Voyager 2/09-10 report

[jjdbike]

Hey folks

I owe you a report. My buddy & I had tried to get out on a Voyager Block Island Cod & North East Wreck trip since the start of Jan. Got blown out every week till last week. That’s one of the risks of a long range trip, weather needs to be good & need a bigger weather window. I also apprecaite that this captain won’t take us out for a beating.

At the start of the trip the captain informed everyone of what many of us already suspected. The cod fishing off Montauk has been very poor. Every once in a while a boat stumbles across a small bunch of cod and has a decent day. As a side bar, I find it interesting that it always seems to be the same boat. We’ve been on that boat when they reported a banner day when it was a slow pick at best. So the Captain said he was heading “way the hell out there” to some wrecks that he’s heard from commercial guys of some decent marks. We took a really long steam.

Captain did some looking, carefully anchored up on a few wrecks (some pretty far from the previous), Captain did some adjusting, we caught some fish. No banner day by far but pretty sure everyone when home w/ a pretty good mixed bag of fish. We caught a bunch of short cod, one keeper cod, couple couple throw black sea bass (all thrown back), the biggest bergal I’ve ever seen, some white hake, some really nice red hake. Saw a few, pout, some nice cod and a few slammer pollack. I made a BIG batch of cod 'chowda' and froze a bunch of hake for fish cakes.

The captain burnt a ton of fuel (getting back to the dock noticeably later than expected), worked really hard to keep us on bites. Can’t say enough good things about that boat (fast, comfortable and impeccably maintained), captain and crew.

Due to the generally poor fishing, he’s cancelled the remainder of his Block Island cod trips & his cod & scup trips this month. He’ll give it another shot in April. 

Personally, I’m looking forward to a Nantucket cod jigging & shoals fluke trip in July. I know Maria will keep us well fed. I’ll enjoy chatting w/ friends and getting plenty of sleep, instead of driving. I am totally confidant that Captain Jeff will work like none-other to keep us on bites!

Tight lines everyone!
Respectfully,
JD

[MisterX]

Honest report. Thank you.

[EC NEWELLMAN]

Thank you Jim....and I will echo what Mister X stated....an honest report.

This has been a very difficult winter, one in which we have not seen in many years. An extremely arctic blast that came in mid December and which held into early January. The coastal region was severely impacted with the freeze and then the thaw over the last few weeks has shut off the inshore waters. I have read to separate reports about bottom temps being 37 degrees...and no wonder why the Bostonians are now south of our area - off the eastern DEL-MAR-VA shore.

At this point it will be a "waiting and wishing" with the winter cod fishing...not only off Block Island but here in the NY-NJ BIGHT. The water temps in our Mud Hole have not been conducive for anything to bite, and now with another small snowstorm to come through this evening, it does not help as far as the local waters warming up especially with the resulting run off from the rivers, bays and sound in this area.

[nickh]

I know one boat over near me was sailing at 3 this morning. Weather was ok. I'm sure they'll scrape up a few cod pollack and ling. this time of year they don't carry too many heads. For me it's a no brainer. $90 30 min ride to boat. I catch a few fish I feel it was success. You have to take it for what it is right now.