Offshore July 2023 Report
Offshore Fishing Report
July 3, 2023
Jonah Paris
Here we are already into July. You wouldn’t know it though with this recent weather. Besides torrential downpours, fog seems to be a constant theme this summer. Despite poor visibility, offshore fishing aboard the Teazer has been good. We have been focusing our efforts on the nearshore humps rather than making the long run, and we are still sending clients home with heavy bags of fillets.
While haddock have yet to arrive on the nearshore humps, jumbo whiting, also known as silver hake (or “baseball bats” among the charter fleet), are providing plenty of action. Typically a late summer and autumn fishery, the whiting bite is hot now, with fish averaging 2-3 pounds. Fishing small pieces of mackerel and clams in 230-260 feet has been very productive. Expect to nail a few bonus redfish and cusk towards the deeper end of the drift. Whiting have a unique rib cage structure, making them a breeze to fillet, and their white flaky meat is very versatile - tacos, baked with crabmeat stuffing, pan fried, deep fried, chowder, and the list goes on.
Pollock are holding tight to the high ground in 215-225 feet. So far this season, the majority of pollock have been “cookie-cutter” 17-21 inch fish, with the occasional two-footer mixed in. Pollock must be a minimum of 19 inches to keep offshore, so be sure to measure carefully as many are just “barely legal.” 16-20 oz Norwegian jigs (with a single hook replacing the treble) and cod flies have been the trick for pollock. The teaser is out-fishing both bait and the jig itself. Shrimpy colored flies like red, pink, and orange are good choices. Bleeding and chilling the pollock quickly will prevent a mushy fillet. I whipped up a batch of fried pollock nuggets the other night, and with a sprinkle of Old Bay and a dash of lemon juice, they were a summer treat.
We lost a jig and a few fish to a big porbeagle the other day. These sharks roam the ledges and will quickly make themselves known. If you want to battle with a ‘beagle, be prepared with a Penn 50, proper HMS permitting, and regulation circle hooks.
Except for a few fish coming in from Jeffreys, the local tuna scene has been relatively quiet thus far. We have not yet seen any substantial bodies of bait, and neither have the local whale watch boats. (“Find the bait, find the whales, find the tuna.”) This fishery will heat up in the coming weeks as more tuna migrate into our waters and settle into their summer feeding patterns.
Happy Fourth of July! Get out there and catch ‘em up…and don’t forget your bibs and raincoat!
Tight Lines,
Jonah Paris
First Mate
TEAZER Charters
South Portland, ME