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DOUBLE - DIPPING

By: Zach Harvey "The Fisherman"

FAUN BAR'S FLOUNDER, COD, AND MORE

DOUBLE - DIPPING

 

FAUN BAR'S FLOUNDER, COD, AND MORE

YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE LONG RIDE TO CATCH COD

In the context of early-season fishing opportunities, there's a tendency toward over-reporting. Since most of us, in the early stages, haven't yet become jaded by a handful of really lock - and load trips, a few keepers sometimes seems like "droves of larger fish showing every day".

Some would call fisherman embellishes or even liars.  I believe were optimists. So when I caught wind of fast - paced cod fishing within earshot of the Boston mainland, I entertained the reports with a cautious ear. Particularly for the guys who hail from New England's southern reaches, where skunkings are par for the course in nearshore cod fishing, it's hard to envision a realistic cod fishery within 5 minutes of the beach.

But there is... Pete Santini, the skipper at Fishing finatics, called in early May and we made a plan to head out for some light tackle cod and flounder fishing around Boston Harbor. Fishing plans made a week out have a way of ushering in prolonged stretches of NE wind, but this time, we hit a perfect window with light winds and clear skies.

After meeting up with Pete Santini and Capt.Dennis DeCarney at Fishing Finatics in Everett, we headed for Avalon Marina, loaded the gear into Dennis' 30-foot Trpohy Walkaround, "Drop A Line" and headed for the grounds. Most of my associations with cod fishing involve long steams, small pieces, and heavy tackle.

This trip blew most of those notions out of the water. Just as the boat hit plane, we slowed to an idle and Pete handed us medium-weight spinning gear and a couple of his famous Chicoteague rigs.

Stunned, we attached the the rigs and threaded choice seaworms onto the  chartreuse double hooks. Our first drift, out in the channel just north of Spectacle Island, yielded no cod. In the preceding days, Dennis and Pete had located good numbers of cod chasing herring through that area.

When herring are the main forage - especially in early May through June - small diamond jigs tipped with grubs ( or 6 to 8 - ounce crippled herring type jigs ) are the go-to method. On this particular day, we arrived in the channel just as the tide began to flood, so we opted to try outside Deer Island, in the stretch between Faun Bar and Winthrop Highlands.

All less than 15 minutes from the slip in Everett. ZEROING IN....OR NOT A few drifts off Port Shirley in 15 to 25 feet of water produced the day's first fish, a fine red - bellied keeper cod of around 5 pounds. Eager to set up shop, we headed for Faun Bar, a 3 - minute steam south. Again, those who target cod in southern New England often fish small pieces of bottom, ones that require an exact setup. Missing a rock pile by 15 feet will often mean no hookups.

Not so at Faun Bar. While there's pronounced structure in the area: drop-offs and accompanying rip lines, rock piles, and so forth - we set up along an edge and dropped a chum pot loaded with Double Strike Flounder Chum. To this, Capt. Dennis added some clam valves and a few bellies. Though there was no drastic structure, the chum drew fish in the general area to us.

That's a feature of early to mid-May fishing around shallow structure in Boston Harbor. Once bluefish arrive in force, cod will hang closer to structure for protection, demanding more precise anchoring. CHUMMING AND WAITING The general rule, according to Capt. Dennis, is to soak the chum pot for 15 or 20 minutes. If there are no signs of life, haul anchor and set up elsewhere. It's a good idea to bring extra chum in case you're forced to make a few moves to locate fish. Within 5 minutes of setting up at faun Bar, we connected with a few short cod, indicating more fish in the area. for the next 3 hours ( coinciding with the middle of the incoming tide ), we hit sporadic shots of cod and flounder.

The lack of pronounced structure gave fish little reason to stay right under the boat, but at regular intervals, a shot of fish would come across the fish finder like a massive cloud. Every time they came through, we'd pick a few.

FORGET THE SANDBAG ANALOGY

We've all heard about how cod fight like a    sandbag or an old shoe. I would suggest all who prescribe to that theory try their hands at extracting cod from 25 feet of water. I've always been amazed by how much more aggressive fluke are when they're feeding in shallow water.

It's the same scenario with cod in the shallows of Boston Harbor. For whatever reason, these fish hit like the hammers of hell, and will actually take drag as they head back for the bottom. Couple these unusually aggressive fighters with scaled down bottom fishing tackle ( spinning or conventional ), and you've got a battle on your hands. RIGGING UP AND BAITING UP The benefit to using Santini's Chico rigs is that they will harvest cod and flounder with equal efficiency.

The thin-wire wide gap hooks will hit home in a flounder's tiny beak, or pierce the corner of a 28-inch cod's mouth. Though clams can be effective baits, sea worms are definitely the preferred bait. For a full day, be sure to take a flat of sea worms - especially if you'll be inviting the boys from The Fisherman, whose skill for translating bites into flounder in the box are as sharp as a bowling ball.

In addition to light-biting flounder, as the season progresses, you'll run into the other bait thieves like cunners, scup, and the occasional sea bass. Cod here can reach 20 pounds or better, and there's always the chance you'll tie into a hefty striper. To handle the full range of possibilities, medium-weight spinning or bait-casting gear is the way to go.

NOW IS THE TIME

The first flounder I took was still loaded with milt, signaling that better action with flatties would take place when Harbor temps climbed a few degrees. As you read this. flounder action will be nearing its peak, thanks to this season's sluggish water temps.

According to Capt. Dennis the ideal temperature range for early-season cod and flounder fishing at Faun Bar is somewhere between 55 and 59 degrees. Cod will remain in the shallows through late June (perhaps early July this season), and flounder will hang around through mid to late July, when they'll depart for deeper waters offshore.

Again, the wild card with flounder fishing is the arrival of slammer blues, usually sometime at the end of July. With the toothy critters around, most self-respecting flounder will head for safety. DAY WITH THE FAMILY While we rested at anchor, we watched a parade of boats head offshore toward the offshore grounds around the B-Buoy and Boston's famed Dumping Grounds.

There's no doubt that the average cod taken in those locales will be larger. But so will the tackle, the fuel bill, and the swells The beauty of fishing Faun Bar or Sculpin Ledge or Port Shirley is that you can enjoy a relaxing day on the water without all the concerns that ensue when you make the longer steams. the fish will be manageable for your kids - or Fisherman staffers, for that matter - and home is a quick ride away, should conditions deteriorate

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