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 […]
Fisheries
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 […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Flounder, Basking Sharks, and Algae
Watching the ‘Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt’
I’m starting to sound like a broken record: we are still waiting for the big charge of striped bass to arrive in our waters. There have been reports of spotty […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
President Opens Seamounts Marine Monument to Commercial Fishing
Flounder fishing continues while we wait for the whales to leave and the stripers to arrive
As the striped bass continue their sluggish trek north, the canal remains quiet, as does the south shore of the Cape. So, we wait and wait some more. But not […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Flounder and Mackerel Are Here, but Haddock Are Not
We’ll be getting the blues early this year
The water temperatures off Cape Cod are only sluggishly increasing this spring, reaching the upper 40s and in some spots the low 50s last week. If all you’re thinking about […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Cold Water Has Stripers Staying South
When they get here, we’ll be measuring these fish differently
It’s strange, given our warming climate, but the ocean water temperatures off our shores are still running in the low to mid 40s — that’s cold for this time of […]
