Block Island Blackfish

[Bucktail]

Always a good time fishing with Paul!!

 

[Fluke Whisperer]

Check out Todd's last trip.

 

[BoatGuy]

People hire a charter for many reasons.

I have hired a charter to LEARN. Some Captains are better teaches than others. I remember once I was on a charter and the captain wanted to live line a Porgy. I went over to watch. He asked me to “go somewhere else”. But I stayed and he didn’t make an issue of it.

The one thing about this that bothers me is the Captain in the OP is obviously a talented, experienced black fisherman. Instead of giving fish away, I would have said, show me what I’m doing wrong and what you are doing right. It is NOT acceptable to answer, “I just know”.

I have had captains teach me something new. Snap jigging is a good example. When I got the basics down the captain started to fish, yet kept and eye on my to offer corrections to my technique. When he caught a big bass, he offered it to me. Being there to learn, I declined, and the fish was released.

 

[Fluke Whisperer]

Throughout my fishing experiences which began when I was 7 yrs old, I fished with some very experienced and knowledgeable people, I am not afraid to ask question or take advice.
My grandfather owned a house in southport Ct that was right on southport harbor, during the summer he would rent out 16 foot skiffs to people who came in from NY city, I was tasked to get the bait, clams and sandworms.
There were two guys' in particular that I called the fisherman, they were local guys, they always came back with fish wrapped in cloth and in a basket. I would always ask them how they did and they would show me their catch and what they used to catch them with, this was back in the late 50's lol.
I learned a lot from them, my father took me fishing one time, he was never into fishing even though he grew up on the water. He passed away 38 yrs ago from leukemia and his death had a profound effect on me that we never got to fish more than that one time. One year before his death my brother and I talked him into going fishing, although he was unable to walk we drove him out to beach with my brothers 4x4 and put him in a chair to watch us fish, he was happy to watch us and regretted that he never took us fishing, I made it a point when my sons were born that I would take them fishing and do it often, they are both as passionate as I am about fishing, my younger son especially who passed the bug on to his sons.
You can learn a lot by just observing other fisherman who are catching and your not, ask questions, don't be afraid to try something different.
I myself don't have a problem with mates or Captains fishing along side me, in fact I love the company and the competition, many times fishing offshore I have had captains and mates ask me what and how i'm catching tuna when no one else is, I don't have a problem telling them as I feel everyone came out to try and catch a tuna to bring home, It makes me feel good that in some way I was responsible for someone catching their first tuna or a fish of a lifetime.
With the fishing stocks the way they are today, I see a lot of guys keeping their spots and techniques to themselves, if that's your bag so be it, I personally will offer up any info if I am into fish, what i'm using, it's just the way I am, I feel that over the years I caught so much fish thanks to other people that I need to pay it forward.
Sorry for the long post.
Stay healthy and safe.
Tight Lines
Jay

 

[captmike28]

You can challenge me if you like, but I believe that fishing is a lifelong learning experience. Nobody, no matter how long they fish commercially, recreationally, or both, knows it all. Be very wary of those who claim they do.,

With so much to know and so many pieces of the puzzle to put together on any given day to make a good catch, I have no problem sharing information with others in the hope they will return the favor. In fact, I and probably many of you, have had people come up to the boat at the dock while cleaning fish asking where they were caught. My standard reply to them is "Would you like to learn?" If someone is paying me to take them fishing, I am happy to share with them some of the techniques I have acquired over the years either on my own or by watching others. That approach has earned me a steady supply of charter customers ranging from total novices to experienced boat owners/fisherman.

I have observed there are a certain group of anglers, some Captains included, that feel they worked long and hard to achieve a certain level of success and they are not going to just "give away" this knowledge freely. As I mentioned earlier, there are so many aspects to this game that even customers who are extremely observant wont' be able to duplicate all the fine points necessary to consistently catch just based upon a charter trip or two. Will I give someone the exact GPS coordinates to a specific location I worked hard to learn about myself, no. But I will be happy to share almost any other aspect of fishing and boat handling techniques with any of my customers. Believe me, it's an investment that pays me back each season.

 

[Roccus7]

^^^^ Amen!!

Roccus Rule #3 - The day I say I know everything about a particular type of fishing is the day that I've officially stopped doing that fishing...

 

[Bassmaster]

You can challenge me if you like, but I believe that fishing is a lifelong learning experience. Nobody, no matter how long they fish commercially, recreationally, or both, knows it all. Be very wary of those who claim they do.,

With so much to know and so many pieces of the puzzle to put together on any given day to make a good catch, I have no problem sharing information with others in the hope they will return the favor. In fact, I and probably many of you, have had people come up to the boat at the dock while cleaning fish asking where they were caught. My standard reply to them is "Would you like to learn?" If someone is paying me to take them fishing, I am happy to share with them some of the techniques I have acquired over the years either on my own or by watching others. That approach has earned me a steady supply of charter customers ranging from total novices to experienced boat owners/fisherman.

I have observed there are a certain group of anglers, some Captains included, that feel they worked long and hard to achieve a certain level of success and they are not going to just "give away" this knowledge freely. As I mentioned earlier, there are so many aspects to this game that even customers who are extremely observant wont' be able to duplicate all the fine points necessary to consistently catch just based upon a charter trip or two. Will I give someone the exact GPS coordinates to a specific location I worked hard to learn about myself, no. But I will be happy to share almost any other aspect of fishing and boat handling techniques with any of my customers. Believe me, it's an investment that pays me back each season.

I fish mostly on party boats and In the fall i usually go jigging for striped bass and i was out fishing and everyone was catching and I got skunked. I was looking at what customers were doing and changed over and still nothing. Just wasn't my day. That day I still came home with fish because the boat limited out so it was a great day plus I met great people on board saw a whale and several dolphins and a thresher shark. Just being out on the water is an amazing experience. I did feel silly being the only person without a fish. But I did have a great day it was a beautiful day out with a great crew and great people. Cant wait till I fish again.

 

[captmike28]

I applaud your outlook, Bassmaster, as fishing should always be about the entire outdoor experience and sharing it with friends and family. Naturally, if you score with the species of your choice, it makes things even better but the situation you described is one where it does help to have the other anglers aboard help you take home a fresh fish dinner, be it patrons or the crew, assuming your needs as a paying customer are attended to.

Don't feel bad about not catching them on that particular day. We all have the same experience from time to time. It just serves to make me even more determined on the next trip. I would also suggest that sometimes you have to be extra observant of what the guys who are catching are doing differently. It could be the retrieve, the type of leader, type and strength of line used, and most importantly the shape and weight of the jig being used. The more closely the lure appears to swim like the bait the Bass are feeding on the better your chances of hooking up.

Here is a prime example. For many years I used custom made Smiling Bill style bucktails for my 3-way Bass fishing in Plum Gut and the Race. Always seemed to catch well with them. Then, I switched suppliers and my new guy made me the same 1.5 oz. bucktails but with a bullet shaped lead head. The first season after the switch, I was out on my boat with a friend who was also a very experienced Bass fisherman. He was using the traditional Smiling Bill and I had the Bullet Head version. I put 5 fish into the boat before he could even manage one. Then he switched over to the Bullet style and he began to match me fish for fish. Sometimes a really small detail like that can make the difference. I still carry both styles of Bucktail aboard but for at least the last 5 years the bullet head has had a distinct advantage.

 

[Bassmaster]

I applaud your outlook, Bassmaster, as fishing should always be about the entire outdoor experience and sharing it with friends and family. Naturally, if you score with the species of your choice, it makes things even better but the situation you described is one where it does help to have the other anglers aboard help you take home a fresh fish dinner, be it patrons or the crew, assuming your needs as a paying customer are attended to.

Don't feel bad about not catching them on that particular day. We all have the same experience from time to time. It just serves to make me even more determined on the next trip. I would also suggest that sometimes you have to be extra observant of what the guys who are catching are doing differently. It could be the retrieve, the type of leader, type and strength of line used, and most importantly the shape and weight of the jig being used. The more closely the lure appears to swim like the bait the Bass are feeding on the better your chances of hooking up.

Here is a prime example. For many years I used custom made Smiling Bill style bucktails for my 3-way Bass fishing in Plum Gut and the Race. Always seemed to catch well with them. Then, I switched suppliers and my new guy made me the same 1.5 oz. bucktails but with a bullet shaped lead head. The first season after the switch, I was out on my boat with a friend who was also a very experienced Bass fisherman. He was using the traditional Smiling Bill and I had the Bullet Head version. I put 5 fish into the boat before he could even manage one. Then he switched over to the Bullet style and he began to match me fish for fish. Sometimes a really small detail like that can make the difference. I still carry both styles of Bucktail aboard but for at least the last 5 years the bullet head has had a distinct advantage.

Thanks for the kind words and tips. I always use gold diamond jigs all year round for fluke seabass blues stripers and Cod. The sea bass and blues go crazy for then. I did better this year with the fluke than in years past. With a diamond jig you don't get much fluke but when you do get one its usually big. I had a double digit fluke and I heard of a 16 or 17 lb fluke caught on a diamond jig. I also caught porgies and giant tog on the jig 6 to 8 lbs out of season by mistake. Alot of people call me a one trick pony but this fishing I know and I enjoy doing it and I get good results for the most part. Nobody Is perfect and that is why its called fishing and not catching. Thanks again Captain.

 

[captmike28]

Diamond jigs have been time tested, effective lures for as long as I have been fishing and, I'm sure since almost the first fishing lure was developed. If you use them on a regular basis, then you know there are also many nuances among the styles available. Bridgeport vs. AVA vs. Norwegian style all have slightly different shapes and swim patterns. Color sometimes makes a difference. Nowadays in addition to the traditional silver and gold finishes you can buy all sorts of shades that are coated with vinyl or painted many different colors. A smooth vs. hammered finish can also trigger a strike at the right time. Hook size and whether or not there is a split ring or ball bearing swivel holding the hook on the jig all affect both the action and ability of a fish to gain leverage and throw the hook. Then there is the way you actually present the lure, yo-yo vs. fast or slow retrieve squidding.

And finally, there is the "hidden factor". I don't care what style lure you are using, as the angler you must have confidence in both the lure and your ability to present it properly. If you don't think a given lure will produce, but use it anyway for whatever reason, in most cases it won't catch anything That's just one of those mystifying and wonderful things about fishing! It sounds like you are comfortable with Diamond Jigging, so I say stick with it; the heck with what others say. If you are having fun and catching fish that's all that matters.

I have had similar experiences to your own with diamond jigs, especially with Fluke, Sea Bass and Cod. Typically, you will catch fewer fish this way but the ones you land are always nice quality. Remid me to tell you the story some time about my personal best Cod of 54# caught on a diamond jig/rig.

 

[Bassmaster]

Diamond jigs have been time tested, effective lures for as long as I have been fishing and, I'm sure since almost the first fishing lure was developed. If you use them on a regular basis, then you know there are also many nuances among the styles available. Bridgeport vs. AVA vs. Norwegian style all have slightly different shapes and swim patterns. Color sometimes makes a difference. Nowadays in addition to the traditional silver and gold finishes you can buy all sorts of shades that are coated with vinyl or painted many different colors. A smooth vs. hammered finish can also trigger a strike at the right time. Hook size and whether or not there is a split ring or ball bearing swivel holding the hook on the jig all affect both the action and ability of a fish to gain leverage and throw the hook. Then there is the way you actually present the lure, yo-yo vs. fast or slow retrieve squidding.

And finally, there is the "hidden factor". I don't care what style lure you are using, as the angler you must have confidence in both the lure and your ability to present it properly. If you don't think a given lure will produce, but use it anyway for whatever reason, in most cases it won't catch anything That's just one of those mystifying and wonderful things about fishing! It sounds like you are comfortable with Diamond Jigging, so I say stick with it; the heck with what others say. If you are having fun and catching fish that's all that matters.

I have had similar experiences to your own with diamond jigs, especially with Fluke, Sea Bass and Cod. Typically, you will catch fewer fish this way but the ones you land are always nice quality. Remid me to tell you the story some time about my personal best Cod of 54# caught on a diamond jig/rig.

Great read. I have been using diamond jigs for over 10 years and like you said i am very comfortable using them. I had my own boat and on one drift I had to catch over 50 fish in a hour and a half. Had a short striper a blue and over 50 fluke I had my limit I forget what the limit was at that time. I posted all my reports on nor'East but I cant retrieve them. I remember it was a west wind and an incoming tide. We drifted before the roundhouse to the doppler in Jamaica bay. Was a great day. Several years back I went on the ocean eagle in sheepshead bay. I was using my diamond jig and the guy next to me says are you going for blues with that I said I have caught fluke with this. With that not a min after he questioned me I get a hit it's a keeper fluke. But it was fouled hooked he said you got lucky. So I drop the line down and about 30 seconds later I get another hit its another keeper fluke this time in the mouth. I have 2 keepers in the box for me after that it slowed down I was catching sea robins and a short bass meanwhile the guy next to me caught nothing. The captain makes a move fishing slowed down. About 4 min after we stop I get another keeper fluke. The guy next to me looks at me and asks I will give you 10 for one of my jigs I said sure and within 2 minutes of tying it on he had a keeper. We both had our limits and the boat did very well that day.

 

[captmike28]

So, Bassmaster, I think you have been pulling my leg. Sounds like you are quite the expert with Daimond Jogs. Could probably teach me a few things! Being the very competitive fisherman that I am and also needing to stroke my own ego from time to time, I promised to tell you about the 54# Cod that to this day has been my personal best. In my typical style it as a long and rambling story which I think I have posted once before on this board. but since it has come up I might as well 'publish" this short story once again. Besides everyone has a long winter following Christmas and plenty of time for a little light reading. Here goes:

When I first started fishing with my Dad at 8 years of age, we did mostly skiff trips and some inshore Party Boat outings. By the time I reached 10 he felt I could handle an ocean trip and we began doing a few ocean trips for Fluke and by 12 he thought I was ready for some winter action. Because Dad and I did not fish for Stripers or any offshore species the chance to land a Cod of 20 or more pounds represented some of the largest fish I would tangle with as a young teenager. By the way, although some may feel that reeling in a big Cod is like catching an old boot I beg to differ. Sure, every fish has it’s own personality but a Cod of 20+ pounds can give you quite a fight taking plenty of drag and sometimes stonewalling you, as I am about to relay.

During one segment of my life the pursuit of Cod became somewhat of an obsession for me. When I graduated college in 1972 I spent the next 7 summer vacations on camping trips to Nova Scotia with stops both in Bar Harbor and Boothbay Harbor, ME. To be sure I caught a lot of nice Cod in Canada and a few truly impressive 5-6# Winter Flounder on the very same jigs. But Boothbay was the place that really captured me. I found a 6-pack charter boat named the “Codfather” that first year and made trips with Capt. Bill Bibber every summer after that for the next 6 years straight. BTW, Bibber himself was a walking cartoon character, almost a dead ringer for Bluto of Popeye cartoon fame! You will get a good laugh seeing his photo below.

At that time the ME folks fished no bait at all, only the classic style Norwegian Cod jigs with treble hooks. I came on the scene with my East End LI addition of a tube teaser about 18” above the jig and really blew them away with many double headers. You will see in another photo my rig was a, heavy by today’s standards, 7’ Lamiglass blank with a small Daiwa 27 conventional reel spooled with 20# mono; no braid in those days. Most of the drops were between 160-200’ so it was a grueling day of non-stop jigging and long cranks with heavy fish to the surface. I caught many 20-40#+ Cod on those trips, but I was also much younger and in significantly better shape then. Another incredible bonus were the 15-30# Pollock that were also cruising those same drops. Let me tell you even as a young guy trying to winch in a double header of 15#+ Pollock from those depths was exhausting!

I can’t recall the exact year but around ’75,’76 I landed my personal best Cod on one of those trips, a monstrous 54# brute. What a belly on this fish as the photo reveals. To this day I can vividly remember the battle. Since I was using only 20# test line there was no way I could horse that fish in. I got him maybe 30-40’ off the bottom and he made a run back to the rocks and then merely sat still and sulked! I could feel him moving his tail a bit from time to time but that was a tug of war he initially refused to back off from. Finally, my careful but my steady pressure turned his head, and I began to gain line as he stripped drag off on several more attempts to reach his home. One more very special aspect to this trip. Capt. Bibber had gone back to his full-time commercial boat that summer and his mate Herb was running the charters. He knew me well from previous outings, so I was riding with him in the wheelhouse that day. Herb needed to take care of some chores, so he asked me if I knew how to pilot via Loran C (those were the days before GPS). I said sure as I had just installed a new Raytheon Raynav 580 on my own boat a few seasons before that. So, I actually steered the “Codfather” right to the location where I caught my PB Cod!

 

[Roccus7]

So, Bassmaster, I think you have been pulling my leg. Sounds like you are quite the expert with Daimond Jogs. Could probably teach me a few things! Being the very competitive fisherman that I am and also needing to stroke my own ego from time to time, I promised to tell you about the 54# Cod that to this day has been my personal best. In my typical style it as a long and rambling story which I think I have posted once before on this board. but since it has come up I might as well 'publish" this short story once again. Besides everyone has a long winter following Christmas and plenty of time for a little light reading. Here goes:

When I first started fishing with my Dad at 8 years of age, we did mostly skiff trips and some inshore Party Boat outings. By the time I reached 10 he felt I could handle an ocean trip and we began doing a few ocean trips for Fluke and by 12 he thought I was ready for some winter action. Because Dad and I did not fish for Stripers or any offshore species the chance to land a Cod of 20 or more pounds represented some of the largest fish I would tangle with as a young teenager. By the way, although some may feel that reeling in a big Cod is like catching an old boot I beg to differ. Sure, every fish has it’s own personality but a Cod of 20+ pounds can give you quite a fight taking plenty of drag and sometimes stonewalling you, as I am about to relay.

During one segment of my life the pursuit of Cod became somewhat of an obsession for me. When I graduated college in 1972 I spent the next 7 summer vacations on camping trips to Nova Scotia with stops both in Bar Harbor and Boothbay Harbor, ME. To be sure I caught a lot of nice Cod in Canada and a few truly impressive 5-6# Winter Flounder on the very same jigs. But Boothbay was the place that really captured me. I found a 6-pack charter boat named the “Codfather” that first year and made trips with Capt. Bill Bibber every summer after that for the next 6 years straight. BTW, Bibber himself was a walking cartoon character, almost a dead ringer for Bluto of Popeye cartoon fame! You will get a good laugh seeing his photo below.

At that time the ME folks fished no bait at all, only the classic style Norwegian Cod jigs with treble hooks. I came on the scene with my East End LI addition of a tube teaser about 18” above the jig and really blew them away with many double headers. You will see in another photo my rig was a, heavy by today’s standards, 7’ Lamiglass blank with a small Daiwa 27 conventional reel spooled with 20# mono; no braid in those days. Most of the drops were between 160-200’ so it was a grueling day of non-stop jigging and long cranks with heavy fish to the surface. I caught many 20-40#+ Cod on those trips, but I was also much younger and in significantly better shape then. Another incredible bonus were the 15-30# Pollock that were also cruising those same drops. Let me tell you even as a young guy trying to winch in a double header of 15#+ Pollock from those depths was exhausting!

I can’t recall the exact year but around ’75,’76 I landed my personal best Cod on one of those trips, a monstrous 54# brute. What a belly on this fish as the photo reveals. To this day I can vividly remember the battle. Since I was using only 20# test line there was no way I could horse that fish in. I got him maybe 30-40’ off the bottom and he made a run back to the rocks and then merely sat still and sulked! I could feel him moving his tail a bit from time to time but that was a tug of war he initially refused to back off from. Finally, my careful but my steady pressure turned his head, and I began to gain line as he stripped drag off on several more attempts to reach his home. One more very special aspect to this trip. Capt. Bibber had gone back to his full-time commercial boat that summer and his mate Herb was running the charters. He knew me well from previous outings, so I was riding with him in the wheelhouse that day. Herb needed to take care of some chores, so he asked me if I knew how to pilot via Loran C (those were the days before GPS). I said sure as I had just installed a new Raytheon Raynav 580 on my own boat a few seasons before that. So, I actually steered the “Codfather” right to the location where I caught my PB Cod!

View attachment 42187View attachment 42188View attachment 42189View attachment 42190

Great Fish! OK, since you were at the helm, I gotta ask. Jeffreys, Platts or ????

I'd love for you to say it was somewhere just of BBH. Most of the places that the folks out of BBH were a long run for them, making them a longer run for me. According to Barry Gibson, there was one exception of a boat that fished inshore by White's Islands, which has a few spots on "My List", but I've yet to find any Haddock or Pollock bigger than 18" in those waters...

 

[captmike28]

Great Fish! OK, since you were at the helm, I gotta ask. Jeffreys, Platts or ????

I'd love for you to say it was somewhere just of BBH. Most of the places that the folks out of BBH were a long run for them, making them a longer run for me. According to Barry Gibson, there was one exception of a boat that fished inshore by White's Islands, which has a few spots on "My List", but I've yet to find any Haddock or Pollock bigger than 18" in those waters...

OK, Roccus you asked for it, so here is your Christmas present. I actually fished with this guy so often that we became very good friends. I politely asked if he would mind me jotting down some of the areas he fished. Much to my amazement he had no problem disclosing this information, probably figuring some guy from Long Island will never get up to these waters with his own boat. Now that it is 45 years later and, in fact, I have never gotten back to the area with my own boat. So, I guess he was right.

This may be of no help to you at all, especially since the coordinate I am about to list came off an old Loran C receiver. So, I would guess, at best, they will get you in the vicinity of where we fished that day.
13094.5
25865.5

I can't believe I still have this piece of paper in my wallet after all these years.
Honestly, I never took a look at the local charts to see exactly where this drop is located. If you do ever get there and catch a "soaker" then I expect at least one filet as payment!

 

[Roccus7]

OK, Roccus you asked for it, so here is your Christmas present. I actually fished with this guy so often that we became very good friends. I politely asked if he would mind me jotting down some of the areas he fished. Much to my amazement he had no problem disclosing this information, probably figuring some guy from Long Island will never get up to these waters with his own boat. Now that it is 45 years later and, in fact, I have never gotten back to the area with my own boat. So, I guess he was right.

This may be of no help to you at all, especially since the coordinate I am about to list came off an old Loran C receiver. So, I would guess, at best, they will get you in the vicinity of where we fished that day.
13094.5
25865.5

I can't believe I still have this piece of paper in my wallet after all these years.
Honestly, I never took a look at the local charts to see exactly where this drop is located. If you do ever get there and catch a "soaker" then I expect at least one filet as payment!

Fillet?? Crap, if it's closer than a 30 nmi round trip, I'd send more than that, and toss in some lobsters, oysters & clams!!!

Just to verify - You were steaming around 18 nmi SSE once you left BBH, correct? Were you fishing in a deep hole or a bank that ran NE to SW around 200' on the top? Did you get a bunch of redfish where you were fishing too?

I checked the converted Lat/Lon with "My List" and it seems that you were in an area that is within a bunch of Tuna spots Old Mud provided me, pretty much devoid of groundfish in the 45 years that have passed.

 

[Chinacat]

I have nothing to add except to say Thank You to Capt Mike for the informative and entertaining posts!!!
As I’ve said many times before, when Capt Mike shares information, I listen. ALWAYS
Merry Christmas ??

 

[captmike28]

Fillet?? Crap, if it's closer than a 30 nmi round trip, I'd send more than that, and toss in some lobsters, oysters & clams!!!

Just to verify - You were steaming around 18 nmi SSE once you left BBH, correct? Were you fishing in a deep hole or a bank that ran NE to SW around 200' on the top? Did you get a bunch of redfish where you were fishing too?

I checked the converted Lat/Lon with "My List" and it seems that you were in an area that is within a bunch of Tuna spots Old Mud provided me, pretty much devoid of groundfish in the 45 years that have passed.

At the time I was nowhere near earning my Captain's license. As a young but extremely avid angler, I was just thrilled to be steering a charter boat that had already provided me with so many great memories. However, I did not pay close enough attention to some of the details you are asking about. I do recall the heading was SSE but I never saw any Redfish on those trips. The dummy that I was I don't even recall looking at his Sonar display. Once we reached the location all I had on my mind was to get down on deck and drop my line!

I also remember that at the time there was a pretty solid Tuna fishery in this area s Old Mud would probably have a pretty good idea of where we were fishing. Sadly, it is also true the ground fishing along a lot of the Maine coast has taken a serious nosedive for a long time. Back in the mid 70's when I used to frequent the area, even the half day "Tourist Boats" used to be able to catch some Cod on the more local drops. Last time I was in Boothbay, around 2014 all they could scrape together were some Mackerel and small harbor sized Pollock.

Like most things in life when the times change you have to adapt. Much like you have done with the Striped Bass fishery in your neck of the woods which was unheard of when I was sailing with the Codfather.

 

[Roccus7]

At the time I was nowhere near earning my Captain's license. As a young but extremely avid angler, I was just thrilled to be steering a charter boat that had already provided me with so many great memories. However, I did not pay close enough attention to some of the details you are asking about. I do recall the heading was SSE but I never saw any Redfish on those trips. The dummy that I was I don't even recall looking at his Sonar display. Once we reached the location all I had on my mind was to get down on deck and drop my line!

I also remember that at the time there was a pretty solid Tuna fishery in this area s Old Mud would probably have a pretty good idea of where we were fishing. Sadly, it is also true the ground fishing along a lot of the Maine coast has taken a serious nosedive for a long time. Back in the mid 70's when I used to frequent the area, even the half day "Tourist Boats" used to be able to catch some Cod on the more local drops. Last time I was in Boothbay, around 2014 all they could scrape together were some Mackerel and small harbor sized Pollock.

Like most things in life when the times change you have to adapt. Much like you have done with the Striped Bass fishery in your neck of the woods which was unheard of when I was sailing with the Codfather.

Last post from me, we're severely OT...

Sadly, you hit the nail on the head regarding the total demise of Maine groundfishing. There are 5 or so tuna spots within a 10 nmi radius of each other, SSE of BBH, so I have a good idea where you were. For the record, NONE of the BBH charter or head boats target groundfish anymore. There are one or two, that will take the touristas mackerel fishing, but nothing else but striper fishing.

When I'm tuna fishing and get bored, I always drop a Norwegian jig over and have yet to catch anything. Seem to be on the horns of dilemma. I have inshore spots that I always get a keeper at during our limited cod season, but have never seen a haddock at, nor caught a pollock bigger that 16". On the positive side, they're less than a 15 nmi roundtrip from the barn, so the gas bill isn't too bad.

The more "solid" groundfishing spots would mean 50 - 75 nmi trips and since I don't have any experience or hard numbers, I'm extremely loathe to schlep on out on a whim. I just can believe that there aren't some productive spots closer to home around Monhegan Island...

I asked about redfish because there's a "Redfish Bank" spot a bit closer to me on the way to those spots. The couple of times I visited there I did catch reds, but very small so I haven't been back there in a while. Maybe next summer just for giggles, they are nice eating.