Unrelenting storms continue to ravage the Cape this summer, with the latest being Tropical Storm Elsa, which blasted us last Friday afternoon, July 9. It was a really bad combination: the […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Things Were Just Fine, and Then…
After a sudden drop in water temperature, the fish were gone
We take three steps forward and two steps back, which is an old story with fishing. Things were going very well, as striped bass fishing was consistently solid and bluefishing was […]
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The Bass Are Running in Huge Numbers
Whales are scarce, but white sharks are appearing
Striped bass fishing dramatically improved this past week, with huge numbers of mixed-sized fish moving into the area between Wood End Light and Race Point. Most of the fish ranged […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Trouble With the Bass Rules: Throwbacks Don’t Survive
Mackerel and squid are here, and bluefish are close behind
Bass fishing exploded in our area this week. And the big fish have arrived. Capt. Nico Pace of the Cape Tip’n, Capt. Russ Zawaduk of the Lisa Z, Capt. Rich […]
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Bluefish, Bass, and Flounder Fishing Improves in the Bay
But whales have been mostly absent
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 […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
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 […]
