Fishing Reports
August 27, 2011
Well, this afternoon's weather is great and we're not going fishing. The weatherman scared everyone away with this Irene nonsense. The bad weather, according to the recent forecast, isn't going to be in the Gloucester, Ma area until Sunday afternoon but... Fishing the last few days has been excellent with the excpeption of our 1st Bluefishing trip which saw terrible weather. Anyway, good day of fishing this morning on a 3/4 day trip. A lot of nice Haddock and Pollock with some Cod and Cusk mixed in. Our average depth was around 230 ft and the tide was cooperative which was nice. All in all, today was beautiful, flat calm, warm and we caught some nice fish. Pool winner was a 16# Pollock. Call the office for more info on our upcoming trips and weather updates.
Thanks, more when I can.
~Arch
August 17, 2011 - Recap
Hey guys!
Plain and simple, the fishing has been great as of late! Lots of big Cod and Pollock and some good size Haddock too.
AJ Orlando caught a 42 Lb Hake the other day and its the biggest I've ever seen in 18 years of Party Boat Fishing.
The summer is slowly coming to a close but we'll be fishing through October. Call and book your trips now! We have trips Friday, Saturday & Sunday this week.
All Day, Half Day and 3/4 Day trips this weekend should still have some room on them. Call 978-559-1978 or check out our website for more info. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more up to the minute pictures and updates!
Thanks for looking,
Arch...
June 23 - July 27 2011
Greetings from the Lady Sea command post in Gloucester MA!
I know it’s been a while since we've had an update on here but this summer has been super busy. Between fishing trips, mechanical upgrades, cosmetic work, working for the US Navy for 2 weeks in Gloucester with the USS Oak Hill and the USS Ponce in Bristol, RI, we've had our hands full.
The fishing recently has been unbelievable! A good showing of Cod and monster Haddock, lots of Cusk on the hard Bottom and big Pollock every stop. The Pool Winner on the last 4 trips has been a Pollock in the 20LB range.
Saturday was a 7-4 all day trip and we started out offshore. We've been fishing 22-24 miles offshore and its been keeping us out of the dogfish. Average depth has been around 230ft-270ft. Lots of big Pollock and some nice Cod too.
Sunday we had a 3/4 day trip in the morning and it was another unreal trip. Capt. Mike put the boat on a spot that produced good numbers and nice fish for the better part of the trip. We only moved once and that was it. Lots of big Cod and Pollock and some nice Haddock mixed in too. Pool winner was a Pollock around 20 Lbs.
Sunday afternoons half-day trip was good. The bite started to slow down but the numbers were still good. Everyone left with fish and had a good time.
Next trips are the end of this week and we have enough work to keep us busy during the beginning of the week. New Paint on the hull and the house.
More when I can, thanks for looking.
~Arch
May 20 - June 22, 2011
So!
The fishing has finally picked up! We've had some stellar trips the last couple of weeks. The Cod and Haddock are here in full force with a nice mix of large Pollock and Cusk. All the Haddock have been 8 lbs or over and the Cod have been mostly Markets.
The dogfish have also arrived and they're a nuisance but manageable. If you fish right down on the bottom and get down there quickly you shouldn't have a problem. All in all we've been hammering away at the fish. Between Marco and Mike, they've been putting the customers on the meat and people are leaving with full coolers and smiles.
The next couple weeks the US Navy has chartered the boat for a ferry service. We'll be in Gloucester this week and Rhode Island next week then we'll start our regularly scheduled open boat trips, charters and booze cruises.
If you're interested in a booze cruise call the office @ 978-559-1978 asap because the weekends are filling up! Also, check us out on facebook (facebook.com/gloucesterfleet) and Twitter (@gloucesterfleet) for some great photos and all the latest info.
Here is a quick peek at what you missed...
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Thanks for looking and hope to see you all soon! More when I can!
~Arch
FRIDAY May 20th - All Day Open Boat
Wind: Light and variable - FOGGY!!!
Greetings from the Gloucester Fleet command post here in West Gloucester, Ma. Todays trip was a 7-4 Open Boat and it went well! The wind was almost non existent and the tide was minimal so all in all the conditions were pretty good for fishing.
After steaming almost 2 hours, Capt Marco decided on a spot and we started our day. We ended up anchoring all day and our average depth was right around 200ft. The bite started out slow in the morning for the first two stops but improved as the day went on.
A steady bite of Cod and Haddock all day meant everyone went home with some nice bags of fish. Also, we had quite a few Pollock and Cusk as well. I'll take a mixed bag of fish any day! Our next trip is a charter on Thursday and the weather looks great.
We have some mechanical and cosmetic projects to finish this week and then we're pretty much busy until September.
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Our busy season is upon us so if you're interested in a charter or an open boat trip make sure you call the office @ 978-559-1978 and book your choice date now.
Thanks for looking, more when I can.
~Arch
Sunday May 15, 2011 - PM Half Day Charter
Wind: East-Sou'east 5-10 knts COLD
Man, is summer ever going to show up? This cold windy weather is for the birds! Anyway, we had a group of 20 graduating Seniors from Suffolk University. Once again the weather decided not to cooperate but at least it wasnt windy. Rain was the name of the game and it was cold too so a lot of them took shelter in the cabin and warmed up with some Bud Light.
We steamed about an hour and anchored up all day on the inshore grounds. The tide was screaming again so drifting was out of the question but we managed to snag some nice Cod when it wasnt pouring.
The day ended up being a good time for the people and I'm sure we'll have some of them come back this summer. The fishing inside has really been better in the last few years. 10 yrs ago you were lucky if you caught anything on a Half Day but now we do a lot better.
I dont agree with most of the Government science since its been proven to be extremely flawed and that flawed research is what determines size regulations on all of our ground fish in the Northeast, but when we 're catching fish in areas that didnt produce any fish previously, it gives me hope.
Things are looking up: The weather looks bad through mid-week but thursday through sunday look good. Our trips are Thursday, Friday and Saturday and Sunday and theyre filling up quick.
Friday is our "special" day so call the office and book that trip. We have 13 spots left for friday.
Call 978-559-1978 and book your trip NOW.
More when I can,
Arch
Saturday May 14, 2011 - AM Half Day Charter
Wind: East 10 knts
So this morning we had a bachelor party on board and it was a blast! The weather was a little chilly and it was overcast but the wind finally laid down and we were able to anchor up on some good inshore grounds. All in all a good amount of fish were caught for a a half day trip and the guys had a good time.
Call us @ 978-559-1978 to book your own bachelor party or buisness fishing charter.
We take up to 38 passengers fishing or 130 passengers on evening Booze Cruises. We do anything from All Day, Half Day, 3/4 Day, Night Bluefishing and Evening Cruises. We can customize your trip however you want!
Have a large group? All of our fishing trips are available for charter also! Hope to see you on a trip soon!
Thanks for looking...More when I can,
Arch
Friday May 13, 2011 - 7-4 All Day Trip
Northeast 10-15 knts
Another trip in the books! Capt Marco was at the wheel today and we decided to switch things up a bit. We ended up going over some fish while we we're steaming out to where we were planning on going anyway. We anchored up in about 180 ft and caught a few codfish but nothing stellar so we decided to move on and steam the rest of the way.We ended up about 20 miles offshore and the tide was a problem all day but we managed to make a day out of it.
There was some nice Cod and some haddock but the fishing this spring has been steady but not perfect. The weather has definitely been a problem too. Its been blowing Northeast for a week now and it shows no sign of letting up.
The weather this week looks the same and after or during a blow like this, the fishing can either turn off or on at the drop of a dime. I think that's been the problem all spring. But summer is coming and im hoping for the fishing to pick up.
The pool winner was a 13 LB cod and everyone left happy which is all we care about. You dont have to catch fish to have a good time but it sure the hell helps...
More when I can,
Arch
Tuesday, May 10th - Weather Update
Wind: Northeast 20-25 knots w/ gusts to 30 knots
50 Deg.
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Greetings from the Lady Sea command post here in Gloucester MA! Just an update for our customers that are planning on coming fishing this week. The NOAA forecast for Wed. through Thursday looks terrible. North-Northeast winds 20-35 knots, Seas 10-14ft.Unfortunately we cant control the weather but we can warn you ahead of time if it looks bad. The charter we had on Wed. already called and rescheduled since the weather forecast was so bad. Fridays Open Boat trip looks like we'll be able to get out there but make sure you call the office @ 978-559-1978 on Thursday night just to double check before you drive all the way here. We know a lot of you drive 3 hours or more to fish with us and if we can save you a long drive and a lot of gas money, we will. |
Due to the popularity of our Friday Open Boat specials, we have added some more for the upcoming weeks. Make sure you check out our SPECIALS link on the homepage before the trips fill up. Remember, we only hold 38 passengers on our fishing trips which is HALF of what other companys hold on All Day fishing trips, so we fill up quick. Less passengers means less tangles which means more fishing time for you.
Call the office and book your choice date now! We'll continue to look at the weather and give updates as well.
Thanks for looking, More when I can...
ARCH
Friday, May 6th - 7-4pm All Day Trip
Southwest 15-20 knts 50 deg
Another trip in the books. We had a full boat today and with our maximum capacity for fishing only being 38 passengers it leaves a ton of room for fishing. Less tangles for you means more fishing time. So we started out the day with a little wind and had to anchor. Towards the end of the day the wind slacked off and it was beautiful. The tide was minimal and it was running up into the wind most of the day which made for awesome fishing. Lines were straight up and down all day long. Most guys were holding bottom with 16 oz or less. We generally stayed in around 150-180 ft of water throughout the day and we caught mostly Codfish. It seemed the Haddock were on vacation for the day which was fine because we caught enough market Codfish that everyone was happy. Everyone left with plenty of fish and the pool winner was a 14 lb Cod. We have some new specials that have been added so make sure you check out the home page. We have a few days off this week and then a busy end of the week and weekend coming up. We're starting to get pretty busy so book your trips now to get your choice date. ALSO!!! LIKE us on Facebook. Go to the search tab and type in Gloucester Fleet Deep Sea Fishing.
Thanks for looking! More when i can,
~Arch
May 1, 2011 - Full Day 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wind: NorthEast 20-25 Knts 48 degrees
Wow, we caught a beating today on the way out! Nor'east 20-25 is a great way to start the day. We had Capt Marco at the wheel today and we decided to go in a completely different direction and man did it pay off! We sat in the same spot for almost 4 hours before we had to move the boat. We generally fished in about 170 ft and that was the magic depth. 90% of the fish that were caught were Cod and Haddock and we finally had some numbers to work with. The wind was too much so drifting was out of the question so we had to anchor up today and we got to test the new pulpit setup as well .It works great! No more swinging on the anchor and the boat sits great over the spots! All in all this was def the best day we've had so far. We ended up staying on good fishing all day and everyone went home with coolers full of fish. The pool winner was a 15 lb cod. Next trip is wed and i'll have more reports when i can. Dont forget to check the website for our specials and charter rates.
More when I can.
~Arch
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April 30, 2011 - 3/4 Day 7:00 AM - 1:00 PMWinds: 10-15 knts, 52 degrees |
So, today felt a lot more like spring than yesterday. It was chilly! We had a charter today for a bachelor party with 17 ppl and we decided to give Middlebank one more chance before we broke off from the pack of boats and went searching. The old rule is 'you dont leave fish to find fish' and it looked like we were going to be leaving soon...
We were able to drift all day again with minimal tide and tangles in a round 130 ft. We had a good mix of Cod and Haddock with a few Sculpin mixed in. The bite was slow and picked up twoards the afternoon but it still wasnt what we were looking for. Still a lot of boats and not enough fish to deal with the headaches. We ended up having a great time with these guys and the ones that didnt catch fish definetly caught a buzz!!!
One more trip tomorrow and I think we're going hunting. We have a full boat but the weather doesnt look great. Nor'east 15-20 gust to 25 knts so we'll see what happens. More when I can.
~Arch
April 29th, 2011 ~ 7-4 Open Boat
Wind- light and variable, 70 deg.
So the first trip of the season is in the books! What a gorgeous day to be out on the boat! Seriously, it was like glass and HOT! Anyway, the fishing definitely left something to be desired. We ended up down Middlebank with a full boat, which is only 38 ppl. We were able to drift all day in about 140 ft of water. It seemed the shoal water was the place to be and when we drifted through the bite was a bit better. Nothing to write home about, but historically you're either a hero or a zero on the first trip of the season. Throughout the day the bite was slow but steady with Cod and Haddock coming over the rails. There were also tons of boats around us which makes for tough drift fishing on a 75ft boat. I don't know why but the Sculpins were everywhere too. I've never seen more Sea Robins caught in one trip than we did today. All in all we made a day out of it with a steady bite and everyone left with some fish. Pool Winner was a 11 lb cod. We have two more trips this weekend then we have a few days off to catch up on some mechanical upgrades.
Thanks for looking,
~ Arch
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2011 Season Kickoff Newsletter
Welcome all to the 2011 deep sea fishing season!
Its spring again, and we here at the Gloucester Fleet are ready to show you avid anglers what it means to go fishing on the historic grounds off of Gloucester, MA. Our 72’ vessel, The Lady Sea, has been inspected and cleared for another season. She is loaded to the scuppers with the best fishing gear, and crewed by the seasoned professionals that you all have come to expect.
Captain Mike Mann is in the wheelhouse, Archie MacLeod is back to run the deck, and Captain Marco Lograsso will be alternating between the deck and the wheelhouse this year. Christie Orlando and Kristy Gallant will be manning the galley as always, bringing that feminine touch that without which we would be severely lacking. Carolann and Booty are running the show in the office, and are standing by the phone and booth to answer all of your questions. All in all, this is by far the best collection of personalities and experience that you will find anywhere in the business. Together we guarantee that your fishing adventure will be fun, exciting, and fulfilling.
Traditionally, spring fishing off of Gloucester is some of the best bottom fishing that can be found anywhere on the east coast. At Gloucester Fleet we have the unique ability to gather information from both first hand encounters by our crew (most of which are commercial fisherman in the off season), and through reports fed to us by friendly parties from the commercial fishing industry. This gives us a great perspective on where to find fish in the opening days of the season when other boats are still trying to get a feel for where to begin.
So far the reports are getting better by the day. Honestly, it has been a slower start this year than the past two, which is in no small part due to the weather. However, the landings are improving daily, with haddock making a great showing in the waters closer to shore. Cod fish have been around right through the winter, to the point that if not for the federal closures we would run trips all year long. We are very happy with the reports that we are seeing thus far this season, and the crew can’t wait to get out there and start catching.
The cod season officially opens for recreational fishing on April 15 at midnight. It is our feeling that it is better to wait until all of our target species are legal to catch before we start fishing, so that we are not faced with the situation of catching a ton of cod fish and having to make you throw the majority of your catch back. Otherwise, the regulations this year have stayed roughly the same: 24’’ minimum size limit on cod as well as a 10 fish per person bag limit, 19’’ inch minimum size limit on haddock with no bag limit.
Because of these regulations as well as their recent dominance in the waters off of Cape Ann, we predominantly try to target haddock, and therefore intend on mostly bait fishing. This does not mean that jigging is out of the question, not by a long shot. You can rest assured that whatever is working best at the time of your’ trip is what the crew will advise you to use. As such, listen to them when they give you advice. It is our goal to see you go home with the most fish possible and our advice is geared towards that aim.
Also, don’t forget to check out our specials page on our website gloucesterfleet.com or our Facebook page. Just search "Gloucester Fleet Deep Sea Fishing" on Facebook and click on the link. As always we are running both open boat and charter specials for the months of April and May.
The specials are as follows:
1) Open boat - Buy one ticket at full price, get the second one half price- a total of $96.00
Open boat deal available on every Friday in the months of April and May, and cannot be combined with any other deals or special pricing such as child or senior citizen rates etc..
2) Charters- 9 hour trip, Monday thru Thursday (up to 40 ppl), $1900 flat rat
9 hour trip, Friday thru Sat (up to 40 ppl), $2200 flat rate
6 hour trip, Monday thru Thursday (up to 40 ppl), $1400 flat rate
6 hour trip, Friday thru Sunday (up to 40ppl) $1700 flat rate
4 1/2 hour trip, Monday thru Thursday (up to 40 ppl), $1000 flat rate
4 ½ hour trip, Friday thru Sunday (up to 40 ppl), $1300 flat rate
All charter rates include the use of boat rods and reels, bait, and hooks. The rates do not reflect the price of terminal tackle (sinkers and jigs), or a tip for the deck crew (15%) and galley crew (your discretion). All charters must sail before May 31st, 2011.
We are looking forward to another great season, and can’t wait to take you and your party, or just you and your friends and family out fishing. We are a family owned and operated business, and we strive to meet all of our customers’ needs and requests. So, don’t hesitate to give us a call with any questions or ideas you have in order to fulfill your needs this season. Once you come fishing with the best, we promise you’ll never even consider going with the rest.
Captain Michael , Booty and Carolann Mann
F/V Lady Sea