Late May Cod Action Off Newfoundland's East Coast cover art

Late May Cod Action Off Newfoundland's East Coast

Late May Cod Action Off Newfoundland's East Coast

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This is Artificial Lure with your Newfoundland coastal fishing report. We’re sitting in a classic late‑May pattern now. Environment Canada’s marine forecast for the Avalon and northeast coast calls for light to moderate southwest winds this morning, 10–15 knots, picking up a touch in the afternoon with scattered low clouds and drizzle pockets. Air temps are running mid‑single digits at first light, climbing into the low teens later, so it’s a cool, damp one – dress in layers and keep the oilskins handy. Tides along the east coast, from St. John’s up toward Conception Bay, are on the moderate side. We’re around a mid‑month moon, so no crazy spring swings, but there is enough movement to matter. Expect an early morning rising tide through the first half of the daylight, then ebbing over the afternoon. First light comes in shortly after 5 a.m., with sunset near 8:45 p.m., giving you a long, workable window. The best bite should bracket that morning high and again for an hour or two before dark when the wind eases and the surface slicks off. Inshore water temps remain cold, generally 2–4°C close to the headlands, slightly warmer in sheltered bays like Holyrood and Spaniard’s Bay. That’s keeping capelin scattered and shallow bait a bit patchy, but there’s still decent action if you move around. Recent reports from local skippers out of Petty Harbour, Witless Bay, and Conception Bay South say the cod are showing in decent numbers on the 80–150 foot stuff just outside the main ledges. Not full‑on summer “food fishery” piles, but enough keeper‑sized cod with the odd 10‑pounder mixed in. A few incidental pollock and small haddock have been coming over the gunwales as well. Trout anglers working the ponds just inland from the coast – places like Bay Bulls Big Pond and some of the small backcountry lakes off the Trans‑Canada – are finding pan‑sized browns and specks cruising shorelines after supper, especially on calm evenings. Sea‑run trout have been spotted nosing around river mouths where the freshwater pushes out, though they’re spooky in the clear, cold water. For gear, most folks jigging cod are sticking with the usual heavy Norwegian‑style jigs in the 6–10 ounce range, silver or silver‑blue, maybe with a bit of glow. On slower drifts, a simple cod rig with salted herring or mackerel strips is hard to beat. The bait’s staying down well in the cold water and drawing strikes even when the fish are a bit lazy. If the current slackens, try scaling down the weight to keep that offering just off bottom rather than plowing through rocks. If you’re poking around for trout, small spoons like Williams Wablers and Little Cleos in copper or gold are producing well, especially when retrieved slowly with a few twitches. Fly anglers are getting fish on black or olive Woolly Buggers, Mickey Finns, and small muddlers swung near the mouths of inlets and brooks. A single salmon egg imitation or small piece of worm drifted naturally is turning curious fish when they won’t chase hardware. Fish activity overall has been “steady but not silly.” Short feeding flurries tied to tide changes and wind shifts, rather than all‑day action. Watch for birds picking offshore; gannets and murres diving tight to shore usually mean bait pushed in and often cod not far underneath. A couple of hot spots to keep in mind: – The ledges off Cape St. Francis into the mouth of Conception Bay: when the swell isn’t too heavy, the edge in 100–140 feet has been giving up solid cod on jigs, especially on the last of the flood. – The line from Witless Bay islands to Mobile Bay: work the 70–120 foot contour, drifting over humps and drops. Several local boats reported good mixed bags of cod and pollock there on the last calm morning. Closer to town, small harbours and rock points around Torbay and Flatrock can turn up sea‑trout at dawn and dusk. Light spinning gear, 6–8 lb mono, and a small silver spinner or minnow plug fished slow and steady will keep you honest. Stay safe, watch the fog – it can roll in fast this time of year – and always keep an eye on the latest marine forecast before you steam out. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
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