The bass are here, and the right whales are not. The whales left a week ago, and the latest aerial survey found no right whales in the area, so NOAA […]
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Too Soon to Tell, But Not Too Soon to Worry
Seeing fewer striped bass and bigger storms in the Caribbean
The striped bass are continuing to move into our area, and there seem to be a fair number of fish in Buzzards Bay, but the fishermen to our south in […]
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Minimum Sizes for Summer Flounder and Scup Inch Up
And traveling bass, stranded dolphins, and wandering whales
The striped bass are finally heading our way. Reports from south of the Cape indicate slot-size fish have entered the west end of Long Island Sound and the bigger-than-slot-size fish […]
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The Spring Show Begins
Watching Provincetown Harbor in wonder as right whales come in close
We are still waiting patiently — or not so patiently in some cases — for the warmer weather to return to get those striped bass moving north. Water temperatures remain […]
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A Look at Early Predictions for the 2024 Hurricane Season
Cold water for now, but a warmer ocean could mean a big year for tropical storms
Spring in winter and winter in spring. That’s what this crazy year has brought us so far, along with copious amounts of rain. The more unpredictable the weather seems, the […]
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Striped Bass Are Stopped Cold for Now
Reading the rules while waiting for warmer water and pogies
The striped bass spring migration has come to a screeching halt for now. There has been no evidence of any significant movement north in the past week. It seems that […]
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Can Cape Cod’s Namesake Fish Come Back?
NOAA says there are signs of hope for cod, but a recovery still seems daunting
Cape Cod is named for the fish that for centuries was extremely abundant in these waters and became the focal point of a major fishery that is no more. I’ve […]
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Whales Are in the Bay, and Stripers Are on the Way
New rules to further reduce striper catch will soon be set
Spring is in the air on the Outer Cape. If you don’t believe me, just ask the whales and the stripers. The right whales are in Cape Cod Bay now, […]
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A Gray Whale’s New England Visit
Signs of serious warming but also of animals’ adaptability
Greetings from my winter off-Cape worlds of northern Connecticut and New Hampshire. I’m beginning to get excited about returning to Provincetown Harbor for our soon-to-start fishing season. While I sharpen […]
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Listening In on the Stripers of Squibnocket
In a coastal pond on Martha’s Vineyard, some bass may be staying year-round
Word is there’s still decent striped bass fishing along our south shore and in the canal. It’s getting kind of late for striped bass to still be here. Although most […]
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NOAA Finds Flaws in Its Surveys
Recreational fishermen tend to overestimate the catch
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been looking at the way it gathers information from recreational fishermen for its Fishing Effort Survey (or FES). The idea involves testing […]
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Facing a Drop in Numbers of Juvenile Lobsters
Cape Cod's lobstermen may be more ready than Maine’s for tighter rules
If we want to imagine the future, it’s a good idea to take a close look at the young. Last week I wrote about five years of declining striped bass […]
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Wishing for a Snow-Covered Winter
Young-of-year study shows 2023 was another poor spawning year for stripers
There has been much trepidation among fishermen about what the National Marine Fisheries Service will do next regarding the rules and regulations for recreational and commercial harvesting of striped bass […]
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The Southern Migrations Begin, With One Exception
A good season and a call for keeping an eye on changes in the northern end of the bay
We’re nearing the end of our season in the sun. As fall strengthens its grip on us, the leaves are showing off their colors and the winds coming more from […]
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Happy Days, Tuna-Wise
What’s not so fine is a weaker Gulf Stream
Happy days are here again: the commercial bluefin tuna season has reopened as of Oct. 1. The quota, at 117 metric tons, is set pretty low, so if the bite […]