CTFishTalk.com: Tommy Cod - Connecticut Ice Fishing Reports ( CT Ice Fishing Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi!

Well just got off the phone with a friend of mine.

Looks like we're going to go down to some of the salt marsh creek areas next week here in Ct. to fish for Tommy Cod!
Haven't done that in quite a number of years!
As a kid, I would go with a favorite uncle and catch bucket loads.
Yes! They're small but "Fabulous" eating Exclamation

Anyone on here ever fish for them Question

SeaDog1

fishinschmoe · Joined: 01 Jan 2010 Posts: 300

TOMMY COD IN CT ?!?!?! NO FREEKIN SIR!! I haven't heard of them around in AGES

PM me some details!! If I dont have to drive to "the ditch", that saves me 1/2 the day!! I would even drag my boat out from her "slumber" to go after some of those!!

AustinB · Joined: 10 Jan 2009 Posts: 120 Location: Simsbury

May i ask what a tommy cod is?

fishinschmoe · Joined: 01 Jan 2010 Posts: 300

A tommy Cod is a smaller cousin to the Ocean Cod.

It looks almost exactly like a cod, with all fins top and bottom, a heavy lateral line, and 2 barbels on its chin (almost like a catfish, but smaller).

to catch cod, you gotta go out now on the big blue, and its usually rougher than hell, and twice as cold. and need a big boat, which means big money for the charter.

Tommy Cods are inshore cousins. They seldom get bigger than 14" but when you find em, they are as easy to catch as sunnies, and REALLY tasty, especailly considering the time of year... and depending on the size of your nads, you can catch em from a canoe, tin boat, or bass boat.

JiggyWithIt · Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 58 Location: Farmington

Headed out on the "DEEP BLUE" this Saturday for the bigger cousins I'll let ya know how we do and hopefully have some pics for everyone!
_________________
Its a whole lot more than just being "LUCKY"

AustinB · Joined: 10 Jan 2009 Posts: 120 Location: Simsbury

Where do they like to hang out, what kida tactics and bait do you use?

fishinschmoe · Joined: 01 Jan 2010 Posts: 300

they are bangin the cod pretty good off the Cape. if it weren't for the snowshoe bunny season in NH, I would be thinking about a head boat trip myself.

Austin: they like it way inshore. you can catch em off docks, or in shallow bays, or inlets. just about anything with a hook in it will work for bait. clams, squid, chogs, shiners, and any thing else cut small enough for a 12"fish to fit in its moutht. another tidbit, ... a few frozen cans of catfood, and/or frozen chum in a fine mesh bag and some weight in it works to chum them in too... . who knows, you may even catch a winter flounder...but will have to throw it back with the new season dates of April this year.

AustinB · Joined: 10 Jan 2009 Posts: 120 Location: Simsbury

thanks, i gave my old gramps a call and talked to him about it. he said his dad used to fish south of the greenville dam on the shetucket(excuse my spelling). He also pointed me to bluff point state park to target winter flounder, but i see that i cant fish them until april now so does anyone have any other fish sugestions for bluff point, are tommy cod there? Also i'm not only limited to shore fishing, beecause i can easily take out my porta bote that he passed down to me. For those of you who don't know what a porta bote is here is a link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7QBCDeLm_I&feature=related

fishinschmoe · Joined: 01 Jan 2010 Posts: 300

hey man. In my HUMBLE opinion, you would be Nuts to take a porta boat out to BLACK POINT in the Winter ! DEEP, and FAST out there. Plus the Sound is 38 degrees. if you flip, you won't last 10 minutes, and chances are, you are the only boat out there...except the casino ferry, and that aint gonna stop and save you.

Take your porta boat into Niantic River, between the launch and the train bridge. find the mud flats, and soak bait for tommies. Remember..they are DINKERS, so don't be throwin em back, if you want a fish fry. if you have never seen one, they are easy to spot. they have fin after fin, both top and bottom. (3 dorsals, and 2 ventrals).

The Thames has decent hold over stripers, usually all winter. jigs or pink soft plastics are usually the key over there. IF you wanna hit that big Pequa-something river out by RI, stay inside the breakwalls, in the back bays, and catch tommies there too... and probably winter flounders...and maybe schoolie stripers,
Anything else in the inshore salt scene, pretty much way too cold.

AustinB · Joined: 10 Jan 2009 Posts: 120 Location: Simsbury

WHOA! i would never in my right or rong mind take out my portabote to BLACK POINT, i meant BLUFF point. its a state park in groton. and the shetucket river is a leading river into norwich harbor and the thames. If you are coming into norwich harbor by boat it is the river leading in from your starboard side.

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi Austin!

Not a good idea to take any boat out at this time of year ANYWHERE unless your "Highly Trained" to do so!
Water flows everywhere are very high and rolly right now Exclamation

Give it some time -> Plenty of winter yet to go thru! -> Ice will return!

SeaDog1

AustinB · Joined: 10 Jan 2009 Posts: 120 Location: Simsbury

Alright, i'll wait till the warmer months, im just gettin antsy here. Confused

[/img]

fishinschmoe · Joined: 01 Jan 2010 Posts: 300

My BAD. I thought I read Black Pt... I had visions of a kid out there, in a fold up boat getting ripped to frozen shreds...

Either way, best bet to stay off the salty water, unless you stick way inside the estuaries.

And no, Im not gonna travel that far in search of tommies. Maybe the mouth of the CT, or Niantic....and even then, maybe. The ice will be back, plus the beagles are chasin the Snowshoe hares pretty good right now.

Lest we forget, lots of reels and gear to get ready for March and beyond.

JiggyWithIt · Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 58 Location: Farmington

Shetucket down in Norwich is restricted to lures with single hook only and no weight I believe from Oct - April. Not sure why but they say there's salmon in there... I've yet to see one!!! Happy Fishing
_________________
Its a whole lot more than just being "LUCKY"

Vikingned · Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 43

I once was told that Rocky Neck beach area was a place that held alot of Tommy Cod also, but thats some 30 plus years ago. Wouldn't suprise me if they did make some sort of comeback , after all these years. If they are there, they get and have gotten, very little fishing presure, I would think.

Ned