Fishing from a party boat, often referred to as a head boat and also charter boats is a great way to get out on the ocean for a variety of fish for the average non-boat owner. Even a lot of boat owners prefer to let the captain of a commercial party boat take the pressure and danger off their backs by using these services.

There are several different species of ocean fish that can be targeted by a party boat at various times of the year. The boats that target groundfish usually start their season sometime in early spring, depending on weather and water temperatures. These boats will start of by targeting redfish, cusk, pollock or haddock but as soon as the cod season opens up they will shift onto known cod bottom where you also have a chance at catching the other previously noted species. From early fall to winter, huge pollock are what we really love to target, not just for their great fighting spirit but also for the wonderful table fare they provide whether baked, fried or steamed to make fish salad.

These species are targeted year round but as other species appear in our waters some of the boats, and especially boats that feature half-day trips, will shift to fishing for mackerel that are usually inshore — a lot less distance that going out on the offshore ledges. This year in particular, there’s been a ton of mackerel and an unusual invasion of squid, which has caused the party and charters to shift onto them while some of the other boats will still be available for the groundfish addicts.

In some years there are enough winter flounder, also known as black backs, that to support a half-day fishery for them and these boats will almost always have few bycatches except for an occasional tautog or black sea bass or the not-valued skates.

Striped bass charters are apt to be done in the evening and can be very productive as they have been so far this season but the star attraction that has been going on for at least a month has been the incredible bluefishing. Bluefish trips have been so successful that many of the party and charter boats are running half day trips both in the morning and the afternoon with an occasional evening trip.

As the season progresses and is at the point we’re at right now on the calendar, the big runs of oversized pollock appear well out onto the offshore ledges and especially Jeffries Ledge. So the average non-boat owner saltwater angler has all these opportunities.

Not to knock too hard on the rental fishing equipment provided by these hard working party boat businesses, but they are designed to be rugged and take the beating that a lot of use brings. And they lack the sensitivity and the fish-catching ability that more modern technology has provided. If you fish once or twice a year this gear is adequate. If you fish more than that, consider putting together a couple of systems that will suit most of your uses.

Dick Pinney’s column appearas weekly in the New Hampshire Sunday News. Email him at DoDropInn@aol.com.