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 […]
fishing
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
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 […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Weathering the Weather and Keeping On Fishing
This is the new normal; it’s time to start adapting
In a summer of relentless storms, the latest to hit the waterfront was what remained of Hurricane Ida. This one came racing up the East Coast and packed a much […]
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
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 […]
COASTAL STUDIES
Lobstermen Fish for ‘Ghost Gear’
For a few hardy crews, it’s time to clean up the seafloor
PROVINCETOWN — Throughout April, a few hardy fishermen have been departing from MacMillan Pier most mornings not to haul in a bounty of fish but instead to haul in lost […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Striped Bass Are on the Way Early
Circle hooks will reduce released fish fatalities, but what about jigs that come with Js?
Spring in New England has come upon us in its usual manic fashion, vacillating between howling, cold, damp nor’easters and beautiful, warm, summer-like days. But the trend this spring has […]
LIVELIHOODS
If Young Fishermen Learn Their Way In, Then What?
New federal program aims to rejuvenate a ‘graying’ fleet
Along the American coastline, historic fishing communities — from the tip of Cape Cod to Alaska’s Bristol Bay — are plagued with a problem. This time, it’s not overfishing, complex […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
North Winds Portend Cooling Waters
Wrapping up the season with hopes for the next one
There is no mistaking it: the fall season is upon us. Unrelenting winds from northerly quadrants have been buffeting us for days on end, and, as of this writing, the remnants […]
