ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOK
On July 28, 1989 I was on assignment for the Fisherman Magazine, doing a series of articles on some of our Party Boat advertisers in Massachusetts and Maine. It was a three-day trip, fishing on different boats sailing out of Gloucester Mass., on up to boats in Maine.
On this first day, I arrived early and introduced myself to Captain Tom Lukegord, skipper of the Nicole Renee, sailing out of Gloucester, MA. We were headed offshore in search of a good day of cod fishing. Tom and I had talked by phone many times and he always provided good fishing reports. The weather was nice, we had a boat full of fishing clients that included some tourists and some regulars who sailed on a weekly basis throughout the season. Captain Tom knew them all on a first name basis. He had fished with them on many occasions, a factor which was to prove beneficial before the day was over.
The trip to the fishing grounds took about an hour before the boat slowed and the skipper directed his customers to drop their lines. He invited me to the cabin and showed me a good body of fish on the finder and it wasn't long before anglers began shouting, rods doubled and fish started coming over the side.
On this first day, I arrived early and introduced myself to Captain Tom Lukegord, skipper of the Nicole Renee, sailing out of Gloucester, MA. We were headed offshore in search of a good day of cod fishing. Tom and I had talked by phone many times and he always provided good fishing reports. The weather was nice, we had a boat full of fishing clients that included some tourists and some regulars who sailed on a weekly basis throughout the season. Captain Tom knew them all on a first name basis. He had fished with them on many occasions, a factor which was to prove beneficial before the day was over.
The trip to the fishing grounds took about an hour before the boat slowed and the skipper directed his customers to drop their lines. He invited me to the cabin and showed me a good body of fish on the finder and it wasn't long before anglers began shouting, rods doubled and fish started coming over the side.
I got busy with the camera, snapping photo's of happy fishermen boating keeper-sized cod. A short time later, the bite slowed down. The skipper ordered all lines in and we moved only a few hundred yards be as fore telling folks to drop lines again. He had of course quickly found the school and noisy laughter quickly returned as customers once again added to their catch. Just as fast as the action started, it turned back off, and it was "lines up" as Captain Tom once again went looking for the school.
That was when he revealed that something really big was swimming below, spooking the fish. He had barely finished speaking when he cut the engines once again, happily announcing that the fish were back under the boat. "Could be a big shark", said Tom as anglers enjoyed a steady bite once again.
Anglers were hooking up on a steady basis. Sonny Manley, a steady customer aboard the Nicole-Renee, grunted and smiled as he began cranking another fish towards the surface. Suddenly the line stopped dead and then began coming off the reel. Something had grabbed that codfish and was on the run.
Sonny was a skilled angler. He had good equipment, strong line and the skill and strength necessary.for a long and hard fight. Back and forth they went with short runs getting shorter then taking line again,signifying that this was no ordinary fish. The skipper made ready. Besides his mate, he lined up two or three of his regulars, each with a long-handled gaff as Sonny cranked and pumped the fish towards the surface. The real excitement came when the fish showed itself. The guys were all ready and under Tom's direction, they gaffed the big fish and hauled it over the side.
Sonny Manley on the left with Captain Tom Lukegord holding Sonny's World Record catch. It weighed in at 255-pounds and the record held for several years before a bigger fish replaced it.
Sonny sat down. So did the gaffing crew. Captain Tom started the engine once again, moved a sort distance where he picked up the codfish school and told the folks to go ahead and fish as it would take a while to measure the fish, take some photo's and get ready for the run back to the dock.
I looked at my watch. We were already late for the run back to Port, but that's what radios are for. Tom called home, making arrangements to have the fish weighed. The customers caught fish for another hour and I took a bunch of photo's and then we headed back.
They measured the fish at more than seven feet in length. Tom thought it could be a record but we would have to see what it weighed. About an hour later, we knew. This Atlantic halibut weighed in at 255-pounds setting a new world record at that time.
The Northeast coast off Rhode Island, Massachusetts and on into Maine offers a unique recreational fishery for cod, haddock, the occasional halibut and other ground species. Party boat fishing has diminished in numbers over the years, but still makes for a fun day on the water for hundreds of fans every year.
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