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 Point Ridge. This bears S. by E. 1/2 E. from Eastern Point
Light, distant 9 1/4 miles. Its length NE. and SW. is 1 1/2 miles and its
width is 3/4 mile. The depths average 29 fathoms over a broken and rocky
bottom. Small vessels and boats fish here for cod and haddock in the
summer. Netters take many pollock on all these shore grounds in the fall
runs, October to January furnishing the largest fares. Apparently these
are spawning fish that leave abruptly during January, working offshore
again.
The Dump. This lies inside the lightship at Boston, extending from
this to and well into Nahant Bay. On these inner grounds soundings are
from 12 to 15 fathoms over sand and gravel. This portion is a cod ground
from March to May. The outer parts of the ground have from 15 to 20
fathoms of water over a gravelly and muddy bottom, which usually
furnishes haddocking during the early spring. These are mainly gill-net
grounds.
Inner Bank. This lies SE. from Thacher Island 12 miles to the northern
end, whence it extends in a generally southerly direction for about 10
miles, having an average width of 2 1/2 miles. Depths here average about
40 fathoms on a hard, gravelly bottom, where haddock usually are taken
in the spring, pollock in the fall, and cod in the winter months. This
piece of ground is much fished by the gill-netting fleet out of
Gloucester.
A large area of muddy ground lying E. of this and between it and Middle
Bank is much visited by the flounder draggers out of Boston and
Gloucester. Depths here are from 40 to 55 fathoms over a comparatively
smooth bottom.
A ridge that lies just S. of the Limiter Bank, and which may be a
continuation of it, extends from a point E. by N. from Scituate buoy to
a point SE. by S. from the same about 10 or 11 miles and furnishes cod
fishing in February, beginning at Brewers Spot, on the southern end of
the ground, and working northward with the schools to Si's Spot, at the
northern end of the ridge. The bottom over much of the ridge is of
mussel beds, with from 25 to 30 fathoms of water, but at the northern
end it is rocky and pebbly, with from 30 to 35 fathoms and on the
southern end the bottom is composed of stones, gravel, and pebbles with
20 to 25 fathoms of water over it. This ridge is flanked E. and W. by a
muddy bottom, which furnishes the flounder-dragging fleet with good
fishing during most of the year.
[Table 2--Inner Fishing Grounds, showing the principal species taken
upon them.]
[Footnote 12: Again, Captain Smith (1614): "At the Ile of Manahigan, in
43 1/2 of Northerly latitude . . . The remarkablest isle, and mountains
for landmarks, a round high isle, with little Monas by its side, betwixt
which is a small harbor, where our ships can lie at anchor."
(Transcriber's note: "Ile" is as spelled in the footnote, despite the
other spellings of it in the footnote as "isle.")]
OUTER GROUNDS
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