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bass fishing

    THE SCUTTLEBUTT

    The Summer of Wind

    Still no blues, just worries about an ocean experiment

    By

    The summer of 2024 will be remembered on the waterfront as the summer of wind. Apart from a few windless days here and there, we have been pummeled day in and day out by relentless winds that have hampered our efforts to get out there and fish or whale watch. We’ve done a lot of fishing in miserable wind, and too often we haven’t been able to leave the dock at all.

    When it’s reasonable and we can get out, though, the striped bass fishing is pretty good. The best area of late is the same as it has been for most of the season, that is, from Race Point to Peaked Hill. The bass have really settled into that area, which is chock-full of sand eels. Every bass we catch has a stomach full of sand eels and only sand eels.

    Ned Madigan, 12, of Pittsford, N.Y. with his first big bass. (Photo by Mike Rathgeber)

    Wire line trollers are enjoying the most success, as the fish are spread out and not bunching up in big tight schools. Trolling is most effective in those situations, plus the fish are staying hunkered down on the bottom and not coming to the surface much. That would explain the lack of success people are having with swimming plugs and poppers. Capt. Russ of the Liza Z has been coming in with consistently outstanding catches of fish exclusively caught on wire line umbrella rigs.

    Bluefish are still nowhere to be found. We’re not seeing them in the bay or on the ocean side of the Outer Cape. Sure, we’re catching a few here and there, but the big charge of bluefish we usually see around here by now has yet to arrive and settle in. We still have time to get them in here, but the high summer window is slowing starting to close. Likewise, I haven’t seen or heard of many giant tuna coming into port this past week. Maine continues to be the tuna hot spot so far.

    I’m probably one of the few commercial fishermen out here who used to teach high school science — I’m the type who can’t help tracking climate change and responses to it. But there is a proposed experimental project coming out of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that is leaving me scratching my head. They’re looking to shift the alkalinity of the ocean as a possible way to reduce the negative effects of climate change.

    To do that, they want to release 6,600 gallons of sodium hydroxide into the ocean about 10 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, according to a July 11 report on WBUR in Boston, a National Public Radio outlet. I’m not the only one who is concerned — the idea is already getting pushback from environmentalists and the commercial fishing industry.

    The concept is called OAE, ocean alkalinity enhancement, and the idea is that it could reverse the ocean acidification that we have seen is linked to hypoxia (reduced oxygen levels in the water) and seems to be a threat to shellfish. It would also, they hope, increase the water’s ability to absorb excess carbon dioxide from the air.

    I’m told the Indie’s science reporter is looking into this. I’m looking forward to reading what he finds out, but meanwhile, rather than rant — because that’s my instinct here — I have some questions for him. First, it seems to me we’ve been trying to manipulate Earth’s core systems for centuries, and it isn’t going that well: to date we have not been able to fool Mother Nature. And sodium hydroxide is a strong base, so it’s highly caustic. We need to know what the scientists plan to do about preventing harm to fish and mammals.

    THE SCUTTLEBUTT

    A Hit-or-Miss Week for Predators

    Humans chasing bass, dogfish chasing flounder, sharks chasing seals

    By

    Bass fishing was hit or miss last week. It seems the stripers are moving about a lot more than usual.

    The bass typically arrive in densely packed schools, and when they find an area where the food source is good, they stay put — at least for a while. Then, as water temperatures rise and more food becomes available in more places, they start to fan out rather than staying tightly packed in one area.

    This spring, however, the bass are still moving together — although in two large schools. One school of fish has been moving south to north from Billingsgate shoals to the Pamet area, while another school is moving from Herring Cove down back towards the Race Point Station and Peaked Hill.

    These fish have not been biting on swimming plugs much. Fresh bait, especially fresh live mackerel or mackerel chunks, has been the overwhelming choice for success.

    Maybe this pattern is the result of water temperatures stubbornly refusing to get out of the mid-50s. We just haven’t had a good stretch of warm summer weather. And on that recent stretch of sunny days, the Canadian wildfire smoke meant we had diffused sunlight — we were grayed out to the point where the surface water did not get much radiating heat.

    Flounder fishing remains good down on the south end of the bay by Billingsgate shoals. But haddock fishing on Stellwagen Bank, which already wasn’t very good, seems to have really cratered. The word is the haddock have gone into deeper water to get away from dogfish, which have infested the shallower waters on the Bank. It’s pretty quiet on the tuna front as well.

    There has been a noticeable absence of fin whales in the Race so far this season despite a plethora of food there. But it’s still early, and they will probably show up soon.

    Regarding the new strict slot limit regulations on striped bass, it pains me to see the utter disappointment on the faces of my customers on the Cee-Jay when they catch a beautiful bass only to find out it’s too big and has to go back in the water. Part of the experience of taking a fishing trip is being able to bring the catch home and have a great seafood dinner. The other day, 8 of our first 12 fish caught were too big and had to go back to the sea.

    Lacerations from a shark bite can be seen on a seal that scrambled up on a boat moored in the harbor. (Photo by Michele Lamy)

    I am often asked if I think Atlantic great white sharks are in our harbor, and my answer is always that they certainly are, as I have seen them myself. Last week, a fisherman casting a swimming plug at Long Point took a video of a great white following the lure as it was being retrieved. Even more dramatic was his video of a gray seal frantically climbing up on the swim platform of a vessel moored in Horseshoe Cove. It was trying to get away from a great white and it had numerous deep fresh bite marks on its torso.

    Make no mistake about it. These sharks are here in our harbor, and they are cruising around looking for their seal dinners. Keep that in mind when you are engaging in waterfront activities this summer. Knowledge is power.

    THE SCUTTLEBUTT

    Stop and Smell the Plankton

    Of cold water, sea lice, early birds, and a few new rules

    By

    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 harbor at a frigid 46 degrees, I took a ride to look around and didn’t see many signs of life. Neither seals nor mackerel have arrived yet. Right whales are still around Race Point feeding on the enormous quantities of plankton that have bloomed. That’s what gives the ocean that wonderful aroma of fresh-cut melons you smell when you are by the water’s edge, by the way.

    Striped bass seem to have stalled their migration to our south, but there are reports of a few keeper-size fish being taken around Martha’s Vineyard, which is somewhat encouraging.

    Spring winds promote upwelling of nutrients from the deep, which, combined with more sunlight and gradually warming waters, make the northwest Atlantic fertile — first with phytoplankton, and then with fish. (Image courtesy NASA Earth Observatory/Landsat)

    One question I get asked a lot is “Early in the season, how can you tell if the first striper you catch is a migratory fish or a holdover fish that never left the area?” Well, the first way is by its size. Typically, only small, sexually immature fish remain in the area over the winter. In addition, because they hold over in brackish, muddy water, their colors aren’t usually vibrant — instead, they appear dull compared to migratory fish. The sure sign you have caught a migratory fish is the appearance of sea lice on the fish’s skin.

    Sea lice are the most abundant parasites found on the bodies of striped bass caught in island and coastal waters. They are parasitic copepods — small invertebrates that are members of the plankton family. They appear as orange and brown spots and almost look like leeches, which, of course, they are not. And they do not affect the taste or quality of the fish at all. What do sea lice have to do with migration? These tiny creatures cannot live in brackish or fresh water, where holdover fish reside in the winter months. If the fish you catch in the spring has sea lice on it, then it is most certainly a migratory fish.

    Lots of proposed changes to fishing regulations are being discussed lately at the National Marine Fisheries Service. Notable ones include a 16-inch minimum for commercially harvested bluefish; there is currently no limit. They’re also talking about reducing the recreational daily bag limit from 10 bluefish per person to five on boats for hire, with a three-fish bag limit for all others.

    There is also an idea of limiting the number of mackerel allowed per day to somewhere between 10 and 20 fish per person (there is currently no limit). Scup minimum size may increase from 8 to 10 inches, and there is talk of closing all scup fishing in federal waters, which is moot, as hardly any commercial or recreational scup fishing occurs in federal waters. Striped bass commercial quotas will remain the same as in 2020-2021, but bluefish quotas have been increased slightly.

    None of these proposals, in my opinion, really affects those of us who fish out of Provincetown and Truro. Our passengers do not typically catch more than five bluefish per day in a four-hour window.

    This past weekend, the Cee-Jay tendered the two cruise ships that visited our port, and I have to say it’s hard to find a downside. You see most passengers carrying multiple bags of items purchased in the shops as they return to the ship, and you hear a lot of rave reviews about the lunches they had in the restaurants. This happening in April, when business is usually slow, seems like a win-win for tourists and businesses alike.

    These ships will return in late October and early November, again bringing a welcome shot of revenue when business is otherwise a little soft.

    THE SCUTTLEBUTT

    The Trouble With the Bass Rules: Throwbacks Don’t Survive

    Mackerel and squid are here, and bluefish are close behind

    By

    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 Wood of the Beth Ann, and the Cee-Jay all reported having to throw back bass that were over 35 inches.

    You might be asking yourself why in the world we are throwing 35-plus-inch bass back in the sea. It’s because we have a so-called slot limit, which dictates we can keep bass only if they are between 28 and 35 inches long.

    Rant warning.

    Our bass keeper rules are not working. I get the intent, which is to save the most prolific breeders — those in the over-35-inch range — and to protect the soon-to-be breeders that are under 28 inches.

    But here is why I know those rules are failing. On Saturday, the bass fishing was extremely good — everyone out there was catching fish. It was a weekend, so there were a lot of boats out, which meant a high number of throwbacks.

    One of many short bass seen floating dead on the surface. These are fish that are caught and won’t survive but must be returned to the ocean regardless. (Photo Mike Rathgeber)

    News flash: the throwbacks are not surviving. This was evidenced by the enormous number of dead shorts on the surface that day. If preventing mortality and achieving conservation are the objectives, we are not meeting them.

    You want a rule that makes sense in terms of addressing both mortality and conservation? I’ll give you one: one fish per day of any size. After that, you simply have to stop targeting them.

    That would mean, on a six-man charter boat, the first six fish end striped bass fishing for the day. After six fish are caught, you have to target another species. Or go in early. Same with party fishing boats — on mine, that would mean after the first 20 fish are caught, regardless of size, that’s it. After that, you have to bottom fish, or go after bluefish, or go in early.

    I am convinced that is truly the only way to end this ridiculous killing of shorts. When you catch a short with a hook in its gut, or one that’s impaled by a plug with three treble hooks, there is no way it’s going to survive. The way things stand, we throw that fish back in the name of conservation and end up feeding the crabs. What we are being required to do is absolutely ludicrous.

    Rant over.

    Bluefish are making brief appearances at the cottages off Beach Point and off Herring Cove, but they don’t seem to be staying. Tuna fishing hasn’t really gotten going yet, although boats are out there looking and waiting for the bite to start.

    Flounder fishing remains good in deeper waters off the Pamet, using sea worms or clams. We still aren’t seeing the fin whales we typically see around Race Point and Herring Cove, but we’re hopeful they will arrive soon. There is plenty of food for them there. Mackerel fishing in the Horseshoe Cove is very good right now. Squid are also in the harbor and under the lights at night.

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