rolmops
Vice Admiral
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2002
- Messages
- 5,316
It was that time of year again.
For weeks now I have been checking ,repairing and replacing my rods,reels and tackle.Not to mention my tent and camping gear.
This year we loaded up for 9 days,six of which would be spent on the Cape.
The rods we chose were the Penn Black Sabre with 600 feet of 40 pound test Monel wire line on a Penn 112.An 8 foot Ugly stick with 600 feet of 80 pound Dacron on another Penn 112 and for heavy tuna an additional Penn 330GTI with 900 feet of 80 pound extra thin spectra line
Of course we brought the 2 ugly sticks used for fluke,cod and haddock.To top it of we had 3 surfcasters.
The first 2 days in Massachusetts were spent on getting our 19 footer in sea shape and then it was on to the Cape !
Monday was very quiet and after we set up camp in Nickerson state park,we did some surf casting from Herring Cove with the customary bluefish,skates and smallish stripers.Then on Tuesday with hardly any wind,we decided that this would be the Stellwagen Bank dream day.We left early out of Pamet Harbor and set course for the bank.
Upon arrival we set out our tuna rigs and trolled along happily.We had 3 hookups.One we got close to the boat where she said goodbye to us,the second one was a lot bigger and she simply tore our rig to shreds.The third one was better behaved and this sixty pounder ended up feeding about 20 people on the campsite.
By then we saw a big tuna boat just floating around about 2 miles away with greyish things behind it.
We checked it out and thus we ended up in a huge pod of humpbacks.Try and imagine being in a boat that is less than half the size of these great beasts.It is weird to say the least.I told my son that I had always wanted to swim with the whales and he answered by asking what stopped me.Almost instantly we changed to adam costumes and dove in the water where we swam up to a whale who was about 30 feet away from us with his head out of the water and seagulls riding on his head.We both swam up and touched this great head.He just looked at us with one huge eye.
After this adventure we got back in the boat and spent a few hours catching cod,haddock,a monk fish,some very big stripers and a sea wolf.Then it was back to Race point where we caught lots of bluefish and some nice stripers.
Wednesday we went out of Woodshole and spend most of the day on Lucas Shoals where we got lots of very nice Flukes in the 25 inch range.
Then on Thursday we worked Billings Gate,where apart from getting a load of bluefish, we also got very wet.
Friday was spent on fish cleaning and vacuum packing the catch.
Saturday was back to Billings Gate for more Bluefish and then on to Fishermans ledge to have another go at some Tuna. this time we caught more bluefish over 130 feet of water but no Tuna.
That was our adventure for the summer.We will be back on Stellwagen in November for much more haddock and a chance to play with Pollock!
The only reason why we dare out onto Stellwagen Bank in a nineteen footer is because we have A ship shore radio,a high end GPS, a weather radio and we did our homework with GPS maps on my computer at home.Not to mention that in a previous life I was a naval commando.
Unless you really know your stuff,do not loose sight of land,because it may be your last trip!!!
For weeks now I have been checking ,repairing and replacing my rods,reels and tackle.Not to mention my tent and camping gear.
This year we loaded up for 9 days,six of which would be spent on the Cape.
The rods we chose were the Penn Black Sabre with 600 feet of 40 pound test Monel wire line on a Penn 112.An 8 foot Ugly stick with 600 feet of 80 pound Dacron on another Penn 112 and for heavy tuna an additional Penn 330GTI with 900 feet of 80 pound extra thin spectra line
Of course we brought the 2 ugly sticks used for fluke,cod and haddock.To top it of we had 3 surfcasters.
The first 2 days in Massachusetts were spent on getting our 19 footer in sea shape and then it was on to the Cape !
Monday was very quiet and after we set up camp in Nickerson state park,we did some surf casting from Herring Cove with the customary bluefish,skates and smallish stripers.Then on Tuesday with hardly any wind,we decided that this would be the Stellwagen Bank dream day.We left early out of Pamet Harbor and set course for the bank.
Upon arrival we set out our tuna rigs and trolled along happily.We had 3 hookups.One we got close to the boat where she said goodbye to us,the second one was a lot bigger and she simply tore our rig to shreds.The third one was better behaved and this sixty pounder ended up feeding about 20 people on the campsite.
By then we saw a big tuna boat just floating around about 2 miles away with greyish things behind it.
We checked it out and thus we ended up in a huge pod of humpbacks.Try and imagine being in a boat that is less than half the size of these great beasts.It is weird to say the least.I told my son that I had always wanted to swim with the whales and he answered by asking what stopped me.Almost instantly we changed to adam costumes and dove in the water where we swam up to a whale who was about 30 feet away from us with his head out of the water and seagulls riding on his head.We both swam up and touched this great head.He just looked at us with one huge eye.
After this adventure we got back in the boat and spent a few hours catching cod,haddock,a monk fish,some very big stripers and a sea wolf.Then it was back to Race point where we caught lots of bluefish and some nice stripers.
Wednesday we went out of Woodshole and spend most of the day on Lucas Shoals where we got lots of very nice Flukes in the 25 inch range.
Then on Thursday we worked Billings Gate,where apart from getting a load of bluefish, we also got very wet.
Friday was spent on fish cleaning and vacuum packing the catch.
Saturday was back to Billings Gate for more Bluefish and then on to Fishermans ledge to have another go at some Tuna. this time we caught more bluefish over 130 feet of water but no Tuna.
That was our adventure for the summer.We will be back on Stellwagen in November for much more haddock and a chance to play with Pollock!
The only reason why we dare out onto Stellwagen Bank in a nineteen footer is because we have A ship shore radio,a high end GPS, a weather radio and we did our homework with GPS maps on my computer at home.Not to mention that in a previous life I was a naval commando.
Unless you really know your stuff,do not loose sight of land,because it may be your last trip!!!
