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Ridiculous Day on the Island Current III

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Sumo

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January 10, 2010

 

My first Cod Trip this season was a Crew Trip on the Island Current III which is sailing out of Rhode Island for the winter. I was invited on the crew trip and took a ride. Could have gone to montauk and sailed the same waters but being invited sounded great so I had to go.

 

Fished south of block island with a bunch of other boats; the Viking Starship, Rosie, CQ and some others were also out there.

 

Morning was tough. High winds make drifting impossible so all the boats were anchored up. Picked a few cod here and there and by 10, I only had three cod in the cooler. The dogfish started flying over the rails so I took a nap.

 

The afternoon was the complete opposite. The wind had died down and drifting was now the only way to go. There were about 17 people on that boat and on every drift, at least 10 guys were working.

 

Halfway into the third drift, I had my limit (10 fish in rhode island). After I hit my limit, I switched over to jigging. I had been bait fishing all morning and up to this point (high low rigs w/12 ounce lead and clams). I jigged with a 10oz stainless steel jig from Peace Token (picture posted at bottom) and even now, I feel stupid for not switching over earlier. Every drift, I was catching 2-3 cod all bigger than what I had caught on the bait. Also, since there were very few people on the boat, I had the pulpit to myself (bow, where the anchors hang). I would cast into the drift, and squid until the jig was under me. After it passed me, I would do the conventional long weep jigging common to codfishing. Many times, the jig would not get past the boat. When it did, the second to third sweeping motion would be interrupted by a cod on the other end. In the end, on 5 consecutive drifts, I had another 11 fish.

 

When everybody's limit had been reached, including giving away fish to fill the coolers of those who wer less fortunate, Capt. Chris blew the horn three times and we were on our way to a short sail back home.

 

Notes to self:

 

1. Bring waterproof gloves. It was cold out there. Ice on the reels. Codfishing is not blackfishing, you will feel the bites with gloves on.

 

2. Bigger clams produce bigger fish. I was using clam strips. Those using whole clams, four out of five times would land bigger fish.

 

3. Jigging for Codfish is awesome. The cod, especially the bigger ones were spitting up whole herring. The Stainless Steel jig was perfect match.

 

4. Colored line - in the past, it was only for deep fishing, but it proved tremendously helpful here as well. When a certain color was laid on the reel, I knew to brace for a hit, especially with the stupidity of the Cod in this area.

 

5. IC III is an awesome boat. Comfortable to fish with tons of room and an awesome crew.

 

Pictures of stainless steel jig below.

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View Post...I would cast into the drift, and squid until the jig was under me. After it passed me, I would do the conventional long weep jigging common to codfishing..

 

 

I am going out cod fishing next week for the first time and bringing some jigs...what is a long weep jigging method...thanks.

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View PostI am going out cod fishing next week for the first time and bringing some jigs...what is a long weep jigging method...thanks.

 

 

Sorry, that was a typo.

 

I meant to write long sweep jigging technique. Instead of short lifts, you use long sweeps. Basically, you want to have the jig touching bottom when your rod is facing all the way down. You then lift your rod all the way up, effectively making the jig move up in the water as well. You the drop your rod back down and repeat the motion. Do it nice and slowly. You don't want to be jerking it up; its not diamondjigging for bluefish. Then again, some dys, fish want something you may not think they would want.

 

Just observe others on the trip and I guarantee you will figure out what this technique is all about. Of the different techniques, its the easiest one to see someone else perform.

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View PostI thought the pulpit is the place where a priest gives his sermon from. Imagine codfishing in a church.biggrin.gif

 

JUst looked and saw the IC III is the old Sea Otter from Montauk. That is a nice boat.

 

Spigwink.gif

 

 

It's pretty holy up there when you are all alone and every cast produces a codfish. smile.gif

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  • 3 weeks later...

Went out again on the Island Current III out of Rhode Island and banged them up again.

 

Weatherman said it would be 2-4's but he must have been smoking crack because when we got to the fishing grounds, we were greeted with 2x4's. Steady 8 footers with the bigger rogue wave in the mix. I was fishing the bow once again and at times, I would be able to lean over the rail and touch the water. kooky.gif

 

Still, there were fish and before 12pm, I had 12 in the box. You had to actually work for them, but if you knew what you were doing, you got fish. After 2pm, the wind died down and we were finally greeted with the 2-4's the weatherman predicted. They were actually more like 2's. We picked up the anchor, made a quick move and started drifting. On every single drift, 80% of the people on the boat were hooked up.

 

I brought a friend with me this time who unfortunately was sick all morning. Dry heaving all morning, I felt bad, but hey, we are on a fishing boat, right? I ain't nursing your ass. He can tell you how good the fishing was. He finally was consious enought around 2:30 to start fishing and I poop you not, by 2:58, which was after three drifts, he had his limit. One person said, man, if my friend is catching fish, it must be paved down there. And for a good hour and a half, it seemed like it. As soon as you hit bottom, you had fish.

 

At the end of the day, I had 18 + or - 1 or two fish in the cooler. Those who were less fortunate, and the mates got some of my fish.

 

Jigs weren't so good today, although I saw people on other boats doing really well on them. I asked the captain what was up and he said, if only one person is jigging, fish may not follow it, whereas if many people were jigging, the fish would think its a school of bait and actually pursue and commit. Made sense to me.

 

May head up again tomorrow evening to fish on Wednesday. Weather looks good, but Im going to dramamine it up anyway.

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