Fishing Cape Ann, Gloucester, Mass.

[Fly Rod]

Now that the commercial fishing industry has been shut down till July 1st, the recreational fishing for cod and haddock has begun. There has been an abundance of haddock caught. The cod fish have not made a comeback in large numbers.

Striped bass fishing will be starting up in the next few weeks. I have heard that a few schoolies have recently arrived but not in numbers. When the mackerel show up in the middle of May the big 30 pound or bigger stripers will be here in numbers. The stripers from the Cheesapeke summer here till October.

With the arrival of millions of sand eels on Stellwagon Bank there are large numbers of humpback whales just 12 miles off shore, sometimes closer. The eels hang around all summer.

 

[rolmops]

Re: Fishing Cape Ann, Gloucester, Mass.

Captain Flyrod,long time no see!
My BIL went bankrupt so there will be no Cape Cod or Cape Anne for me this year.

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: Fishing Cape Ann, Gloucester, Mass.

Hello Rolmops,
Hope all is well with you and family.

Seems that a lot of places are either going belly up or laying off these days. Fishing industry isn't doing good either. Government coming out with more rules and regulations, could mean the death of the small commercial fishing fleet. Charter boats could be winners of the new rules meaning that once the commercial fleet catches its qouta they are done fishing for the season.

Government forcing the fleet into what they call sectors(5 or 6 boats to a sector) they are given a catch quota and once the poundage of fish is caught you are done fishing for the rest of the year. Every one that goes fishing figures the qoutas will be caught within 5-10 days. This will force a lot out of fishing.