While numerous commercial fishermen groundfish with just one method, such as dragging or gillnetting, throughout the year, Capts. B.G. Brown, 37, of Gloucester and Mike Leary, 44, of Hampton Falls, N.H., multi-task groundfish techniques to get the best returns from their annual fishing time at sea.
These seasoned fishermen, who work out of Gloucester, reveal their favorite fishing method, along with its pros and cons, as well as those of the others.
Second-generation fisherman Brown began fishing about age 8 and has since fished inshore and offshore.
"I’ve had my own boat (the 31-foot Kathryn Leigh) the last five years," said Brown, who is helped by crew Nick Richon and Kirk Wonson, both of Gloucester. He now begins the golden inshore fishing period — Dec. 1 through March 30 — gillnetting and ends it longlining or "hooking." Fish are at their best in terms of quality and usually boat price during this time between ground closures.
Read the complete story at Gloucester Times.