The striped bass have been biting well all day long, defying the usual ways of these fish. They’ll normally hunker down and not eat much when the water gets too […]
Fisheries
ON THE BEACH
August Reveals a Fishing Surprise
Late in the game, the missing menhaden move in
It’s been an odd year, to say the least. By my count, we’ve had more days this summer with winds out of the north and east than days with our […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Good Morning, Stripers
This could be a summer without the blues
We finally got a week with consistent weather, and that resulted in some pretty good striped bass fishing — depending on what time of day you were out. Fishing was […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Water Temperatures Make a Groundhog Day Loop
Bass and blues can’t take the cold, but we’ve got whales, sharks, and art instead
Here we go again. It’s like the movie Groundhog Day, where the same scenario keeps playing over and over again in an endless loop. Once again, we got the fish […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Cold Front, Krill, and Other Signs of a Wacky Season
The bass are back in a big way, but bluefish remain scarce
Things were sure different this week on the fishing front. We saw a lot of strange things going on in our ocean. We had lights-out bass fishing for a few […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Bass, Blues, Fluke, Squid — We’ve Got Them All on the Bay Side
So far, Chatham’s the hot spot for Atlantic white shark sightings
Fishing really ramped up this week. Two conditions coincided to make that happen: we got a stretch of good weather, and the fish cooperated in a big way. Striped bass […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Cold Rain and Belly Rubs
The fish disappear, then come back big-time, at least for a while
We’ve had another week of up and down bass fishing, interrupted by a late-fall-like mini-nor’easter bringing heavy rains and some wind. The storm chilled our water temperatures from 70 degrees […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Perfect Fourth, Except for the Boaters
Striped bass are in an old spot that’s new again; blues are nowhere to be found
The waterfront was alive with activity this past week, culminating in a spectacular fireworks show on one of those 10-out-of-10 Chamber of Commerce perfect summer days. Given how much awful […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
It’s Hide and Seek With Bass, but the Seals Are in Plain View
Boats work together to make Provincetown a good fishing port
The game of hide and seek we’re playing with our striped bass continues — they seem to be unwilling to settle into an area and stay put. It’s a daily […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Warmer Water Brings Bluefish and Bass
A reminder that there’s no age limit on having a good fishing day
As the song goes, “Happy days are here again” — at least on the local fishing front. First, we got a nice bump-up in water temperatures, which are now pretty […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Bass Are Here, There, and Not Everywhere
Flounder on the shoals, bluefish in the sound
Striped bass are playing hide and seek with us now. One day we have them good, with big numbers of fish around and feeding well, and the next day there […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Another Washout, but This One With a Bite
The bass are here and so are the bottlenoses
We had another weekend washout with clouds and cool temperatures, but this time the weather didn’t stop the fish from biting. Striped bass moved north of Billingsgate Shoals and smack […]
AQUACULTURE
Provincetown Oyster Farmers Want to Grow Sea Urchins, Too
Growing a native species that was overfished, the Chutes hope for both algae cleanup and winter income
PROVINCETOWN — Michael and Kalliope Chute, who have operated the Mermaid Menu oyster farm on the flats in Provincetown Harbor for several years, hope to expand their business this summer […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Another Weekend, Another Storm
Flounder persist, stripers arrive, and there are new rules for recreational bluefin tuna fishing
Another weekend storm has hampered our efforts to get out there and go fishing. This time, south to southwest winds gusting to 35 m.p.h. and rain stifled any idea of […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Late Nor’easter Takes Boats and Stalls Stripers
When storms track west, beware on the bay side
Just when the striped bass were starting to take hold, with good numbers of large fish settling into the area around Billingsgate Shoals, along comes a late-season winter-like nor’easter. This […]
