We tossed of the lines at 0500 and as we rounded eastern point we found seas had already started to build with a good 2 ft chop on top of a southerly well. As we proceeded to the grounds the east wind strengthened and I needed to throttle back to 18 knots to make it bearable. Any other day, with a crew not as experienced, I would have reversed course and returned to the harbor as it is no fun trying to fish in these conditions but today we steered for the bank  and  power washed the decks along the way.

Once on the banks I noticed the sky filled with diving birds and whales feeding everywhere. A bite was on and I just hoped that Charlie was in the area. We set out the 50s and within minutes Ed yells FISH ON! Although the rod had a good bend I knew it was not a tuna but instead one of the large cow stripers that had been reported pushing up the bank. After a brief battle Ed brought the 25lb bass alongside and I retrieved my plug and released her. Since we are in Federal waters it is not legal to keep (or even target) these fish but unfortunately these large bass take the same lures as the tuna. 

For the next hour we fished our way south catching and releasing numerous large bass. Ed and Robert manned the rods as I steered and searched for tuna. I did mark some nice fish but the tuna were simply not feeding at this time of day. The full moon is a poor time to fish for tuna as they feed all night and simply would chew during daylight hours,  although way down south on the far end of the bank there was a pretty good bite being reported. We were looking for cod however so that  bite would go on without us.

We finally reached the area I wanted to ground fish, so we stowed the 50s and broke out the cod sticks. The commercial season had been open for a week and the area was covered with nets and draggers working the edges. Couple that with 3-5’ seas and a stiff 20knt east wind this day had all the ear markings of a disaster in the making. Ed and Bob started fishing and with a slow pick we started putting fish in the box. The fish were scattered so I needed to constantly move from spot to spot and try to hold the boat over the small pods of fish I was marking. It was a slow process and the guys worked hard for every keeper they took. 

I wanted to go farther south today but the weather would not allow it so I moved  around the area fishing every little pod I could find. Around 1100 the wind let go..finally mother nature was giving us a break. The fishing was still slow but the Ed and Bob worked hard and by Noon we had a dozen nice keepers in the box.

Time was running out and I need to find a bigger pile of fish and soon! With the seas flattening I decided to give a trick a Captain I use to fish with many years ago would employ on days like these. I moved into the shallows were the nets were the thickest and positioned the boat as closed as I dared to one of the nets. I did this until I found the one that  I wanted and BINGO…the bite was on. 

Ed worked the port side stern  

While Bob found his favorite spot on the starboard side bow

Within an hour the box was full and we reached our boat limit of 30 cod, all nice markets 8-12lbs. When they bite it is easy but if you get discouraged and give up you will always fail. Ed and Bob know that sometimes the fishing is simply slow but they never stopped fishing and in the end were rewarded for their efforts.  

At 1400 I put the Lady Diane on a course for home and manned the fillet table as we cruised across flattening seas with the hint of a southerly at our backs. On the docks the guys loaded 90lbs of cod fillets into their coolers. Not a slammer by any means but considering the conditions it was one heck of a day of fishing by these anglers. They proved to catch fish on days like these you must Keep Jigging & Never Give Up!