The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been looking at the way it gathers information from recreational fishermen for its Fishing Effort Survey (or FES). The idea involves testing […]
Fisheries
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Facing a Drop in Numbers of Juvenile Lobsters
Cape Cod's lobstermen may be more ready than Maine’s for tighter rules
If we want to imagine the future, it’s a good idea to take a close look at the young. Last week I wrote about five years of declining striped bass […]
AQUACULTURE
Future Clam Diggers Seed Provincetown’s West End Flats
Volunteers spread tiny hatchery clams for a recreational harvest
PROVINCETOWN — About 20 recreational clammers gathered on Oct. 6 to experience a clamming day in reverse. Instead of walking out to the flats empty-handed and gathering up a dinner’s […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Wishing for a Snow-Covered Winter
Young-of-year study shows 2023 was another poor spawning year for stripers
There has been much trepidation among fishermen about what the National Marine Fisheries Service will do next regarding the rules and regulations for recreational and commercial harvesting of striped bass […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Southern Migrations Begin, With One Exception
A good season and a call for keeping an eye on changes in the northern end of the bay
We’re nearing the end of our season in the sun. As fall strengthens its grip on us, the leaves are showing off their colors and the winds coming more from […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Happy Days, Tuna-Wise
What’s not so fine is a weaker Gulf Stream
Happy days are here again: the commercial bluefin tuna season has reopened as of Oct. 1. The quota, at 117 metric tons, is set pretty low, so if the bite […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Humpback Whales at Stellwagen, Giant Tuna in the Harbor
The blues and stripers are still here, and there’s good albacore fishing up Cape
We dodged yet another tropical storm, as Ophelia veered to the west and made landfall in North Carolina instead of staying offshore and heading to our neck of the woods. I’ve […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Nothing but a Nor’easter Without the Snow — This Time
What the fishing’s like before, during, and after a storm
We certainly dodged a bullet last week with Hurricane Lee. The storm passed just to our east and brought us huge waves on the ocean side and some rain and […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Watching Hurricane Lee
Our harbor offers little true protection from big storms
Bluefishing remains good but only back on the ocean side past the Race Point Ranger Station. There are still a few striped bass around, and they’re biting as well, though […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
North Winds Cool the Fishing
Fishermen ask for more research on the underwater effects of wind farms
The good news is we dodged a couple of bullets, with not one but two tropical systems — both of them passed east of us. The bad news is we […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Whiting, Whales, and Wind
Here, the wind kept a lot of boats in last week; off the Vineyard, a wind farm goes forward
Last week I wrote about the possibility of us having a good striped bass bite, uninterrupted, all season long. I might have spoken too soon, as the bass really turned […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
One Long Summer of Stripers
And here come the tarpons
We’ve had an up-and-down week fishing-wise. Bluefish were all over the bay early in the week: great catches were coming in from the Pamet to the Shoals, there were big […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Here Come the Big, Hungry Bluefish
The bass that were too small earlier this summer have grown into the slot
Bluefishing has really heated up this last week, as huge schools of big fish showed up in the bay from the Pamet in Truro to Jeremy Point in Wellfleet. The […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Thrill of That First Keeper
Bluefish are on-again off-again, and big tuna are still elusive, too
The way some people see it, we are hitting the summer doldrums fishing-wise. And it’s true, bluefish have been camping back by Head of the Meadow and show no signs […]
SMALL BOATS: PART THREE
Flaws in Catch-Share System Frustrate Scallopers
The quota system threatens their businesses, they say; others argue it creates stability
This article was updated on August 4, 2023. PROVINCETOWN — A decline in scallop stocks combined inexplicably with low wholesale prices have made this a tough year for small-boat scallop […]
