Fishing Grounds of the Gulf of MaineRich, Walter H. (Walter Herbert)
History
Fishing Grounds of the Gulf of Maine
Rich, Walter H. (Walter Herbert)
Fisheries -- Maine, Gulf of
Western Egg Rock. This is SW. from Moosabec Light, 8 miles distant,
lying in a NE. and SW. direction, 3 miles long by 1 mile wide. The
bottom is irregular, sharp, and rocky and has 25 to 30 fathoms. Fishing
here is mostly by hand line, the ground being said to be too rough for
trawling. This is a small-boat ground, and fishing is done mainly in the
summer season. Cod and pollock are taken in the spring, summer, and
fall; haddock are present in spring and fall; and cusk in 35 to 40
fathoms in spring and fall. This is not a hake ground.
Old Egg Rock. This rock is WSW. from Moosabec Light, 6 miles distant,
and running in a NE. and SW. direction. It is 3 miles long by 1 mile
wide; has a rocky bottom and depths of 25 to 30 fathoms. This is also a
small-boat ground, where fishing is done mainly by hand lines, but
trawls also are employed. This ground is fished by the larger vessels in
the fall months when the weather is too rough for fishing on the outside
grounds. Cod, haddock, and a few pollock are taken in spring and fall;
hake in fair number in the fall months.
Middle Ridge This is W. by S. from Moosabec Light 3 miles. It lies in a
NE. and SW. direction and is about 1 mile long by 1/2 mile wide. The
depths are from 18 to 25 fathoms and the bottom is rough and rocky. It
is a small-boat ground mostly and of little importance as a fishing
ground. Cod are present the year around haddock in late spring and
summer with a smaller number in the fall. Cusk are here the year around.
A few pollock are here in the spring and fall.
Broken Ground. This lies S by E from Moosabec light, 15 miles, whence
the ground extends WSW to within 4 miles of Mount Desert Rock with an
average width of 1 mile. The depths run from 15 to 100 fathoms. The
shallows are sharp and rocky; the deeps, clay and gravel. There are
places 1/2 mile long and others 3 miles long having depths of 70 fathoms.
Several of these spots have special names: Crawley's Rocks, Puzzling
Rock, The Ridges. The grounds mentioned here and those previously
mentioned are known to the fishermen as the Moosabec Ridges. All these
seem to be fishing spots cropping out upon the 50 fathom curve. On the
Broken Ground the fishing season is from June 1 through September.
Herring usually are abundant here from May to September. Cod are taken
outside of the grounds in spring and fall. Pollock and small cod are
taken on the shoals in summer and fall, and hake on the mud bottom in
summer and fall and hake on the mud bottom in summer and fall.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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