Cod Are Back.
After a virtual disappearance during the early nineties, followed by picky fishing in recent years, this year's Cod action is red hot at Montauk, NY. News of 200, 300 and even 800 cod per boat per trip (for party fishing boats carrying 60 fares) recently began blitzing the fishermen's network. To confirm the reports, I booked a fare on the Viking Starship on March 13. Here's how we did--and how we did it.
Though its early spring, the Atlantic is still winter-rough. So booking a fare on a party boat like the 106-foot Viking Starship is the best way to go, even for guys like me who own seaworthy private boats. Our "calm day" consisted of a 3 AM departure and 2.5 hours of slogging through 4-6 waves and 38-degree water, in the dark, and with the wind gusting to 25, to reach the grounds. I slept in the bunkroom on the way out.
Note these "small" ( 45-foot) private boats and how much they are rocking--and the wind had laid down a bit after sunup.
Though we went midweek, it was still a full boat. We arrived at 11:30PM and staked out the choice stern position to avoid the crowding and increased tangles that result when fishing along the sides of the boat. At the stern, your line never goes under the boat and you are right there at the mates' bait station to select the choicest offerings ( skimmer clam).
