Tuna Ground

Jeffreys Ledge

The Gulf of Maine's long ledge. Running northeast off Cape Ann toward New Hampshire, Jeffreys Ledge is a bait-rich rise that holds bluefin, giants included, along with a strong groundfishery.

Jeffreys Ledge is a long, productive rise in the Gulf of Maine that runs northeast off Cape Ann toward the Isles of Shoals and New Hampshire. It stacks bait, herring and mackerel prominent among it, and holds bluefin (including genuine giants) along with a deep-rooted groundfishery for cod, haddock and pollock.

The ground

The ledge is a large piece of structure with plenty of edges and depth changes. As with any bank, the fish relate to bait and the productive edges, so cover the ledge until you find the life.

How to fish it

Troll the edges to find fish, jig marks, and chunk or live-bait for giants. The same structure is superb for bottom jigging if the tuna go quiet.

Tip Jeffreys is big, so let the bait and the birds narrow it down. Herring and mackerel marks stacked on an edge, with life around them, are worth far more than random trolling over a featureless stretch of the ledge.

About the coordinates The coordinates on this page are an approximate reference to orient you, not a navigation waypoint. Fish move, and numbers vary boat to boat, get exact, current marks locally and always run on a plotter with proper charts.
Regulations Tuna are federally managed highly migratory species requiring an HMS permit, with category, size and retention rules that change through the season. Confirm current rules with NOAA Fisheries HMS before fishing.
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Note: fishing regulations (size limits, bag limits, seasons, permits) change often. Always confirm current rules with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater), MassWildlife (freshwater), or NOAA Fisheries (offshore/HMS) before you keep a fish.