East side of Cape Cod. The sea bottom off the east side of Cape Cod is
mainly sandy and slopes off gradually from the beach, reaching depths of
30 to 40 fathoms at 5 to 7 miles from land. Below Chatham the slope is
even more gradual. Within these limits good catches of cod are taken
occasionally, and to a less extent the same is true of haddock. Farther
from the shore, in from 40 to 80 fathoms and from a point 8 or 10 miles
off the Highlands of Cape Cod to another point lying 20 miles or more
SSE. from Chatham Lights, is a continuous stretch of excellent haddock
grounds for winter fishing. The deep water off Chatham furnishes
excellent hake fishing in summer and fall.
This shore furnishes excellent mackerel fishing during most of the
season when these fish are in northern waters. Virtually no gill-netters
operate here, the distance to market being great and the chance of rough
weather and the lack of safe harbor making it dangerous for small craft.
From this stretch of shore (mostly from off Chatham) there were landed
at Boston in the year 1923, 66 fares with a total of 1,797,826 pounds
valued at $76,875.
Tobins. A name given to a piece of ground about 20 miles square lying
S. by E. from the Highland Light. It runs from about 40 miles to about
60 miles offshore, the depths gradually increasing as the bottom slopes
away evenly from the shore from 75 to 95 fathoms over a bottom of clay,
sand, and pebbles. Cod are taken here in the spring, summer, and fall,
and haddock in February, March, and April. A few hake are taken here in
summer, but, as compared with the grounds off Chatham, this is not to be
considered a hake ground.
Morris Ledge. This lies eastward of Chatham and is a favorite ground
for certain cod fishermen during spring and early summer. Schooners and
small craft operate here.
Outer Crab Ledge. The center lies about 14 miles ESE from Chatham
Lights. It extends about 5 or 6 miles in a N. and S. direction and is
about 1 mile wide. Depths run from 19 to 23 fathoms; the bottom is
rocky. The fishing is principally for cod in the fall, winter and
spring. Vessel fishing here is principally in the spring.
Nantucket Shoals. This stretch of bars and deeper waters between,
roughly triangular in form with its apex at the north, lies along the
western edge of the South Channel, extending S. and SE. from the
southern end of Cape Cod and Nantucket Island. From Monomoy Point to
Rogers Fishing Ground, on the eastern edge of Phelps Bank, it is SSE. 80
miles. Its width from Southeast Rips to the western edge of New South
Shoal is 40 miles. The area includes a number of "fishing spots" and
shoals, among which the following are the most important: Pollock Rip
Ground, Rose and Crown Shoal, Great Rip, Davis Bank, Fishing Rip, Old
and New South Shoal, and Phelps Bank.
On and about all these shoals the sail fleet makes good catches, mainly
consisting of cod but with a fair proportion of pollock, also, and in
the deeper water close to them, in spring and summer, a considerable
amount of haddock. An occasional large halibut is taken, and even good
catches have been reported. There were noted in the daily report of the
Boston Fish Bureau between May 15 and August 15, 1920, 10 trips made by
the smaller vessels of the halibut fleet that landed fares of from 2,000
to 10,000 pounds of this species from this area. Perhaps more would be
taken if the halibut fishery were to be followed here as in other areas.
"Rip fishing," as conducted here, is done "at a drift," moving over the
shoals and, as they move off from them, sailing back to repeat the
process. The fish are taken by hand-lining with "cockle" bait or by
"jigging" the fish with a shiny piece of metal representing a herring or
similar fish, below which are set twin hooks, the fish being struck when
it is felt investigating the lure. This fishery generally is carried on
during May, June, July, and August. In the mackerel and herring seasons
these grounds usually furnish good fishing for these species, the fish
usually striking here from May 15 to July 15.
Pollock Rip Grounds. These lie between Pollock Rip Lightship and
Shovelful Lightship and extend northward to Pollock Rip Shoal. These
grounds are 3 miles long, E. and W., by 2 miles N. and S. The depths
range from 4 to 12 fathoms. These are fished from Monomoy and in stormy
weather from Chatham instead of going to the Crab Ledge. Late in the
spring and early in the fall the cod move inshore. In winter the cod
leave Pollock Rip for the deeper water.
Rose and Crown Shoal. This is a small piece of ground 7 miles ESE.
from Sankaty Head. The fishing area lies between the Round Shoal and
Rose and Crown buoys, making a stretch perhaps 6 miles long by 1½
miles wide. Sometimes good fishing may be had from 6 to 12 mile, from
Great Round Shoal buoy. As elsewhere on and about these shoals, the cod
is the principal species caught, pollock being next in importance, and a
few haddock.
Nantucket Shoals, Madisons Spot. SSE. 13 miles front Round Shoal buoy,
has 9 fathoms over a smooth hard bottom of sand. It is about 3 miles
long, from SE. to NW. by 1½ miles wide. This is a flounder ground for
the greater part of the year and a good cod ground in October and
November. As is the rule elsewhere in this neighborhood, tides are heavy
over this ground.
Nantucket Shoal--Great Rip. Lies 13 miles E. by S. ½ S. from
Sankaty Head Light. Nantucket. It is 5 miles long from N, to S. and 3
miles broad. Over this area the depths are from 9 to 18 feet, but the
fishing is done mainly around the edges in 6 to 12 fathoms where the
bottom is gravel and shells covered with sponges and kelp. Here, as on
all these shoals, the greater part of the fishing is done by that method
known as "rip fishing." Cod are taken chiefly by hand-lining in May.
June, July, and August.
Nantucket Shoals; Davis Bank; Crab Bank. This is an irregular piece of
bottom lying in a generally ENE. and WSW direction at about 20 miles
distance ESE from Sankaty Head. It is perhaps 14 miles long by 5 miles
wide at its broadest. Depths upon it are from 4 to 9 fathoms, with
soundings of 12 to 18 about it, over a bottom of sand and broken shells.
Nantucket Shoals Fishing Rip is an elongate bank lying 29 miles SE. from
Sankaty Head Light. It is 10 miles long in a NE and SW direction and
Southeast Rip (Nantucket Shoals) lies SE. from Sankaty Head 35 miles. It
has depths from 8 to 10 fathoms over an area about 10 miles long by 2
miles wide, with from 22 to 30 fathoms over the sandy bottom around it.
Phelps Bank. This bank lies 38 miles SE, ½ S. from Sankaty Head Light
and agrees more or less in size, shape, trend, and character of the
bottom with Fishing Rip. Depths are from 10 to 17 fathoms. On the
southeast edge of this lies Rogers Fishing Ground, with 24 to 40 fathoms
over fine gray sand. It is perhaps mainly a haddock ground.
Nantucket Shoals (South Shoal). This name is applied to the fishing
ground about Nantucket Lightship, which marks the Old South Shoal and
the New South Shoal, the two making a continuous reef of irregular form
some 10 to 12 miles in length and from 1 to 3 miles wide. The northern
end of this lies about 12 miles S. by E. from Sankaty Head (the Old
South Shoal), and the southern extremity of the New South Shoal reaches
to about 20 miles S. ½ E. from the same point. The fishing ground lies
mostly to the S. of these shoals and about the lightship, where otter
trawling is carried on in all directions from the ship except from N. to
NE., where lie the vessels sunk by the German submarine in the late war.
This fishery is also carried on WNW. from the ship for a distance of 40
miles, even into 7 fathom depths near Muskeget Inlet.
Elsewhere depths average from 13 to 18 fathoms on the inner parts of the
grounds, whence they slope away gradually from the shore soundings into
50, 80, or even more on the outer edge, where the ground falls away
rapidly into the deeps. For the most part this area has a bottom of
sand, but there are small stretches of coarse gravel, broken shells,
pebbles, and a few muddy spots.
Within comparatively recent years this ground has been much used by the
otter trawlers, which type of craft has developed a productive fishery
here, which is being operated in steadily increasing volume and takes a
catch that is predominantly of haddock.
The proportion of cod taken here by these vessels is very small, even
smaller than that from other grounds fished by the otter-trawl method.
Pollock and hake, too, make a small item in the fares from the
neighborhood of the South Shoal. In the average otter-trawl fare haddock
makes up the greater part of the catch because, as a rule, this type of
gear is operated mostly on the smooth, sandy bottom which this species
prefers. The otter-trawl fishery here is at its best from early May
through June, July, and the first halt of August. Few trips are reported
from this ground at other seasons. Perhaps the haddock leaves the shoal
grounds here earlier than when it moves out of the same depths in The
Channel.
The early fishing for the swordfish generally takes place in this
vicinity, and in normal seasons mackerel are found here in abundance
from May 15 to August, and, as is the custom with this uncertain fish,
it may appear here again in the late fall.
The Channel. [14] The Channel marks the western edge of Georges Bank. Its
boundaries are somewhat indefinite, but the old Eldridge chart states
that for the fishermen the 30 fathom curve running southerly from Race
Point. Cape Cod, limits its western edge. This ground is much visited by
the Boston fleet, both sail and steam, line trawlers and otter trawlers,
the fleet of Gloucester, and the otter-trawl fleet that has developed in
New York in recent years. This area is all good fishing ground in the
proper season, but perhaps the most important is that part lying 25
miles E. ½ S. from Sankaty Head, Nantucket. Here is a level, sandy
bottom, where, during May, June, July, and August, the otter trawlers
operate successfully in 18 to 30 fathoms of water, making a catch that
consists principally of haddock, with a considerable proportion of cod,
especially in June and July, and with a fair amount also of pollock,
cusk, and hake. Small halibut are fairly abundant here, also, these fish
being of from 5 to R pounds, rarely larger. Flounders are abundant, with
a good number of "lemon soles" and "gray soles," which are very popular
with the trade.
The sail fleet operates here also, but, as a rule, more of these vessels
are found on the ground lying some 10 miles farther eastward, on the
edge of Georges in somewhat deeper water (30 to 50 fathoms) on a rougher
and rockier bottom, where there is a greater proportion of cod in the
catch than on the western area.
The Sankaty Head ground is about 20 miles long by about 8 miles wide,
stretching from 55 miles SE. from Highland Light to 78 miles SE. by S
½ S. from the same point (the bottom of the Channel), and is bounded
on all sides by pieces of bottom less favorable to the operation of the
otter trawl because of the presence of rocks, sponges, or other
obstacles, which interfere with the free passage of the net over the
bottom but offer less trouble to the line-trawl fishermen. A good spring
haddock ground lies ESE. 65 miles from the Highlands in 70 fathoms.
best in March and April. As the cold weather advances the fish move away
in great part from these grounds, going into the deeper water, the
catches of the fall and winter months being taken mainly In depths of
from 60 to 100 fathoms. At this season and in these depths the vicinity
of the Corner of the Channel, Clarks Side. and the area N and W of the
Cultivator usually have a good winter school of haddock. This has been
particularly large during the past three year. (1923 to 1925). Thus, it
may be seen that the Channel is an important ground during most of the
year.
The figures of the catch from Clarks Bank have been shown together with
those of Georges Bank. of which, in fact, this area is a part.
The larger part of the sail fleet is found fishing on the grounds of
the eastern side of the Channel and of the western edge of Georges
Bank, in part to escape the damage that the otter trawlers cause to them
in dragging away their gear. It is often impossible for these steamers
to avoid some damage of this kind: especially is this the case in the
thick weather so prevalent oil Georges. In the summer months of the
"mackerel years" a large catch of this species is taken from the waters
of the Channel.
St. Georges Bank, more generally known as Georges Bank. [15] This is
by far the largest and most important fishing ground near the coast of
the United States and is second to none in the western Atlantic except
the Grand Bank of Newfoundland. It lies eastward of Cape Cod and
Nantucket Shoals and is apparently an extension of the latter, since the
water is no deeper between the southern part of the shoals and the
western part of the bank than in many places upon it. Its southern
limit, as shown on the chart, is 40° 40' north latitude, though the
50-fathom line extends 7 miles farther south. The southern limit,
therefore, may be considered to be about 40° 30' and the northern as 42°
08' north latitude. The eastern part is in about 66° and the western in
about 69° west longitude. The greatest length from the northeastern to
the southwestern extremity is about 150 miles; the greatest width, N.
and S., about 98 miles, according to the charts of the Coast Survey.
Depths range from 2 to 50 fathoms. On the western part, between the
parallels of 41° 10' and 41° 53' north latitude and the meridians of 87°
20' and 68° 37' west longitude are a number of shoals, known as the East
Shoal, North Shoal, Southwest Shoal. Cultivator, etc. The Southwest
Shoal is the largest, being 15 miles long SSW and NNE., with an average
width of 2½ miles. The position of the center of this shoal is 41°
39' north latitude and 67° 48' west longitude. There are from 2 to 15
fathoms of water on the shoals and between them are depths of from 12 to
30 fathoms. The tide sweeps over these with great force, causing strong
rips, and during rough weather the sea breaks heavily on them, rendering
approach to their vicinity extremely hazardous.
Over most of the bank the bottom is sand, although patches of rough
ground (gravel, pebbles, and rocks) of greater or less extent are found
in some localities. Its position between the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf
Stream cause the tide to run swifter than on other banks and to swirl
around instead of passing directly over, back and forth. The writer has
seen two men have difficulty in holding an empty dory against the
current.
The Report on the Fishery Industry of the United States, in 1887, says
that the first attempt at fishing here (of which there is any record)
was made in 1821 by three Gloucester vessels. The cod and halibut
industry, according to the same authority, began in 1830, although not
fully established as a permanent industry until 1835.
The area of the whole bank is approximately 8,050 square miles, all of
which, except for the shoals, is available in summer for the taking of
cod, haddock, cusk, halibut, and hake, with a considerable amount of
mackereling and swordfishing, as well as the taking of other species.
During February, March, and April large schools of cod make their
appearance on the bank. At this season these are found most abundantly
on the "Winter Fishing Ground"; a part of Georges lying eastward and
southeastward of the North Shoal between the parallels of 41° 30' and
42° 00' north latitude and 66° 38' and 67° 30' west longitude. The area
of this Winter Fishing Ground is about 1,100 square miles. This part of
the bank seems entirely given over to the codfish, since it is too
broken, sharp, and rocky to please the haddock. Depths here are from 30
to 40 fathoms, deepening away from the North Shoal. This area is
essentially a spawning ground for the cod, which appear to come on the
hank from the SE., as they almost invariably, after reaching the ground,
move slowly to the N. and W. as spring approaches. This is in the
direction of the shoals. As soon as the spawning season is over the
schools of cod break up, but more or less fish are caught on different
parts of the ground at all times of the year, though rarely are they
found so plentiful as when the winter school is on the ground. Cod are
found along the Northern Edge virtually the year around, though many of
the winter school move on to the inner waters of the gulf and others go
over to Browns Bank, where the early comers seem to appear in the first
days of April.
In its production Georges Bank itself is rather evenly divided between
haddock and cod, the cod showing a slightly larger proportion. The South
Channel, on the western edge of Georges, shows predominantly as a
haddock ground, and the haddock from The Channel is considered a better
fish than that from Georges. Georges Bank itself is also an important
haddock ground in the spring and early summer, when this species abounds
about the Cultivator Shoal (SE. by S. 88 miles from Highland Light. Cape
Cod) in depths from 18 to 30 fathoms; and at the same season along the
Northern Edge (140 to 200 miles E. by S. ½ S. from Boston Lightship in
about 41° to 42° N. lat. and 66° to 88° W. long.) in 45 to 80 fathoms in
summer, the fish moving off into the deeper water (90 to 100 fathoms) in
the neighborhood of the Corner of the Channel as the winter comes on.
Many are found in March, when they return from the deep water, when
fishing is carried on 65 miles SE. from Highland in 70 fathoms; then
they come into the 40-fathom depths from the North Shoal westward to the
Corner of The Channel along the Northern Edge. In April the Cultivator
Cove is good ground even into 20-fathom depths.
The Southwest Part. (120 miles SSE. from Highland Light, Cape Cod,
with 45 to 80 fathom depths) is a good ground for haddock from the
beginning of the fall up to about Christmas, after which the best winter
fishing for this species is found on the Southeast Part (reached by
steaming 145 miles ESE. from Boston Lightship in order to clear the
shoals, then SSE. 40 to 50 miles, depending upon what part of the ground
it is desired to fish). January is perhaps the best fishing month upon
this portion of Georges.
While not considered a halibut ground, as compared with some of the
other offshore banks, Georges can show a very considerable catch of this
species. Because of its nearness to the markets it is more intensely
fished than any other ground of equal area and by a far greater variety
of crafts, most of which take a greater or less amount of halibut. The
otter-trawl fleet, both here and in The Channel, takes a large amount of
this species when its total catch is considered; and these fish are
mainly small, of from 4 to 10 pounds in weight, with only rarely a
larger one. The salt fishers, also, and the rest of the market fleet
combine to make an imposing total of the poundage of halibut from
Georges and its vicinity. The Georges halibut is esteemed by the trade
above the halibut from other grounds. Perhaps its flesh may be superior,
though for what reason it is difficult to say, unless because, since the
trips to this ground average fewer days in length, the fish are received
in the markets in a fresher condition than are those from more distant
banks.
The principal halibut grounds on Georges for the spring and summer
months (April to July) lie between the Cultivator Shoal and the North
Shoal in depths from 10 to 18 fathoms, and E., S., and SW. from the
North Shoal in the same soundings. This area is sometimes called Little
Georges. There are also a number of mussel grounds on the southwest part
of Georges, having depths averaging 20 fathoms, all of which furnish
good feeding grounds and a substantial catch of halibut in the seasons
when these fish are in the shoal water.
During July and August the halibut are found along the Northern Edge,
over a stretch of ground about 65 miles long in 60 to 100 fathoms; and
from this time until the hard weather of the winter begins the fishing
goes on about the Northeast Peak (about 42° 00' N. and 66° 00' W.) over
the narrow area on the edge of the suddenly deepening water, beginning
in from 60 to 70 fathoms, then out to 200 and even 300 fathoms. The
winter fishing on Georges is very difficult and somewhat hazardous, so
that the halibut fishery in these waters is rarely carried on or, at
best, by very few vessels after November or before March.
Mackerel are usually quite abundant on Georges in their season,
generally being large or medium fish. Herring also are found there in
good number but are somewhat distant from market as fresh fish.
[Table 4--Fishing grounds of the Georges Area, showing the principal
species taken upon them.]
By far the largest percentage of the swordfish catch landed in the ports
of Boston, Gloucester, and Portland comes from Georges Bank. A
considerable portion of the fish listed from this ground under the
heading "Miscellaneous" is made up of this species.
The swordfish arrive on Georges on the Southwest Part and on the
Southern Edge about June 5, and the traveling schools pass over the
bank, northward bound, up to August 10. In fact, all through the season
when they are present in northern waters, even up to November, they may
be found on Georges. Probably the best area of the bank for this species
is on the parallel of 41° N., where the shoal rises steeply out of "blue
water."
[Footnote 14: Capt. John Smith wrote of this region: "Toward the South
and Southwest of this Cape (Cape Cod) is found a long and dangerous
shoal of sands and rocks. But so far as I incircled it, I found thirtie
fadom water aboard the shore, and a strong current; which makes mee
thinke there is a Channell about the shoales; where is the best and
greatest fish to be had, Winter and Summer in all that Countree. But the
Savages say there is no Channell; but that the shoales begin from the
main at Pawmet, to the Ile of Nausit; and so extends beyond their
knowledge into the sea." That the captain's reputation for far-visioned
wisdom may not be held too lightly, let these figures speak, taken as
they are from the bureau's records of the landings at the three ports of
Boston, Gloucester. and Portland for the year 1927, when the fares from
his "Channell" numbered 2,036, with a poundage of 121,688,693 and a
value of $3,607,358.]
[Footnote 15. "The earliest record of this name (Saint Georges Shoal)
that the writer has found appears upon a map discovered in the library
of Simancas, in Spain, where a chart said to have been made by a
surveyor sent out to Virginia by James I of England, in 1610, was found
in 1885 or 1888, after having long before disappeared from England. This
chart is thought to embody, besides the work of Champlain and other
foreigners, the information contained in the English charts of White,
Gosnold, Pring, and probably of Waymouth's Perfect Geographical Map. It
is thought to have been drawn by Robert Tyndall or Captain Powell."
_Genesis of the United States_. Alexander Brown.]