Hi Folks, Here is the end of January Cape Cod Fishing Report. HA ! There isn’t much if anything going on in the salt water. Once upon a time, there was a few cod at this time of year, if the wind would let up enough so you could get to the areas offshore where they are. But since the fleet is so efficient these days, there isn’t much of a stock left to make it worthwhile. I really don’t feel sorry for the plight of the commercial fishermen that are having a tough time. It has been coming for a long time now, almost 25 years ! Its too bad that the smaller commercial boats have been lumped in with the bigger boats as far as regulations regarding catch per vessel effort measurements are concerned. But politics being what they are, the writing has been on the walls for a long time coming. The only commercial fishermen left in the industry are the ones that have big boats or several big boats and can make a season on splitting the effort over those vessels. Another way some guys have stayed afloat is with cooperative effort programs that pair up fishermen with the scientific community to get data on a specific resource or fishery. Some of the cooperative research payment stipends for the fishers can be as much as a normal commercial days fishing can provide. Anyway, most folks that call looking for a cod charter I just tell them there aren’t enough fish to make the effort and have it be worthwhile.To keep myself busy this winter I have done some interior painting in Chatham for a dentist from Connecticut and finished that job in early January. All along I have been looking at a several boats and have taken 2 calls on the Miss Jillian listing. I guess there isn’t a lot of boat sales in December and January ! Lately though, I have been dragging some of the beautiful delicate Cape Cod Bay Scallops up off the bottom in Pleasant Bay in Orleans. They are quite rare I guess, as the price for these delicacies at the fish market where I sell is $29.00 per pound. Now, I am only getting $18.00 per pound, so the poor fish market operator is only getting $11 dollars to take my freshly shucked Bays and pour them into his container in the window case. The poor thing ! I wonder how he manages ? I have managed to salt a few away in my freezer and pass some out to a few friends and family as well. Soon they will peter out as well as you can only catch them once and I guess I will do some work on the house. I’d like to redo a bathroom, but I have been pricing some of th big ticket items and got my eyes opened wide !
The reservations have started to come in now that the holidays are over. If you are sure when you are coming to the Cape this summer, make a reservation now so that you have first dibs on the better days, tides, and related departure times.
Thanks and don’t whine about the winter drearys, cuz better days are comin !
Capt. Bruce & Miss Jillian
