It’s been a weird year for weather with such a mild winter I figured everything would be a few weeks ahead and last Friday we were given a 3-day weather window which is rare in spring. So, we loaded up the boat with bait and food and made the 25-mile run to the north end of Jefferies to replace that bait and food with haddock. Though we caught well over 100 fish we only managed 25 keeper haddock. I think the season is just a little behind because we did not see any whales or dolphins save one small group of grey sides. Additionally, we did not mark the large schools of bait common this time of year. The fishery is thriving but the lack of bait to concentrate on made finding the larger fish difficult.
Disclaimer: Jeffries Ledge is more than 25 miles off the coast, it takes me more than an hour to get out there under near perfect conditions. I have been over 40 times in my life and I still never go unless the weather is perfect, I have at least 2 people to go with and I have and bring all the safety gear I have outlined in the video below. The weather is unpredictable at times and storms can show up fast, additionally the water is in the low 40s in May and April and will kill you in 15 min if you do not have on a survival suit. Be smart, be safe and fish responsibly.
Boyt gets geared up and fishes for just about everything swimming off the Maine coast. Take a ride with him on his adventures here… www.youtube.com/@FishingWithBoyt
