Damn Good Cod Fishing Charters

Cod (Gadus) is a genus within the family of Gadidae, consisting of three species which are Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), Pacific cod (Gadus microcephalus), and Greenland cod (Gadus ogac). Many other species are commonly referred to as cod. However, they are not actually within the Gadus genre but are in the Gadidae family. These include Arctic, East Siberian, Saffron, polar, rock, poor, pelagic, small-headed, tadpole, and eucla cod.

All cod are demersal fish or groundfish, meaning they live and feed near the bottom of the ocean. What separates cod (the Gadus genre) from others in their family is three dorsal and two anal fins. They all also have a chin barbell, broom-shaped tails, and heavy bodies.

Atlantic cod can range in color from green, gray, brown, and black with dark spots. Pacific cod are typically brown with a white horizontal line. Greenland cod can range between shades of brown and silver.

Out of the three species, Atlantic cod tend to be the largest and can grow to over 100 pounds. However, the average caught is only between four and 15 pounds. Pacific and Greenland cod can grow to over four feet long and 40 pounds, yet the average is only five to ten pounds.

It is believed that the dramatic decrease in size is due to intense population pressures put on cod by commercial fishing. Their popularity for both their meat and livers for oil makes them a species that has been dramatically overfished.

An Atlantic cod holds the record for largest cod ever caught. According to the IGFA, the biggest cod ever caught was 103 pounds, 10 ounces, caught on April 28th in 1973 by Michael Eisele out of Soroya, Norway.

However, there are rumors of this not being the true world record. There are reports of a six-foot-long, 212-pound cod caught in May of 1895 off the coast of Massachusetts. Though, this is not substantiated by the IGFA.

Atlantic cod can be found in the Atlantic Ocean, north of North Carolina, through the Arctic Ocean, including Greenland, Iceland, the Baltic, and North and Barents Seas. Pacific cod reside in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, going about as far south as the Yellow Sea in Asia, and Santa Monica, CA on the North America side. Greenland cod hang out along the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean and range through the northwest Atlantic in areas like Alaska, Greenland, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Cape Breton Island.

All cod are bottom-dwelling fish, keeping towards rougher ocean floors in subarctic waters, up to 1,200 feet deep. Depending on the stock, they will congregate into schools during spawning season both to reproduce and migrate to breeding grounds up to 190 miles away.

All three species of cod congregate and spawn during the winter and early spring. This is the best time to target them because they are grouped up and extremely active.

All three species of cod will respond to both artificial and natural baits. For artificial lures, jigs, spinners, bucktails, and spoons will work. Natural bait, the preferred method, can consist of squid, fish, crabs, sand eels, and capelin.

No matter what bait you choose, recommended methods for fishing for these bottom dwellers include drift fishing, jigging, and deep trolling.

Cod are well known for being a delicious eating fish. However, as mentioned earlier, they are currently considered species that are vulnerable to extinction. Due to this, we strongly encourage catch and release practices.