Many outdoors men have traded in their rod and reel combinations for shotguns but there are still numbers of fishermen that refuse to admit that the season is drawing to a close. These are the die hard anglers that realize that November is a very rewarding and productive month for the hardy cod fisherman. With the right clothing and a thermos of hot coffee at hand, small boat fishermen can consistently tally limit catches of impressive cod. Numerous near shore locations produce limits of cod so that late season anglers can enjoy a meal of fresh fish or lay in a supply of fresh fillets for the long and cold winter that lies ahead. Let’s face it, a bowl of homemade fish chowder and a slab of hot corn bread is just the right thing to take the chill out of a cold mid February night. Time spent now makes this possible.

SALEM: Fishermen work Newcomb’s, Gales, Pilgrim and Pickett Ledges with great success. Cole Ridge has also proven itself and is within easy reach of a small boat on a good day. Tinker’s Ledge gives up good numbers of cod as soon as water temperatures start to drop. On Tinker’s, both steakers and scrod cod are taken on both jigs and bait. Numerous hills between Tinker’s Ledge and Halfway Rock yield numbers of cod to jig and bait fishermen. Two other locations worth a drop are Hill #47 and Hill #101.

NAHANT: Good cod fishing can be found around Egg Rock. Successful anglers drift while bouncing jigs or presenting bait. Sea clams and shrimp are baits of choice among effective anglers. A hill that rises from 80 to 50 feet and located about a mile southeast of East Point can be quite productive. Numerous hills can be found all around Nahant. Off Nahant Rock, located in Broad Sound, there are plenty of humps and bumps that give up a fish or two before you move on to the next location.

SHIPWRECKS: There are also quite a few wrecks that are within easy reach of small boat anglers when the weather cooperates. They don’t generally produce bulging catches of cod but taken together with the rock piles in the area they can help to boost your catch to limit proportions. Some of the better known wrecks in the area are the old steam lighter Herbert, the passenger steamer Romance, the fishing boat Sweet Sue and the freighter City of Salisbury. For more information on other wreck contact your local tackle shop.

BAG LIMITS: There are limits on cod for the recreational fisherman. These limits help to reduce fishing pressure and help in the restoration process. The current limit is 21 inches in length with a ten fish limit placed on each angler. A twenty fish catch between you and your partner is not a bad day of fishing and sure beats the heck out of raking leaves all day.

Before the bitter cold of winter settles in and there are still comfortable day with warm temps, try your luck at some of these great locations.

The Loran numbers listed below are for the locations mentiuoined throughout this article. Each and every one of these locations has yielded good numbers of cod during the month of November. So if the boat has not been hauled and the urge strikes give these locations a try and stock up the freezer for the coming winter. Tight lines.

NORTH SHORE COD NUMBERS

                     1. Newcomb’s Ledge            13886.4 x 25809.0

                     2. Gales Ledge                    13885.4 x 25833.0

                     3. Hill #47                           13885.1 x 25816.5

                     4. Hill #101                         13888.5 x 25765.0

                     5. Cole Ridge #1                 13877.5 x 25814.5

                     6. Cole Ridge #2                 13882.2 x 25811.5

                    7. Cole Ridge #3                  13875.9 x 25810.7

                    8. Halfway Rock #1              13894.2 x 25806.8

                    9. Halfway Rock #2              13896.8 x 25809.5

                  10. Herbert                            13961.2 x 25882.4

                  11. Romance                        13969.6 x 25813.8

                 12. Sweet Sue                       13979.2 x 25815.0

                13. City of Salisbury                13974.4 x 25808.7