04-14-2001, 11:35 PM
STELLWAGEN BANK, MA- Cod Fishing 4/12/01<br><br>A new charge of larger cod moved into the shoal-water on Stellwagen this past week starting on Sunday,<br>April 8th. Six of B-Fast’s charter boats were able to get out on a marginal forecast complicated with high-course Moon tides. Earl Harris’s 3-boat charter from Jamaica, NY fished on the DECISIVE, ALLIA and DRIFTER. Tom Sudol’s “Split-charter” (Rochelle Park,NJ) with Art O’Hanlon and friend Chuck (Amity Hbr.,NY) fished on the JANET B with Capt. Al. While, Raymond Polanco’s group from New York, NY and Jeff Savarese’s group fished the SASHAMY and the HACKER, respectively. <br><br>Even though the SE wind was due to increase, whipping up the sea, and strong tides were anticipated, all the groups found the cod aggressively feeding, taking the jigs and teasers with reckless abandon, as sometimes occurs prior to the passage of a low pressure system. Capt. Al on the JANET B, reported the best fishing of the season, boating mostly market cod, some big pollock, one wolfish and 10 steakers over 20 pounds. Art O’Hanlon called, arms still weary, to tell of cod fishing the likes of which he has never seen and the big one that his friend , Chuck, dropped at the boat—close to 30 pounds, of course! Similar reports were the rule on Sunday, building seas to 3-6 ft, Mal de Mer, fish boxes full of 10-15 pound cod with few in the 20’s, and early departures to Green Harbor to beat the low-tide run-out. <br><br>Mark Zamboni’s group, from Danville, PA, found calm seas and the codfish cooperative again on Monday as did Steve Steckman’s (Long Island, NY) split-charter fishing on Capt. Scott’s DECISIVE. Mostly market-cod to 15 pounds, with a few pollock mixed in, was the days catch. Kevin Cole’s (Lake Hopatcong, NJ) annual cod trip to Stellwagen produced similar results on Tuesday---10 cod between 10 and 20 pounds and a boat-load of mostly medium cod. Jim Owen’s group from Dayville,CT, found the fishing more difficult and the cod and bait more scattered. They still managed a decent catch with a few cod in the 15 pound class. Rough seas warranted charter cancellations on Thursday.<br><br>Capt. Mike Bartlett<br>B-Fast Charters<br>www.bfastcharters.com <br><br><br>Capt. Mike Bartlett<br>B-Fast Charters<br>www.bfastcharters.com