Fishing is heating up, with bluefish showing up in the bay and keeper-size striped bass being caught more and more. In the last week, striped bass keepers were taken off […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT—BREAKING NEWS
The Ultimate Whale Tale
Lobster diver Mike Packard is spit from a humpback’s mouth
PROVINCETOWN — First of all, Mike Packard was not “gulped down” by a humpback whale, as the Boston Herald reported, nor was he “swallowed” by the whale, as the Cape […]
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The Bass Get a Bit Bigger
With the temperature, hopes are rising among fishermen
What a difference a week makes. We went from a November-like Memorial Day weekend storm to a blistering July-like heat wave. Fishing has improved somewhat. Striped bass are filtering in […]
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Weekend Nor’easter Turns Waterfront Into Dead Zone
The storm demonstrated the value of new wave attenuators
The Provincetown waterfront season certainly has gotten off to a less than auspicious start. We had a classic winter-like nor’easter for the holiday weekend. This one was in no hurry […]
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A Puzzle: Huge Schools of Very Small Bass
The conditions are optimal, but the big stripers are MIA
Striped-bass fishing has gone from looking like it was going to develop earlier than usual to now looking like it will start a little later than usual. We are wondering […]
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A Short Course on Dorsal Fins
How to tell the great white shark’s fin from the others
We’re getting closer to our local waters being invaded by striped bass. An abundance of 20-to-24-inch bass have been in and around the Race, being caught on SP Swimmers, yellow […]
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Right Whale Plankton Banquet Keeps Lobstering on Hold
Trap gear closure is extended to May 15
This past week’s cooler weather has slowed down the striped bass migration a bit, as water temperatures have remained steady in the mid-40s, short of that 50-degree mark we need […]
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Keepers Reach Canal and South Coast
Captains wait for news of this year’s Covid safety protocols
Striped bass continue to swim northward at an earlier than usual pace. Keeper-size bass have reportedly been caught at the Cape Cod Canal, on the south coast of Massachusetts, and […]
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Striped Bass Are on the Way Early
Circle hooks will reduce released fish fatalities, but what about jigs that come with Js?
Spring in New England has come upon us in its usual manic fashion, vacillating between howling, cold, damp nor’easters and beautiful, warm, summer-like days. But the trend this spring has […]
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When Waves Turn Minutes to Hours
The loss of the Emmy Rose reminds us of our mortality
Winter winds and cold temperatures might keep mere mortals inside, but the demand for seafood keeps our commercial fishermen offshore, working to provide for an insatiable market. Working at sea […]
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North Winds Portend Cooling Waters
Wrapping up the season with hopes for the next one
There is no mistaking it: the fall season is upon us. Unrelenting winds from northerly quadrants have been buffeting us for days on end, and, as of this writing, the remnants […]
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More Warm-water Fish Are Showing Up Here
Reports of albacore tuna and white marlin reflect climate change
This past week saw more evidence of the effects of global warming on our oceans. We continue to see more warm-water fish moving up into our area. Charter boats out of […]
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Stripers Add That Crucial Extra Inch
A summer of feeding has made many short bass legal
I have always said the summer season goes by in three blinks of the eye. The first time you blink, Memorial Day is gone; the second time, the Fourth of July […]
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Shark Alerts Have Become Routine for Bathers
With cooler waters, catches ebb — except for tuna
PROVINCETOWN — The latest news on the waterfront is the dramatically increased number of beach closures that occurred last week. Alerts were coming into my cell phone via the Atlantic White […]
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A Noble Rite of Passage Lives On
Zach Salvador brings in his first giant bluefin
One of the biggest heartbreaks for me through the years living here every summer is watching this classic fishing village become less and less of that. Families who could no longer […]
