Jump to content

Cod/Bottom fishing in February

Rate this topic


Crabcakes

Recommended Posts

On 1/25/2021 at 11:00 PM, Crabcakes said:

Hi all,

 

Recently moved back to the East Coast (NYC) after a time out West. I am looking to do some bottom fishing in mid February. I am very experienced fishing on the west coast for ling cod, rock cod, and halibut and in NC for snapper/grouper. So I know the general idea of deepwater bottomfishing and jigging but was hoping for your advice on some specifics. Some of this is Long Island specific but I think it's general enough to fit better here with the deepwater degenerates. Apologies if I am wrong.

 

1. I'm primarily fishing waters in Long Island, from further West by NYC out to Montauk. what weights do people generally run on jigs here? Online recommendations are kind of a mess of things recommending up to 20oz. My gut tells me it would more typically be like 8-12oz in waters local to me but could use some clarification.

2. Do guys ever fish softbaits or other plastics for cod? I generally see folks online using diamond jigs, norwegian jigs etc. I ask because I fished soft plastics really productively in some other deepwater fisheries.

3. Do Long Island boats do well enough on cod in Feb or should I look to drive a bit farther?

4. Do people have a recommendation on party boats on Long Island? Willing to fish near or far to the city.

 

If any of this is stupid set me straight. Thanks for your help.

 

This is some of my favorite kind of fishing. In winter it's a great cure for cabin fever when few others options exist, though warmer weather is more comfortable and requires much less specialized clothing.

The overwhelmingly obvious challenge here is finding the fish, as they can be elusive.

As far as gear, one can keep it pretty simple w/ a high - lo rig and clam and a couple basic Norwegian style or even hammered diamond jigs. Or as in my circumstance, obsess and over complicate it w/ a crazy variety of jigs and teasers. 

For me the best part is eating them. Hard to beat fresh fish & chips, chowder, or fish cakes. Cod, haddock and pollack are all tasty. Even the bycatch of cusk and hake aren't bad.

I must admit, due to covid, it's been way to long since I've done this type of fishing and miss it badly. 

Best of luck, fave fun and post a report if you go!

JD.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, jjdbike said:

This is some of my favorite kind of fishing. In winter it's a great cure for cabin fever when few others options exist, though warmer weather is more comfortable and requires much less specialized clothing.

The overwhelmingly obvious challenge here is finding the fish, as they can be elusive.

As far as gear, one can keep it pretty simple w/ a high - lo rig and clam and a couple basic Norwegian style or even hammered diamond jigs. Or as in my circumstance, obsess and over complicate it w/ a crazy variety of jigs and teasers. 

For me the best part is eating them. Hard to beat fresh fish & chips, chowder, or fish cakes. Cod, haddock and pollack are all tasty. Even the bycatch of cusk and hake aren't bad.

I must admit, due to covid, it's been way to long since I've done this type of fishing and miss it badly. 

Best of luck, fave fun and post a report if you go!

JD.

 

I was the same way on the west coast-piles of jigs and teasers when I probably needed about 4 things for the lingcod out there. Its fun though. Are you fishing LI waters? Any boats you regularly go on? 

213 fish species caught to date

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Crabcakes said:

 

I was the same way on the west coast-piles of jigs and teasers when I probably needed about 4 things for the lingcod out there. Its fun though. Are you fishing LI waters? Any boats you regularly go on? 

Ha ha, yes... OCD, the struggle is real.

im at work now. Illl reply when I can.

JD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/25/2021 at 11:00 PM, Crabcakes said:

Hi all,

 

Recently moved back to the East Coast (NYC) after a time out West. I am looking to do some bottom fishing in mid February. I am very experienced fishing on the west coast for ling cod, rock cod, and halibut and in NC for snapper/grouper. So I know the general idea of deepwater bottomfishing and jigging but was hoping for your advice on some specifics. Some of this is Long Island specific but I think it's general enough to fit better here with the deepwater degenerates. Apologies if I am wrong.

 

1. I'm primarily fishing waters in Long Island, from further West by NYC out to Montauk. what weights do people generally run on jigs here? Online recommendations are kind of a mess of things recommending up to 20oz. My gut tells me it would more typically be like 8-12oz in waters local to me but could use some clarification.

2. Do guys ever fish softbaits or other plastics for cod? I generally see folks online using diamond jigs, norwegian jigs etc. I ask because I fished soft plastics really productively in some other deepwater fisheries.

3. Do Long Island boats do well enough on cod in Feb or should I look to drive a bit farther?

4. Do people have a recommendation on party boats on Long Island? Willing to fish near or far to the city.

 

If any of this is stupid set me straight. Thanks for your help.

 

1.   Jig weights you've got covered if you sort through all the BS above.. I fish lighter gear so I'll usually opt for lighter jigs.. I frequently get away with 6oz, even as low as 100/120g sometimes.. deeper areas with better current like montauk you'll wind up using the upper range.. or on days where there's a stiff ground swell, but these typically aren't very productive fishing days IMO.. 

FWIW, on an average day I find high/low bait rig gets picked up much quicker than a jig.. even though I do enjoy jigging em up, I'll usually resort to bait to fill the box.. or I'll deadstick small circle while I jig a bit with another rod.. 

 

2.   IME, Soft plastics work as teasers.. squids, grubs, etc all get some attention if you find a bite.. that's the difficult part, finding the bite...

 

3.   Long island boats do not generally do well on winter cod.. with some exceptions, the majority of the open boats will just be a waste of time and money.. they will endlessly post pics on social media of fish that were caught years ago, and then they will anchor you up on a desolate patch of ocean and watch people loose lead for a few hours before blowing the horn and ferrying everyone back to their cars.. much more so out of captree than Montauk.. captree boats like the Laura Lee run ocean cod trips almost daily and really push the social media hard, don't be fooled, people rarely catch actual cod on these trips.. plus, your likely to wind up fishing next to a guy with a 9 foot surf rod, with a spinning reel, held upside down, dropping the lightest weights possible, and tangling up every man down current from them over and over and over again.. which is more than my limited patience can tolerate.

 

4.   The king cod, as mentioned above, is a reputable boat. Joe will find a bite if there's a bite to be found. One of the only guys I know of who will actually go the extra mile to get some fish on the deck.. he does run open boats, but books up quickly..

the Montauk fleet is hit or miss.. they are the most expensive and they will nickel and dime you for absolutely everything.. (had a 12 man charter on the Viking 5star cancelled last week, got sucked into it w some buddies.. I've personally never been happier to have a charter cancel).. they all go to the same areas around block and it's really just a guessing game to see if cod will show up or not.. usually some ground fish to be caught though, lots of doggies too.. 

 

 

I get out a few times a month for cod and usually do fairly well, but it's mostly on private boats and it's a few friends each time, so we aren't dropping 30 rigs on the same piece and picking it clean..

 

Psa: good luck keeping a thread on track down here. Sorting through the bs for the pertinent info becomes more annoying than anything else.. better off posting in the main, topics stay on track a little easier and you'll get a fair shake of average to good advice from a larger group of individuals.. many who won't venture down this far.. 

 

Good luck bud.. hope you find some winter action.. 

Edited by Beachglass Guru
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Beachglass Guru said:

1.   Jig weights you've got covered if you sort through all the BS above.. I fish lighter gear so I'll usually opt for lighter jigs.. I frequently get away with 6oz, even as low as 100/120g sometimes.. deeper areas with better current like montauk you'll wind up using the upper range.. or on days where there's a stiff ground swell, but these typically aren't very productive fishing days IMO.. 

FWIW, on an average day I find high/low bait rig gets picked up much quicker than a jig.. even though I do enjoy jigging em up, I'll usually resort to bait to fill the box.. or I'll deadstick small circle while I jig a bit with another rod.. 

 

2.   IME, Soft plastics work as teasers.. squids, grubs, etc all get some attention if you find a bite.. that's the difficult part, finding the bite...

 

3.   Long island boats do not generally do well on winter cod.. with some exceptions, the majority of the open boats will just be a waste of time and money.. they will endlessly post pics on social media of fish that were caught years ago, and then they will anchor you up on a desolate patch of ocean and watch people loose lead for a few hours before blowing the horn and ferrying everyone back to their cars.. much more so out of captree than Montauk.. captree boats like the Laura Lee run ocean cod trips almost daily and really push the social media hard, don't be fooled, people rarely catch actual cod on these trips.. plus, your likely to wind up fishing next to a guy with a 9 foot surf rod, with a spinning reel, held upside down, dropping the lightest weights possible, and tangling up every man down current from them over and over and over again.. which is more than my limited patience can tolerate.

 

4.   The king cod, as mentioned above, is a reputable boat. Joe will find a bite if there's a bite to be found. One of the only guys I know of who will actually go the extra mile to get some fish on the deck.. he does run open boats, but books up quickly..

the Montauk fleet is hit or miss.. they are the most expensive and they will nickel and dime you for absolutely everything.. (had a 12 man charter on the Viking 5star cancelled last week, got sucked into it w some buddies.. I've personally never been happier to have a charter cancel).. they all go to the same areas around block and it's really just a guessing game to see if cod will show up or not.. usually some ground fish to be caught though, lots of doggies too.. 

 

 

I get out a few times a month for cod and usually do fairly well, but it's mostly on private boats and it's a few friends each time, so we aren't dropping 30 rigs on the same piece and picking it clean..

 

Psa: good luck keeping a thread on track down here. Sorting through the bs for the pertinent info becomes more annoying than anything else.. better off posting in the main, topics stay on track a little easier and you'll get a fair shake of average to good advice from a larger group of individuals.. many who won't venture down this far.. 

 

Good luck bud.. hope you find some winter action.. 

I looked into the King Cod thanks. I'd rather spend a little more-my bottom fish open boat trips out west were a little spendy too, but we caught fish and didn't have to deal with much nonsense.

213 fish species caught to date

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Beachglass Guru said:

1.   Jig weights you've got covered if you sort through all the BS above.. I fish lighter gear so I'll usually opt for lighter jigs.. I frequently get away with 6oz, even as low as 100/120g sometimes.. deeper areas with better current like montauk you'll wind up using the upper range.. or on days where there's a stiff ground swell, but these typically aren't very productive fishing days IMO.. 

FWIW, on an average day I find high/low bait rig gets picked up much quicker than a jig.. even though I do enjoy jigging em up, I'll usually resort to bait to fill the box.. or I'll deadstick small circle while I jig a bit with another rod.. 

 

2.   IME, Soft plastics work as teasers.. squids, grubs, etc all get some attention if you find a bite.. that's the difficult part, finding the bite...

 

3.   Long island boats do not generally do well on winter cod.. with some exceptions, the majority of the open boats will just be a waste of time and money.. they will endlessly post pics on social media of fish that were caught years ago, and then they will anchor you up on a desolate patch of ocean and watch people loose lead for a few hours before blowing the horn and ferrying everyone back to their cars.. much more so out of captree than Montauk.. captree boats like the Laura Lee run ocean cod trips almost daily and really push the social media hard, don't be fooled, people rarely catch actual cod on these trips.. plus, your likely to wind up fishing next to a guy with a 9 foot surf rod, with a spinning reel, held upside down, dropping the lightest weights possible, and tangling up every man down current from them over and over and over again.. which is more than my limited patience can tolerate.

 

4.   The king cod, as mentioned above, is a reputable boat. Joe will find a bite if there's a bite to be found. One of the only guys I know of who will actually go the extra mile to get some fish on the deck.. he does run open boats, but books up quickly..

the Montauk fleet is hit or miss.. they are the most expensive and they will nickel and dime you for absolutely everything.. (had a 12 man charter on the Viking 5star cancelled last week, got sucked into it w some buddies.. I've personally never been happier to have a charter cancel).. they all go to the same areas around block and it's really just a guessing game to see if cod will show up or not.. usually some ground fish to be caught though, lots of doggies too.. 

 

 

I get out a few times a month for cod and usually do fairly well, but it's mostly on private boats and it's a few friends each time, so we aren't dropping 30 rigs on the same piece and picking it clean..

 

Psa: good luck keeping a thread on track down here. Sorting through the bs for the pertinent info becomes more annoying than anything else.. better off posting in the main, topics stay on track a little easier and you'll get a fair shake of average to good advice from a larger group of individuals.. many who won't venture down this far.. 

 

Good luck bud.. hope you find some winter action.. 

If you don't like it here stay the **** out. It's really simple. Thank you for understanding. 

The Magnificent Presence
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Beachglass Guru said:

 Long island boats do not generally do well on winter cod.. with some exceptions, the majority of the open boats will just be a waste of time and money.. they will endlessly post pics on social media of fish that were caught years ago, and then they will anchor you up on a desolate patch of ocean and watch people loose lead for a few hours before blowing the horn and ferrying everyone back to their cars.. much more so out of captree than Montauk.. captree boats like the Laura Lee run ocean cod trips almost daily and really push the social media hard, don't be fooled, people rarely catch actual cod on these trips.. plus, your likely to wind up fishing next to a guy with a 9 foot surf rod, with a spinning reel, held upside down, dropping the lightest weights possible, and tangling up every man down current from them over and over and over again.. which is more than my limited patience can tolerate.

I got a news flash for you, there aren't any cod out there.  The last decent body of fish that used to school up southeast of block every winter has been beaten to death and the fishery is done.  Much like winter flounder and whiting.  Tog are next.  Save your money and stay warm instead of going winter cod wishing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, quiknet said:

I got a news flash for you, there aren't any cod out there.  The last decent body of fish that used to school up southeast of block every winter has been beaten to death and the fishery is done.  Much like winter flounder and whiting.  Tog are next.  Save your money and stay warm instead of going winter cod wishing.

Even 10 years ago that fishery lasted all of about 5 days each year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to register here in order to participate.

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


×
×
  • Create New...