Me and Dave Turner "droppedit" on this board went out Haddock and Pollock fishing yesterday with Eastman's Fishing Fleet out of Seabrook NH. It was cool but a really nice day for mid January with temps in high 30s to low 40s and seas pretty much calm other than a slight ripple !! We went out to Jeffries Ledge around 20 miles off shore so great conditions for January. Fishing was really good with the Haddock biting as soon as your gear hit bottom we were using squid for bait and I think I only changed bait once in the hour and a half it took me to catch my 15 Haddock limit. It seemed like you got a more solid hook set with less bait so more hook showing and they weren't picky at all !!!!!! There weren't many Pollock around at least not hungry ones as I only saw a handful caught and not to big maybe an 8 pounder won the pool. Both Dave and I caught 25 Haddock plus apice in total but limit is 15 only ;). both Dave and I tried jigging with poor results they wanted bait !!
A really nice day of fishing for winter off New England !! John Taylor
Nice, I have wanted to catch a haddock for years.
Nicely done John
Looks like decent ocean and good fishing !!
-Ted
Yesterday is what it is all about. I've been fishing Jefferies for over 50 years and never seen a Haddock bite like that. Then again, I've never been out in the middle of January. Like John said as soon as you hit bottom you had a bite. We got a few nice double headers but most of the fish I picked up were on the bottom hook. I've never been a fan of circle hooks but gave them a try yesterday and after I pulled the bait out of their mouths a few times I got the hang of pulling slow and letting the fish set the hook. I've never been a big bait fan as I much rather jig. After getting my limit I went back to the jig in search of some pollack but they never did make it. I always have a good time when on a trip with John but did miss not having Brenda's cookies yesterday ;)
If anyone gets the chance they should really get in touch with Eastman's while things are still crazy out there.
Dave
Quote from: Keta on January 15, 2020, 04:05:57 PM
Nice, I have wanted to catch a haddock for years.
Lee just start driving east call me when you see the Atlantic LOL !!!! John
Haven't caught Haddock since 1968! Coool to see.
Quote from: Lunker Larry on January 16, 2020, 02:32:09 AM
Haven't caught Haddock since 1968! Coool to see.
In the late 70's - 80's if a haddock was caught, the mates would walk it around the boat and show people what they looked like. Finally the marine fisheries stepped in and closed Jefferies Ledge to dragging and then even gill nets and within a couple of years the haddock made a good comeback. Last Spring we had a hard time trying to catch Ocean perch because of the haddock, which the season was closed till April 1. It's good to see management work and hopefully in my lifetime I'd like to see a good cod stock return with a recreational fishery.
Dave
That is stellar weather for January !! Nice job. I assume they are great eating ? What is preferred cod, haddock or pollock?
Cheers:
Todd
Thanks for the report & pics Dave, I am surprized they allow you to take 15/ person, if you were in Australia, some of the average fish quota is 8 or less, cheers Don.
It's great to hear that fishery managers figured out away to help haddock recover. I doubt I'll ever fish them but it's good to hear encouraging stories about fish recoveries. In my part of the world -- SE Alaska -- things are not so encouraging. King salmon are in the worst shape they have been in in the 25 yers I have lived here, although my understanding is that some king salmon fishing will be allowed in 2020. Rockfish are in worse shape: The limit is zero on non-pelagic rockfish, and almost zero on pelagic rockfish.
What depth is that fishing at?
It ain't a party until somebody pukes!
Alaska does not regulate fishing by depth, so you can fish any depth you want for rockfish. If you drop down 600 or 800 feet you're likely to catch large (and old) rougheye, yelloweye, and other species. What needs tp be done is to regulate fishing on reefs within a hour of coastal villages and towns. Here the reefs have been devastated and the fish are tiny because they don't have a chance to grow.
Quote from: akfish on January 26, 2020, 12:32:11 AM
Alaska does not regulate fishing by depth, so you can fish any depth you want for rockfish. If you drop down 600 or 800 feet you're likely to catch large (and old) rougheye, yelloweye, and other species. What needs tp be done is to regulate fishing on reefs within a hour of coastal villages and towns. Here the reefs have been devastated and the fish are tiny because they don't have a chance to grow.
Washington coastal waters is experiencing huge recovery of yelloweye and other bottom feeders. No more bottom draggers and hook & line using descending devices has had the biggest impact to the unexpected fast rate of recovery, but doubtful it'll ever return to days when we could keep yelloweye.
We were fishing between 250' and just over 300' and it was calm enough to use the wind sock so we had fairly long drifts probably a half hour or so then Capt. would reposition the boat and start over. He anchored up later in the day but fishing had slowed and we didn't do so good then !! Fishing has since slowed and seas haven't been so good lately ! Glad we went when we did. John Taylor
Capt Nicole (last pic) cuts the best filets I have ever seen.
Fast clean no wasted motion no wasted meat.
John do you ever get out on any of the charters on Eastmans ?
we may have fished together if so, I fish with Marc's crowd alot.
I am already booked on the first two haddock charters in April
Nicole's mother Brenda lives with me and I go out with Eastman's often and Brenda goes all the time!! Nicole was at my house last Friday and Saturday !! I know many people there !!!We have been on a lot of there Fipp's trips as well. John
small world ;D
I'm pretty sure I have fished with Brenda on a trip or two, either open boat or fishark charter.
I think I was admiring a Penn reel of hers (maybe a YTS with a tiburon frame, I forget the details) and we chatted briefly.
Can't wait to get out there again. my friend was out yesterday and it was a haddock beatdown again (something like 15 people no-showed, he had most of the side to himself).
Tuesday looks like the best day of the week. 2 foot seas every 11 seconds and no wind. I'll be there ;)
Dave
Can't do it Tuesday Dave got a few things planned already ! Good Luck ! Post your catch. John Taylor
Here is a video of the chaos on the water today. As good as the Jan.14th trip was, this was even better. Everywhere you look you would see doubles and triples coming over the rail. I stayed fishing with the jig and fly about 24 inches above and did get a few doubles with that. We anchored twice, the first drop didn't produce but after a very short move there was no need to go any further. Flat seas, warm temps, and Captain Tory made the perfect combination for the whole boat to limit out on Haddock. Next trip for me won't be until the end of March when we'll target Ocean Perch (the most tasty fish out there IMO). If anyone can get out there now, it doesn't get much better than this.
Dave
https://player.vimeo.com/video/389325619
Looks like I should have gone !!!! You certainly don't see that kind of fishing or sea conditions in February very often. Good for you Dave !!! John Taylor
Nice catch! I lived in southern Maine in the mid 80's. Great cod, pollack, cusk and wolfish fishing back then. Haddock were very scarce. I think I caught 2 in the 3 years I lived there.
Good post John, nice video Dave thanks, cheers Don
Quote from: Bill_N on February 09, 2020, 10:50:15 PM
Nice catch! I lived in southern Maine in the mid 80's. Great cod, pollack, cusk and wolfish fishing back then. Haddock were very scarce. I think I caught 2 in the 3 years I lived there.
Bill
When I was young we fished on the boat "EZ" out of York Harbor, Me The owner was Lawrence Grant and we fished around Boone Island a lot. Lots of big Cod, Cusk and Wolf fish also Pollock but like you almost no Haddock ! John Taylor
John, I lived in Arundel and had a 20' Wellcraft at the time. Most of the time I fished out of the Saco River on my boat but took a few party boat trips. There were a couple boats out of Kennebunk that fished Jefferies and Platts. The haddock were caught on the offshore trips but I could cover the floor of my Wellcraft with cod in one drift at times back then fishing 10-12 miles out.
Bill