Fishing Grounds of the Gulf of Maine

Trinity Shoal This shoal, 14 miles N. by W. from Cape Fourchu and 7 I/2 miles SW. from Cape St. Mary, with a rocky bottom upon it and over an indefinite area about it, is perhaps 3 miles long, NE. and SW., by some 2 miles wide.

Near the center is a rock, uncovered at low water, but over the greater part of the shoal there are depths of from 6 to 10 fathoms, with an average of' from 12 to 16 fathoms over the sandy and stony ground about it. There is a strong tide rip here on the eastern and northeastern part known as Flood Tide Eddy, where is good fishing by hand line for pollock in September and October.

Cod and haddock are taken here in small amounts by trawling. It is a herring ground also, and there is a lobster ground on the shoal and all about it.

A cod ground extends offshore SW. from Briers Island, beginning about 5 miles out from the island and extending to about 18 miles from the land. Its width is about 4 miles. Depths over this area are from 40 to 60 fathoms over a hard, shelly bottom.

Cod are taken here in from 30 to 44 fathoms on the shoal ground running from 5 miles from Gull Rock and the South-West Ledges down to the Lurcher Shoal, a distance of about 22 miles. Between these points fishing is done mostly by hand-lining "at a drift." Cod are taken over the ledges in 5 fathoms of water and thence out to 60 fathoms about them from August to November.

Pollock are taken by the same method. The best season Is August. September. and October. This is a good lobster ground.