It’s hard to imagine why anyone would make the time to head off- shore once the holiday season arrives yet, for many Long Island anglers, wintertime codfishing holds an allure that’s hard to deny. Perhaps it’s the chance to land a big fish or, maybe, it’s the succulent, flaky white flesh of this species that causes anglers to wake at ungodly hours and commence the drive down to the water. Probably, it’s a combination of the two, plus the desire to be in the company of other diehard codfishermen, for these anglers are indeed a special breed.
No matter the motivation, local codfishing begins with a few South Shore and Montauk open boats setting sail on serious offshore wreck trips later this month. Many of these ventures hedge their bets by targeting sea bass, pollock, ling, tilefish and other tasty treats at the same time – but it’s the chance to connect with baccala that has me heading out the door with such great anticipation. True, codfishing is but a shadow of itself these days, but your chance of scoring with a big fish are actually better during the regular football season than they are during the play-offs as the wrecks have yet to be picked clean.
I’m proud to count myself among the codfish addicted for I simply love the game. I enjoy every aspect of the sport but, to me, at least, the best part is the opportunity to learn by watching and talking to other codfish regulars at the rail. Doing so is a quick route to improving your own codfishing success.
A LIGHT TOUCH HELPS
One great tip I picked up years ago has helped literally double my scores on days when the codfish put on their soft bite act. It’s a trick that works for blackfish as well. On this particular day, I was fishing next to a 75-year-old gentleman who had over 60 years of party boat codfishing experience. After two hours of fishing, he already had twice as many cod in the cooler as I did. Since I considered myself a hot- shot cod fisherman at the time, the thought of being outscored so badly was edging under my skin.
“Missed another one!” I muttered aloud as a gentle bite cleaned my hook. The fish were barely mouthing the bait on this chilly day. I had missed three strikes in a row and my attempts to drive the hook home were growing ever-more aggressive.
“You’re pulling the hook right out of the fish’s mouth, son” offered the elder statesman. Lift that rod a little more easily the next time you get a bite.”
He was right. I was setting the hook as though every fish was a 30-pounder and that probably was the reason the five to eight-pound cod that were down below wouldn’t stay on the line. As I watched my rail-mate connect with his next two fish, I noticed he hardly set the hook at all. In fact, it almost looked as though he was just reeling up to check his baits until the rod took on a big set.
“When I was younger,” he went on to explain, “I used to bury the hook so deep in the fish you needed a pliers to get it out. Now, I’m not as strong but I catch more cod than ever. The secret is to lift easily so the hook just starts to grab inside the fish’s mouth. Once that cod feels the point start to stick he’ll turn and set the hook himself. Just cranking up slow-and-steady keeps the hook in place. It’s really important to set the hook easy when smaller cod are around. Yank too hard and you’ll just tear the hook right out of the fish’s mouth.”
It’s a tough route to go, setting the hook lightly. It runs completely counter my instincts and to this day I have to remind myself, time and again, to ease up. Whenever I do, however, I almost immediately notice an improvement in my bite to hook-up ratio.
WORK THE FLURRIES
Another great tip I’ve garnered from along the rails on a party boat codfish trip is to be aware of flurries in the action and make the most of each. For instance, the first ten minutes at a new spot often see several aggressive fish come quickly over the rail, but there can also be a secondary surge about half-an-hour after this initial one dies out.
When the boat first settles over a new piece of bottom, take your time getting a line in the water. In fact, allow anglers on both sides of you to get down first, wait for their lines to straighten out, and then pick a trajectory for your line so that it will be less likely to tangle. Once your line is on the bottom, keep it there for the first ten minutes unless you are absolutely positive your bait has been stolen. Doing so will give you a good chance at hooking up.
After five to 15 minutes, the initial surge of activity at most spots tends to drop into a progressively slowing pick. This is the result of the all the aggressive fish being reeled up. Eventually, the pick draws down to a lull. Once the lull commences, you’ve still got to be on top of things because now, with the smaller and feistier predators and scavengers gone, some of the more cautious – and, perhaps bigger – fish finally get the opportunity to commit. Pool fish are often taken during secondary spurts, most of which last just a few minutes. Activity spurts, by the way, can happen at any point during the day. Watch carefully and you’ll notice how a slow pick builds, often quickly, into a spurt. Check your baits and rigs, get down on the bottom and start paying close attention to your line. In other words, make sure to cash in before the action dies out.
STUCK ON BOTTOM? THERE’S HOPE
How much trouble do you have getting your line back once it’s been snagged in a wreck or on the bottom? It’s a frustrating prospect even for experts but there have been times when I’ve handed my rod over to a party boat mate after several minutes of trying to free a rig and within seconds, my hooks are free. What’s the secret: slack and leverage.
If you feel you line getting caught, try to gently bounce it free. Feel for the sinker and simply walk your line along the bottom. A good rule to keep in mind is “give it some slack and you’ll get it back.” Should that not be the case, you’ll eventually need to tug hard. If you’re going to tug, do it right. Reel down until your rod points almost straight down at the water. Next take your line and loop it two times around the circumference of your conventional reel. Now, using the reel instead of your hand to lock the line tight, and keeping the pole pointed straight down toward the water, lift up strong and steady. You’ll probably snap the line at a knot, but a surprising number of rigs do pull free using this strong-armed technique.
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