It is this time of year, of cold water temperatures, that cusk become voracious predators on a variety of invertebrates (e.g. The cusk is one of our native fishes, and flourishes right under the noses, or "feet", of many anglers who have never seen or angled for them.ĭon Miller (retired) Select image for larger size.Īlthough cusk are occasionally caught during the open water season, ice-in on our large lakes marks the beginning of the traditional season for the pursuit of cusk. New Hampshire is blessed with cold, deep, natural lakes that have sustained the native fauna in their deep basins since the retreat of the glacial ice sheet ten to twenty thousand years ago. The object of attention is the only freshwater member of the codfish family, which bears resemblance to an eel possessing a broad head and enormous mouth.ĬUSK LINE: See a diagram and instructions for using a cusk-fishing device or "cusk line" Who are these brave people and what are they fishing for? They're after cusk, burbot, ling or lawyers, depending on your preferred namesake – few freshwater fish species are addressed by so many common names “cusk” is the most commonly applied moniker in New Hampshire.
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However, there is a group of anglers who venture out in late afternoon, cut their holes and tend their lines well into the night darkness, sometimes fishing until dawn.
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Ice fishing in New Hampshire attracts thousands of anglers, young and old, who pursue lake and rainbow trout, yellow and white perch and other panfish, chain pickerel, and occasionally smelt. By Don Miller, (retired) Large-Lakes Fisheries Biologist