Scales and Tales

In Friday’s column about cod fishing aboard the Montauk charter boat, Bluefin IV (www.bluefiniv.com,) I noted that persistence pays off when it comes to finding the action. Once the cod are located, however, you must still convince them to bite. The following tips from Captain Michael Potts should help:

● “I like a high-low rig for cod. Load up the bottom hook with a soft piece of clam. Place a smaller, hard piece on the top hook. Bergalls peck at the bottom choice most of the time and the big, soft bait should appease them. The top hook catches more cod. Bait it with a rim section of clam. Double the hook through the tough meat, leaving a little stringy trailer hanging free from the exposed barb.”

● “Light pecks usually indicate bergalls – fish through them. Big cod offer a more solid bite. If you think a cod is mouthing the bait, lift up slightly to load the rod. Set the hook only if you feel substantial weight.”

● “When cod chase herring or sand eels, diamond jigs can work well. Rather than yo-yo a jig straight up and down, cast away from the boat, allow it settle to the bottom, and then retrieve slowly. The jig should parallel the sea floor as you retrieve. This keeps it in the strike zone longer. I like day-glow orange tails on my diamond jigs.”

● “If dogfish are a nuisance, remove the skirts from your hooks. Colorful skirts and teasers increase the number of bites, but dogfish seem attracted to them even more than cod.”

● “If you aren’t sure how to rig up or entice codfish, blackfish, stripers, fluke, or just about any other local species of fish, take a few charter trips and learn how to do it right. A couple of trips with a good skipper can save you years of frustrating trial and error.”