ADJ.
known, near
VERB + GROUNDFISH
boats, catching
GROUNDFISH + NOUN
cod
ADV.
especially
noun
Any of many fish that swim near the seafloor: a demersal fish.
Boats catching groundfish — fish near the ocean bottom including cod, haddock and halibut — catch thousands of pounds of fish at a time.
verb
To fish for groundfish.
Earl, who has lobstered, scalloped, groundfished and run tugs most of his life, is half joking.
Once thousands of independent fishermen plied these cold waters harvesting the abundant bottom feeders known here as "groundfish," especially cod.