I started taking my kids out groundfishing on party boats for Cod and Haddock about ten years ago. By this time they were big enough to handle the heavy duty tackle required for fishing in deep water. We enjoyed the fresh air and watching the whales and dolphins common on Stellwagen Bank. The only problem was the lack of fish. It seemed that the captains had us targeting tiny little Redfish because that was about the only thing around. We were lucky to bring home one or two legal size Cod or Haddock. The Dogfish were also a huge problem. 
Redfish Nate Caught The Pool Fish!
I’m happy to say that the party boat situation on Stellwagen Bank seems to have improved dramatically. I know everyone has been griping for years about the draconian groundfishing regulations in the Gulf of Maine. However the restrictions are starting to pay off. Haddock fishing has been awsome for the past two years. Haddock are so plentiful that the bag limit has gone from just 3 fish to 15 fish per angler per day. I’m usually pleased with bringing home about six haddock. That’s more than enough to satisfy my seafood needs. This past summer I went out five times and my needs were well met each time. The action was constant all day with many small throw backs. A good sign for the future of the fishery.
While Haddock fishing in the Spring we also caught quite a few Cod. These we had to throw back. Although private boat fisherman were allowed one Cod per day, this was not the case on the party and charter boats. Party boat fishermen were able to keep one 24 inch+ Cod per day during the months of August and September. My son Nate, and I went out on Captain John Boats in Plymouth twice during that time period. Both times everyone on the boat went home with one Cod and a decent catch of Haddock.
A Throw Back Caught in June
Mixed Bag
I’ve also noticed the Captains aren’t targeting Redfish any more. Another observation is that I caught far fewer Dogfish. This can be expected since one reason the Dogs were so plentiful is that they had little competition from other fish. As Cod and Haddock populations recover from overfishing, Dogfish will have more competition for food. Speaking of food I noticed that in May and June the Haddock bellies were bursting with Sand Eels. I was using Mackerel strips in addition to the clams provided on the boat. My biggest fish were caught on the Mackerel.
Recent fishing reports from Cape Cod and the South Shore indicate an increase of Cod fishing in the inshore waters. Private boats have been catching Cod just outside the harbors. My own experience this past June backs this up. I went out of Green Harbor in Marshfield on a boat owned by fishing buddy John Morgan. We started by jigging up tinker mackerel for Striper bait. We were fishing in about 30 feet of water near the Farnham Rock Bell Buoy. Suddenly something much bigger than a Mackerel grabbed the diamond jig at the end of my sabiki rig. A few minutes later I pulled in a 24 inch Cod. It saved the day because although there was a ton of Mackerel around the Striped Bass were nowhere to be found.
An Inshore Cod
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