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
Skate Bank. This bank bears SSE. from Matinicus Rock, distant 12
miles. It is about 2 miles in diameter and nearly circular in form.
Depths are from 35 to 60 fathoms. The bottom is gravelly but quite
uneven. The best season on this ground for cod and cusk is from April
to July. Hake abound in July and August. Hand lines and trawls are used
here, fished by sloops and vessels.
Matinicus Sou'Sou'West Grounds. These grounds bear SSW. from Matinicus
Rock, from which the inner edge of the grounds is distant 6 miles. They
extend about 9 miles N. and S. and have about the same width, being
nearly triangular in shape, broadest at the northern end. On the
northern part there is a shoal of about 30 fathoms 2 miles long E. and
W. and 1 mile wide. Sharp rocks cover this, but the ground is not broken
and drops off gradually to depths of 50 to 55 fathoms or even to 60
fathoms on the southern part. Outside of the shoal the bottom is pebbly
and gravelly. This is one of the best cod and haddock grounds in the
vicinity. Cod are sometimes abundant here all winter; haddock are found
here from December 1 to February and are more abundant than the cod.
Hake are plentiful on this ground and in 60 fathoms on the mud off the
edge SE. of this ground during the summer season. Marks: The high
pinnacle on the eastern end of Wooden Ball, showing just out by
Matinicus Rock, SW. by S. from the rock, 5 miles.
Inner Breaker. This lies 2 miles W. of the southwest point of
Matinicus Island. It is a rocky shoal about 1 acre in extent and having
7 fathoms of water. From this shoal the bottom slopes gradually to
depths of 25 to 30 fathoms, and this slope furnishes good fishing for
cod in May and June, while haddock are here in December and January. A
good school of hake is found on the edge of the ground in summer. The
bottom is rocky and broken and, while sharp, is fished with trawls as
well as hand lines. It is mostly a small-boat ground.
Towhead Grounds. These grounds hear N. by E. 1/2 E. from Matinicus
Island, from which they are distant 2 1/2 miles. Depths are from 12 to 30
fathoms. It is somewhat irregular in shape and has a very rocky, broken
bottom. The ground is from 2 1/2 to 3 miles long and 1/2 to 1 1/2 miles
wide. It extends E. by S. and W. by N. and is considered one of the best
inside shoal grounds for cod and haddock in the bay. Hand lines and
trawls are used here now, although in former times this and the
preceding grounds were considered too sharp for the use of trawls. Both
these are good lobster grounds and chiefly small-boat grounds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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