Tomcods
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Tomcods are small,9 to 12 inches in length and are often found in brackish water.They resemble small cod but are a different fish.I fished for tomcod with my dad when I was younger in Thames,Mystic and Pawcatuck rivers.I have been told they are no longer around in the numbers of past years but believe that many fisherman like yourself are just unaware of this fishery.Any information from someone who activly fishes for or has seen fishing for tomcod would be greatly appreciated
I catch tons of them in the Hudson from spring right into the early summer when I take my son fishing there. I am not so sure that they are not just baby codfish as I also catch small ling mixed in with them. Does anybody know if they are actually a different species?
Gamakatsu
Gamakatsu
gamakatsu,
atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) are 2 distinct species.
i don't know which you have been catching but tomcod reach 15 inches and according to peterson field guide travel up hudson almost to albany.
my friend, john quinn, in his 1990 book (our native fishes) says they are listed as endangered in new jersey and rare throughout their range. i have encountered them sporadically in net hauls in great south bay at 3-6 inches.
set,
opinari
atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) are 2 distinct species.
i don't know which you have been catching but tomcod reach 15 inches and according to peterson field guide travel up hudson almost to albany.
my friend, john quinn, in his 1990 book (our native fishes) says they are listed as endangered in new jersey and rare throughout their range. i have encountered them sporadically in net hauls in great south bay at 3-6 inches.
set,
opinari
Lake Montauk sees a fair share of tomcod from mid-November through the winter. We catch them right off the dock just like snapper fishing. The trick is to find places where warm water runoffs prevent ice from forming. The tomcod feed all winter on the life that the warmer water attracts.
AyJay wrote:
Tomcod are all over the place in Shinne**** Bay.. rarely taken on hook and line. Did some seining there for research and found a mess of them.
There are a few in GSB, not as many as Shinne**** though.. again not really taken on hook and line.
AJ
If you find them you can catch them on flounder tackle. I used to do it alot but it was years ago.
Tomcod are all over the place in Shinne**** Bay.. rarely taken on hook and line. Did some seining there for research and found a mess of them.
There are a few in GSB, not as many as Shinne**** though.. again not really taken on hook and line.
AJ
If you find them you can catch them on flounder tackle. I used to do it alot but it was years ago.
Tomcod
Just found these old postings...but had to comment anyway.
As a kid in the 50's and 60's, used to catch them with flounder rigs and sandworms in winter months off docks on the Jersey side of the Hudson. Sometimes, you'd pull them in three at a time (if using three hooks, of course). Largest one I ever caught was 13-inches. A fish biologist once told me it might have been a potential record fish.
Someone on this thread made a "tastes like carp" comment. Nope... Those little fish are delicious. I used to gut them, cut the heads off, and pan fry them whole. Absolutely mouth-watering. Better tasting than just about everything else we catch in the NY area.
Tomcod aparently went through a long period of population decrease since my Hudson River fishing days. Rising water temps and PCBs are a couple of the possible causes. But they are supposedly coming back.
Hope it happens. They are a great target species for an inexpensive winter activity that can teach kids fishing and put a tasty meal on the table. However, accessable docks are also in serious decline.
Just found these old postings...but had to comment anyway.
As a kid in the 50's and 60's, used to catch them with flounder rigs and sandworms in winter months off docks on the Jersey side of the Hudson. Sometimes, you'd pull them in three at a time (if using three hooks, of course). Largest one I ever caught was 13-inches. A fish biologist once told me it might have been a potential record fish.
Someone on this thread made a "tastes like carp" comment. Nope... Those little fish are delicious. I used to gut them, cut the heads off, and pan fry them whole. Absolutely mouth-watering. Better tasting than just about everything else we catch in the NY area.
Tomcod aparently went through a long period of population decrease since my Hudson River fishing days. Rising water temps and PCBs are a couple of the possible causes. But they are supposedly coming back.
Hope it happens. They are a great target species for an inexpensive winter activity that can teach kids fishing and put a tasty meal on the table. However, accessable docks are also in serious decline.
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Frost fish
When the wind and weather conditions were right you used to be able to pick up buckets full of them frozen solid on the beach. got lots of them along the beaches in the sound and not as often along the south shore. Usually got little guys around 8 inches long. they would generally come ashore a night so you had to be out at first light. used to get them while duck hunting.
When the wind and weather conditions were right you used to be able to pick up buckets full of them frozen solid on the beach. got lots of them along the beaches in the sound and not as often along the south shore. Usually got little guys around 8 inches long. they would generally come ashore a night so you had to be out at first light. used to get them while duck hunting.
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Conscience Bay
Around the corner from the Narrows just where the deep water ends along the East side used to be a great place to catch them. I got them on bank mussels, fishing for flounder, when those fish used to exist.
And no, they don't tast at all like carp. They actually taste like cod!!!
Around the corner from the Narrows just where the deep water ends along the East side used to be a great place to catch them. I got them on bank mussels, fishing for flounder, when those fish used to exist.
And no, they don't tast at all like carp. They actually taste like cod!!!
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1,732 Posts
http://octopus.gma.org/fogm/Microgadus_tomcod.htm
http://octopus.gma.org/fogm/Microgadus_tomcod.htm
This post edited by Capt. Marc 11:53 PM 01/15/2008
http://octopus.gma.org/fogm/Microgadus_tomcod.htm
This post edited by Capt. Marc 11:53 PM 01/15/2008
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948 Posts
I used to catch a fair amount off the bridge down the hill from Black Tower Hill in RI. It think it's called narrow bridge. We would catch flounder and tommy cod in March and April until trout season opened.
I see a good amount of red cod (also referred to as kelp cod) every summer around watch hill and block island. I was told they are baby cod fish. Sometimes there are big shoals of them. They are rusty in appearance and usually 8 to 11 inches long.
I see a good amount of red cod (also referred to as kelp cod) every summer around watch hill and block island. I was told they are baby cod fish. Sometimes there are big shoals of them. They are rusty in appearance and usually 8 to 11 inches long.
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2,102 Posts
Tommycod
Used to catch bucketfull's of big rednosed Tommy's with my father. Fished Hudson Park, Glen Island, Bouy 7A in Quoque canal, and the hudson. Used Sandworms for bait. They have not been around in any great numbers in many years. Bouy 7A produced the largest as we used to catch them up to 17"-18" long with the average running around 12"-13". Excellent eating fish. I still catch a few while Smelt fishing up in Maine. But even there their numbers have declined dramatically.
Used to catch bucketfull's of big rednosed Tommy's with my father. Fished Hudson Park, Glen Island, Bouy 7A in Quoque canal, and the hudson. Used Sandworms for bait. They have not been around in any great numbers in many years. Bouy 7A produced the largest as we used to catch them up to 17"-18" long with the average running around 12"-13". Excellent eating fish. I still catch a few while Smelt fishing up in Maine. But even there their numbers have declined dramatically.
Caught many Tommy Cod back in the 60's in the Hudson River in the Spuyten Duyvil (Riverdale) area. We'd catch many of them, and like someone else posted the Big ones had redish noses. We fished for them with light rods and reels with sand and bloodworms. I think maybe the Bass put a dent in thier numbers, once the Bass populations came back. That and all the corrmorrants?? Just a guess.
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