Friends have been making the trips regularly. Sometimes they do well, sometimes poorly. Hey, that's fishin!
Some tips for possible better trips:
1. Weekdays are usually better. Rumors of a hot bite, even if untrue, will rail the boats on the weekends. This crowded fishing sometimes results in more problems and tangled fishing.
2. Limited trips - some Capts offer a stated limit of fares they will allow on the boat, for a slightly higher price. That my be a choice for some people on the days that tend to be most crowded.
3. Chum is key....stick with a boat known to use fresh clams, and a lot of chum. These trips ain't cheap, guys. $95-150. Choose your boat wisely.
4. Don't believe the hype - right now codfishing is good, but IMO it hasn't yet approached the legendary catches of the last 2 years since it was opened again. There are a lot of shorts caught. The big slobs aren't yet in the mix on a regular basis. Guys who are diligent and serious about it will usually get their limit. There are quite a few days even the best guys will do poorly, and only a amall # of boats will be the heroes of the day.
This to me, says, that after only 2 years, there are perhaps less cod than was originally estimated. I don't have the answers, and anyone else with a different opinion is welcome to weigh in.
5. Fish the snotty days... Some people I know feel that they have had their best days up there when the seas are at their worst, and the truly calm "bluebird days" have sucked so far in terms of a good bite. Anyone who had different experience than that, feel free to comment.
6. Go and have fun! ....I'm not trying to be a downer about these trips. I just wish people would be more honest about them, and the reality of good days vs the days that aren't that great. I understand Capts hyping the bite, they need people to come up and fish. Honestly, cod is the best game in town during the cold winter.
So, I hope people can appreciate that I'm just trying to be honest here, and want people to go out and catch em up!
Anyone with any other tips to make a successful cod trip, feel free to post up.