We have fallen into what used to be the normal summer pattern, but which we haven’t seen here in eight years: striped bass have all but disappeared in our local […]
Fisheries
HDYLTA
2 Years Later, Planning Starts on Those Indian Neck Tidal Flats
Some call for balancing interests of shellfishing, boating, and upland owners
WELLFLEET — More than two years ago, town meeting voters bought 254.5 acres of shellfish flats for $2 million, with half the money donated by select board member Helen Miranda […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
New Tuna Chasers Need an Etiquette Lesson
Wicked Tuna converts are crowding the old-timers on Stellwagen
We finally got a week with somewhat normal summer weather, and fishing has been what it should be in midsummer. The bay seems very quiet right now; the cottages at […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
An Anxious Week on the Wharf
The effects of the Covid cluster are felt on the waterfront
It certainly has been a strange week on the waterfront. First, we are getting some weird sunsets over the water, as the atmosphere is filled with smoke from the Western […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Reports of Big Bluefish and Black Sea Bass
And, perhaps, one more casualty of Tropical Storm Elsa
Fishing is settling into a typical summer pattern. Water temperatures have been up and down all season, but last week they were in the mid 60s to low 70s, which […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Elsa Makes a Mess in the Harbor
Southeast gusts of 61 mph at high tide create havoc
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 […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
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 […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
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
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 […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
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 […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
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 […]
SHELLFISHING
Wellfleet Select Board to Hear Change in Residence Rule
A stopgap for local shellfishermen who can’t afford housing in town
WELLFLEET — For seven weeks, a proposed exception to the Wellfleet Shellfish Regulations’ domicile requirement has pinballed from the shellfish advisory board (SAB) to the select board and back. But […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
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 […]
