Last week was a good one for fishermen. Striped bass are here in numbers we haven’t seen in quite some time. They are seemingly everywhere, with acres and acres of […]
Fisheries
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Fish, Wind, and Fire
In a rough week, the reward was a brand-new clam
The weather this past week took a radical turn for the worse that kept boats tied at the docks for way too long. We had two days of unrelenting northwest […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
How to Avoid Rookie Moves
The first blues, some rules for boaters, and where not to walk your dog
Striped bass fishing was excellent this past week, falling steadily into our expected summer pattern. The fish have been spreading out along the bay side from Race Point to Wood […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Seals Have Arrived, With Sharks Right Behind Them
No big bass yet, but it looks like there will be plenty
Striped bass have been steadily increasing in numbers and are starting to fan out from Race Point and show up in all the other usual spots — off Herring Cove […]
AQUACULTURE
ARC Loses Out While Underused Grants Are OK
Rule change forces Aquaculture Research Corp. off the flats
WELLFLEET — A discussion of whether licenses for eight shellfishing grants should be revoked took up most of a four-hour select board meeting on May 24. The board proceeded with […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Bass Get Bigger, but the Bluefish Are Teasing Us
Meanwhile, a new 3-fish bluefin tuna limit is a head-scratcher
Striped bass fishing took a serious turn for the better this week, as more bass starting showing up not only in the Race but all along the bayside to Wood […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Bass Return to the Race
Also on the waterfront, news of a lone orca and a lobster boat crew rescue
We finally got into a summer weather pattern of southwest winds and warm air temperatures, and immediately things started to percolate in Cape Cod Bay. I had spent a few […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Season’s First Big Bass Is Caught Off Billingsgate
Fogged in, wind-blown, and still fishing
It’s funny how the weather goes around here. Day after day, we hoped all these northeast winds would go away so we could get out there and fish. And it finally […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
If You’re Fishing for Tautog, Hold Onto Your Rig
Cold winds and hot diesel prices conspire against fishermen
The unrelenting winds from the northeast continue to pummel the Outer Cape, and the prediction is for them to continue throughout this week. With these northeast winds come cooler than […]
SHELLFISHING
Summertime: Could the Clamming Be Easy?
Provincetown’s clam flats could be a year-round resource
PROVINCETOWN — Last Nov. 14, a Sunday, a record was set here: 200 people went clamming on one day. “Never have 200 people gotten together and dug clams in Provincetown […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Visit to a Small ‘Drowned’ Island
On Anegada, conch fishing recalls a simpler time
The cold spring weather continues to put the fishing season on hold. Flounder are beginning to bite off the Pamet, and a few tautog are being taken around rock piles, […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Stop and Smell the Plankton
Of cold water, sea lice, early birds, and a few new rules
The weather this past week — the temperatures remained cooler than usual and the winds howled — was not conducive to an improvement in fishing. With the water temperature in […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Dolphins and Cruise Ships Find Our Hidden Harbors
Notes on playing safely as the season begins
Not much to report on the fishing front, as the water is still a bit too chilled to get things percolating. Striped bass continue their slow, deliberate trek to the […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Painting Hulls, Tuning Up Engines, and Sharpening Our Hooks
Will the joys of fishing with smaller groups and more space on boats last?
Another season on the water is soon upon us and, with a little luck, we may not have Covid issues dramatically affecting everything we do. Still, the last two seasons […]
ECONOMY
E.U. Markets Reopen to Outer Cape’s Shellfish
The benefit to local growers will come slowly
WELLFLEET — Shellfish from Outer Cape Cod may soon make its way to Europe again after a 12-year hiatus. What that means for local growers is not yet clear, but so […]
