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 […]
Fisheries
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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 […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Ups and Downs of Temperatures and Fishing
Behind a line of thunderstorms, cooler water, for now
What an up-and-down week this was for fishing. For days, the water temperature climbed, making it back to the mid-70s, and fishing for the most part was good for striped […]
SEEING SPOTS
Clarice, the Calico Lobster
Lobster with mottled shell is a one-in-30-million rarity
WELLFLEET — In his 15 years of commercial lobster fishing, David Stamatis says he’s never seen a lobster like the one he pulled out of his trap in Cape Cod […]
ON THE BEACH
Move, Talk, and Follow the Bluefish
Three tips for catching bass from the beach on a summer day
On most summer days, even when there are no fishermen casting at the water’s edge, fishing rods stick up out of the sand on the back shore like so many […]
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Smaller Bass, Bigger Blues
It’s still quiet on the big tuna front
Water temperatures have moderated from the unusually high numbers we were seeing the week before last. The harbor cooled down from readings as high as 78 degrees to a more […]
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One Fine Week for Bluefish, Bass, and Tuna Fishing
Two fine messes we’re in: warm water and too many seals
Fishing this week was solidly good for bluefish, striped bass, and tuna. Water temperatures are rising to extremely warm levels for this part of the world, however. I recorded temperatures […]
ON THE BEACH
Night Fishing Is an Angler’s Alternate Universe
Some of the best adventures with bass and seals are had under a new Moon
Catching a fish at night off the beach is as easy as turning off a light. Only in striper fishing, that light is actually the Moon. I’m surprised how few […]