Video: Kayak Cod Fishing

I’m Eric Harrison, Hobie Top Gun. I’m out here off Gloucester Massachusetts jigging for cod. I’m targeting cod in 50 to 80 feet of water today, fishing a mix of small metal jigs. Jigs in three-quarter ounce to two ounces in size, and some plastics. Seven ounce plastics on a ounce and a half jig head, tipping my lures with squid today. I’m getting a mix of cod, pollock and hunter. Targeting the cod but you can’t help catching other species.

There’s a solid fish. I’m just bouncing my jig right above the bottom there. These inshore cod typically don’t get really big. Most of the fish you catch are in the 2- to 10-pound range. They always feel big when they first hit. Once you get them off the bottom you realize the true size. There we go, a solid fish.
That is a Gloucester cod. Cod are one of the most iconic fish we have in the northeast. Fishermen here for generations lived off of these things. Huge population of cod out there. The population has dwindled to 5 percent of what it once was. Trying to rebuild the stocks, currently there’s a one fish limit on them.

You never know what’s going to come up when you’re fishing out here. Occasionally you catch a lot of weird sculpin mixed in with the cod and pollock. You also get hunter. Hunter are a great eating fish. They are considered a trash fish ‘cause they come in huge numbers and are big bait stealers. They have giant teeth on them. A fish of this size is really good to eat. These guys eat a lot of crabs and lobsters. They are one of the best eating fish around. I’m going to keep this one for dinner.

I switched up to a bigger jib. The bite slowed down. I picked off a good fish on the bottom here. The heavier jig, the bigger size gets their attention. Looks like a decent fish. There’s a nice Gloucester cod right there.

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