
Cod rigs and bait
A hook, sinker weight that holds the bottom and sea clams are often used as bait to catch cod. Jigs of various sizes, color and weight depending on conditions are used too. Cod will generally eat anything that is in front of them, they are not picky, but you have to get their attendion and jigs usually do a good job of this. A common rig used is a diamond jig with a colored teaser buck tail tied about 12 inches above the jig. Anglers often tip the jig and buck tail with live bait (a piece of sea clam). Most anglers use a traditional boat rod and reel to catch cod. A short, sturdy 30 to 40 pound test rod of five to six feet is common with a traditional real of similar weight capacity. A fifty pound test line (both braid and monofilament) are used.
Cod fish is good for you too
The livestorng.com website says that cod, a coldwater fish, is particular good for you. The site relates that, “Cod offers a good source of omega-3 fatty acids which helps lower risks of cardiovascular disorders including atherosclerosis. Cod also provides a good source of vitamins B6, B12 and niacin which factor into a reduced osteoporosis risk...”
The cod fishery
Angler and noted fishing author Tim Coleman relates that the cod fishery is not in good shape. On his Tattoo’s Tackle web site he relates that cod is “The vanished fish”. Cod continue to diminish and appear farther and farther off shore. Tim relates, “… (with) the stocks so far down no fishing is allowed (from Rhode Island beaches), hoping to save the percentage that is left. In the process the beach fishing for cod is gone, gone, gone, some say never to return.” A sample of how cod fishing use to be off Rhode Island beaches is related by Tim in the story he tells off Del and Joe Corneau of Westerly, RI who use to fish 100 yards of the Quonny Breachway. Tim said, “Fishing from roughly 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. the pair landed 17 cod to 64 pounds! Today one would be hard pressed to catch a fish that size…”
New Kettlebottom Outfitters Productions (KBOP) Videos
Captain Robb Roach of Kettlebottom Outfitters, Jamestown, RI has announced the publication of two new videos that are teasers for their new season of KBOP productions on Cox Sports. The teasers and a host of other videos can be viewed on YouTube or on demand if you have COX cable. One of the videos is about making fluke rigs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoM-dF-6Caw ) and the second one is about spear fishing for striped bass off Newport (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrSppgDpIZ0 ), both are great fun to watch.
Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council Panel Meetings
A number of Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Panel meeting open to the public are scheduled for this month. Anglers are welcome and urged to attend as these meetings allow all anglers to provided input into State Fisheries policy. The meetings include a Menhaden Advisory Panel meting scheduled for Thursday, January 6, 2011, a Striped bass Advisory Panel scheduled for Wednesday, January 12 and a Scup and Black Sea Bas Advisory Panel meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 26. All meetings are scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at the UREI Bay Campus, Coastal Institute, Hazard Room off of South Ferry Road in Narragansett, RI. For additional information contact Jason McNamee at 401.423.1943.
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