| The cusk is not a particularly sought-after fish in Maine, | | | | cusk on a regular basis off the coast of Maine, as the |
| with most anglers preferring larger, more popular table | | | | fishing techniques, equipment and bait used are exactly |
| fish such as cod or haddock. However, the cusk still | | | | the same. A medium to heavy rod coupled with a |
| provides reasonable fishing action, largely thanks to the | | | | conventional reel and fifty pound test line will more than |
| wide variety of bait it will accept. In nature, the cusk is | | | | suffice for cusk fishing, and also give you the option of |
| very similar to cod, in that it is a bottom-feeding fish | | | | landing a larger cod or haddock should one bite. Live |
| found predominantly in moderately deep water on | | | | bait works particularly well, and popular choices include |
| rough ground. Good places to find cusk include | | | | sea worms, herring or mackerel. Cut bait, claims, |
| underwater obstacles such as wrecks, shelves and | | | | artificial lures and jigs are also known to attract cusk |
| ledges, which they use as a current breaker and to | | | | and work equally well if presented correctly. |
| hunt for small prey on the seabed. | | | | Another advantage of cusk is that, like cod, they are |
| Cusk are easily identifiable by their long, tapered body, | | | | available throughout most of the year, though the |
| which sports a long dorsal fin and rounded tail fin. Cusk | | | | summer and fall months are reputed to be the best. In |
| are also known to have a long anal fin, blunt nose and | | | | terms of location, the cusk is found in moderately deep |
| a single chin bar bell. Their bodies are a red-brown | | | | waters anywhere between sixty and ninety feet. |
| color on top, with pale yellow-brown sides and an | | | | Many chartered trips head out to the southern regions |
| off-white belly. Off the coast of Maine, cusk are | | | | of the Gulf of Maine, where a wide variety of fish, |
| generally anywhere between one and a half to two | | | | including cusk, can be caught. |
| and a half feet in length and weigh in at around five to | | | | Though the cusk are not particularly fast swimmers or |
| ten pounds. Larger fish can reach three feet and tip | | | | renowned for their fighting abilities, they do have |
| the scales at up to thirty pounds, but these sized cusk | | | | powerful bodies that present a modest challenge to |
| are rare. | | | | the younger or inexperienced angler. |
| Many cod and haddock fisherman inadvertently land | | | | |