NE. and SW. direction and is about 1 mile long by 1/2 mile wide. The
depths are from 18 to 25 fathoms and the bottom is rough and rocky. It
is a small-boat ground mostly and of little importance as a fishing
ground. Cod are present the year around haddock in late spring and
summer with a smaller number in the fall. Cusk are here the year around.
A few pollock are here in the spring and fall.
Broken Ground. This lies S by E from Moosabec light, 15 miles, whence
the ground extends WSW to within 4 miles of Mount Desert Rock with an
average width of 1 mile. The depths run from 15 to 100 fathoms. The
shallows are sharp and rocky; the deeps, clay and gravel. There are
places 1/2 mile long and others 3 miles long having depths of 70 fathoms.
Several of these spots have special names: Crawley's Rocks, Puzzling
Rock, The Ridges. The grounds mentioned here and those previously
mentioned are known to the fishermen as the Moosabec Ridges. All these
seem to be fishing spots cropping out upon the 50 fathom curve. On the
Broken Ground the fishing season is from June 1 through September.
Herring usually are abundant here from May to September. Cod are taken
outside of the grounds in spring and fall. Pollock and small cod are
taken on the shoals in summer and fall, and hake on the mud bottom in
summer and fall and hake on the mud bottom in summer and fall.
Tibbetts' Ledge. This lies east from Petit Manan 4 or 5 miles. The
marks are Schoodic Island over Green Island of Petit Manan and the Ladle
over Nash's Island. This ledge consists of two rocky shoals with depths
of 3 to 3 1/2 fathoms, about one acre apiece in extent and 1/4 mile apart
lying NW and SE from each other. To the westward of these is broken
ground nearly to Petit Manan. These are favorite small-boat grounds. The
eastern ledge drops suddenly into the mud. In May large cod are caught
over the muddy bottom just E of the ledge in 27 to 30 fathoms. Hake and
haddock are taken in late spring (May) and fall. Fishing is by hand line
and trawl.
Ben's Ground. Lies ESE from Petit Manan 4 or 5 miles. The marks are
Petit Manan Light to northward of Middle Hill of Mount Desert and Humpback
Mountain on the west side of Trafton's Island or Pond Island Light to
the eastward of Jordan's Delight. The ground is circular in shape,
about 3/4 mile across, having 14 to 30 fathoms of water. The bottom is
of rocks and mud. This ground is of little importance except as a
small-boat ground in summ
|