December through February is the heart of winter party boat cod fishing in the Northeast. The cod, haddock and pollock sit on deep ledges, wrecks and hard bottom, 100 to 300 feet down, much of it the same water we tuna fish in the summer. I see the cod boats on Coxes Ledge, one of my early season tuna spots, due south of Block Island and in reach of Cape Cod, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Stellwagen and Crab Ledge hold the same fish. A calm window after a blow is the trip.
The boats cut the head count in winter so everybody fits in the warm cabin on the long run. Then it's a cold rail, shoulder to shoulder, and the captain picks the spot. What you control is the end of your line: a Sand Eel Jig heavy enough to get down fast and stay under you, and a Jig-Biki teaser rig above it. I grew up mating on party boats. This is the jig bag I'd hand a winter regular.
A winter groundfish angler who buys a ticket on a party boat, or books a charter, to jig cod, haddock and pollock while most anglers have put their gear away. Their trips start before light: a long run in the warm cabin, then a cold rail and heavy jigs in 100 to 300 feet of water. They care about getting down fast, staying out of tangles and bringing dinner home.
If he checks the marine forecast every night in January, waiting on one calm day, this is him.
The full set is $123.65 MSRP. One of each covers a winter day on the rail: four jig weights from slack tide to the deep wrecks, and a teaser rig for cod, for haddock and for the picky days.
Not sure of the weight? Ask how deep his boat fishes. Coxes Ledge depths take the 6.5 and 8.5, the 12 handles peak tide and wind anywhere, and the 16 is for deep water. When in doubt, go heavier. The jig that won't hold bottom is the one that tangles the rail.
Giving the trip too? Most winter boats run December into April and schedules vary, so call first. It matters which boat. Not all party boats are created equal.
Giving the full set? Print the guide and tuck it in the box.
THE LINEUP
1 Sand Eel Jig “The Slim-Bait Specialist”
WHEN Slack tide and the shallower ground, around 110 to 130 feet, when the current eases and the haddock and cod sit tight to the bottom.
FISH IT Clip it under the teaser rig and keep it near the bottom. Short twitches from the rod butt, so the jig barely moves and the teasers quiver. The bite is often just the line going soft or a little extra weight: set on any change. Tide picks up and you lose bottom? Go to the 8.5.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT At slack tide the fish get a long look, and this one passes: reflective scale finish, laser eye and a true sand eel profile. On a May day on the Stellwagen southeast corner, a green one outfished everyone three to one.
“...the most quality jig I have ever used hands down!” Zachary T.
Add to cart | MSRP $18.95See details ›
2 Sand Eel Jig “The Problem Solver”
WHEN The everyday weight once the tide starts running on Coxes Ledge and other 100 to 150 foot ground. Humps, drop-offs and varied bottom, which is why Coxes almost always holds fish.
FISH IT Touch bottom, then slow lifts, and let it skip along as the boat drifts while you wait for the tap, tap, tap. It's almost impossible to fish it too slow. Line starting to angle off? Reel up and drop again, or go to the 12.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT Albie Crack is the attractor color, bright enough to get noticed in 130 feet of winter water, and the body is through-wired for the big cod that eats the jig instead of the teaser. Olive and green imitate; this one gets seen.
“...most of my large cod hook-ups have been on the 2 hook jig-biki rig above the sand eel jig” Tom
Add to cart | MSRP $20.95See details ›
3 Sand Eel Jig “The Heavy Drift”
WHEN Peak tide and peak wind, anywhere. The ledges and bank edges from 150 to 250 feet, Crab Ledge and the Stellwagen edges, and any day an 8.5 starts sailing off behind the boat.
FISH IT Free-fall it, engage the second it hits bottom, and work short lifts. Keep the strokes short in a pile of fish: long, fast sweeps snag cod and haddock instead of hooking them in the mouth.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT The fast-sinking taper holds position in a hard current, so it stays straight under them instead of drifting into the next line on the rail. Pink is the other attractor, and it's a reliable haddock color on Stellwagen.
“Perfect size and weight, smooth jigging motion.” Eduard V.
Add to cart | MSRP $24.95See details ›
4 Sand Eel Jig “The Workhorse”
WHEN Peak tide in deep water: the wrecks and ledges past 250 feet, and any spring tide or full moon. Also the pollock drops, when the marks sit 10 to 20 feet off the bottom.
FISH IT Stay ready on the free-fall; pollock hit it on the way down. For cod, touch bottom and hold a slow lift-and-drop. For pollock, crank twenty or thirty turns and work the middle of the water. Can't feel bottom? Go heavier before lighter.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT It's the same Sand Eel Jig we vertical jig for tuna, on VMC 4X rigging made for very large bluefin and big groundfish, so a wreck cod isn't straightening it out. Olive is where I start: the imitator.
“Awesome jig so realistic put all my diamond jigs on the bottom of my box” Tim K.
Add to cart | MSRP $32.95See details ›
5 Jig-Biki Crystal Teaser “The Little-Bait Bet”
WHEN Every cod drop. Big jig low, little baits high. The olive and pink hair reads as the small crabs in a cod's belly.
FISH IT Leader to the top swivel, Sand Eel Jig on the bottom snap. Lower it under control: dumping line is the fastest way to start a drift with a tangle. Slow lifts, and let the teasers quiver.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT On our Regal Sword cod day in 250 feet, most of the fish came on the teasers, not the jig. The hair keeps working every time the boat rolls, even while they're just holding bottom, and the snap lets them change jig weight without a knot.
“...on a head boat trip this past Friday, I rigged up with this and was catching fish on every drop” Tim C.
Add to cart | MSRP $8.95See details ›6 Jig-Biki Crystal Teaser “The Curtain”
WHEN The haddock drops: marks fused to the gravel and hard bottom, and a bite that's a tick, not a thump. Haddock eat the small thing.
FISH IT Same rig, shorter and slower than the cod cadence, with a pause for the take. Ticks with no hookup? Shorten the lift and lengthen the pause. Haddock have no teeth, so reach right in to unhook them.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT The day we settled the lure-versus-bait debate on Stellwagen, every haddock in the box came on the bare teasers. Smaller 3/0 hooks on the same 60 lb rig, tied to look like the little crabs and shrimp in a groundfish's stomach.
“This rig is so remarkable you don't even need bait.” Edward J.
Add to cart | MSRP $8.95See details ›7 Jig-Biki Crystal Teaser “The Multiplier”
WHEN Slow days at slack tide on the shallower ground, when the haddock and pollock are picky and the bigger teasers come back untouched.
FISH IT Run it over the 6.5, not the heavy jigs; it's a 30 lb rig. Same slow twitch near the bottom. Wind slow and steady from deep water: easier on the rig, and easier on any fish going back.
WHY THEY'LL LOVE IT It's the downsize: classic Hogy hair tied small, for the days the fish want the littlest thing on the boat. Two droppers, so a slow drop can still come up with two fish.
“I like how it doesn't get all tangled up when vertically dropping like other tandem rigs sometimes do.” Anthony L.
Add to cart | MSRP $7.95See details ›WHICH ONE, WHEN
| WHEN YOU SEE THIS | TIE ON |
|---|---|
| Slack tide or shallower ground, fish tight to the bottom | 1 Sand Eel Jig 6.5 oz |
| Most days on Coxes Ledge and other 100 to 150 foot ground | 2 Sand Eel Jig 8.5 oz |
| Peak tide or peak wind, 150 to 250 feet | 3 Sand Eel Jig 12 oz |
| Deep wrecks, a spring tide, or pollock up off the bottom | 4 Sand Eel Jig 16 oz |
| Cod on the bottom: little baits above the big jig | 5 Jig-Biki Teaser 5/0 |
| Haddock: marks fused to the bottom, ticks instead of thumps | 6 Jig-Biki Teaser 3/0 |
| Picky haddock or pollock on a slow day, light jig | 7 Jig-Biki Teaser 1/0 |
The heavy jigs fish best on a short conventional rod, about five and a half feet, with 60 lb braid and a fluorocarbon top shot of about 12 feet. The thinner line holds bottom better in the current, and the softer rod keeps a bouncing cod on the hook and protects the teaser hooks. Leader to the Jig-Biki's top swivel, jig on the bottom snap.
Reel slow from deep water. A cod or haddock coming up from 200 feet needs time with the pressure change, and one that's going back swims off hard if you give it that. Leave a rod's length of line out, put the rod in the holder, swing the fish in and unhook it with both hands.
More from me on Hogy: what lures to bring on a winter cod party boat and the Stellwagen day the teasers won the debate.
QUESTIONS ANGLERS ASK
What are the best jigs for winter cod on a party boat?
A Hogy Sand Eel Jig heavy enough to hold bottom, with a Jig-Biki teaser rig above it: big jig low, little baits high. I carry 6.5, 8.5, 12 and 16 ounces so the weight matches the depth and the tide. On our Regal Sword cod day in 250 feet, most of the fish came on the teasers, not the jig.
When and where do party boats fish for cod, haddock and pollock in winter?
Most winter boats run December into April, and December through February are the best months. Many of them fish Coxes Ledge, due south of Block Island in 115 to 130 feet, within reach of Cape Cod, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. The Stellwagen edges and Crab Ledge east of Chatham hold the same fish.
How heavy a jig do I need for cod on a party boat?
Heavy enough to hold bottom with your line straight down. My starting points: 6.5 ounces at slack tide or on shallower ground, 8.5 for most of Coxes Ledge, 12 for peak tide or wind anywhere, and 16 in deep water. If your line angles off under the next angler's, go heavier before lighter.
