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The
Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
May 19 - May 25, 2005 Edition
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Fishing season begins on a familiar note The Martha's Vineyard Times May 19, 2005 By Nelson Sigelman
I wanted to catch my first striped bass of the new fishing season on Martha’s Vineyard. By the calendar, it was spring, but confirmation of the seasonal transition required a fish. The first striped bass tend to arrive in greater numbers on the Vineyard along the south shore. I suspect that has more to do with water temperatures than the flow of bait along the beach. There had been reports of striped bass being caught adjacent to the opening to Tisbury Great Pond and also at Katama, where the so-called right and left forks end at South Beach. Wasque had also been producing fish, including one apparently speedy bluefish, the sole vanguard of what will hopefully be a strong spring run of toothy fish. I drove slowly down the long road, noting the new houses that had sprouted up since the last time I decided to fish Quansoo. The gate leading to the beach was open, an act of generosity and traditional understanding on the part of the association members, who remain inclined to let Vineyard fishermen enjoy spring access to the private beach. I drove slowly, partly because I was in no particular rush, and to avoid irritating any residents by generating a cloud of road dust. There was one old pickup in the parking lot. It looked familiar but every old pickup short of a Hummer usually does on the Vineyard. I was surprised and pleased there were not more vehicles. I had brought an eight-foot Ugly Stick with a Penn Slammer reel. This is a good all-around light outfit for walking the beach that is sturdy enough for most fishing situations. I walked across the creek footbridge and up over the dune walkway. Jared Hull of West Tisbury was standing on the beach casting a fly rod. I had not talked to Jared since we attended a superbowl party in January, the unofficial start of the Vineyard’s winter hibernation. I was quite happy to share the beginning of my fishing season with Jared, an all-around nice guy. We walked up the beach toward the opening stopping periodically to cast at various points without any luck. About 100 yards from the opening we began casting in earnest. As I reeled in I looked over and saw that Jared was hooked up. I suddenly felt a tug on my line as well. A striped bass had hit my lure, a small Storm wildeye shad, one of the new and very effective soft lures now on the market. We each landed our respective fish, seemingly identical bass of about 18 inches in length glistening in the still chill water. I walked over and shook Jared’s hand. My fishing season had begun on a very good note. Lessons lost More than a decade ago catching a “keeper” required finding and landing a striped bass over 36 inches in length. The first keeper I caught was while casting a black needlefish (still an effective plug for big bass) in the surf off Squibnocket. For me and many other fishermen back then, catching a striped bass long enough to keep was a season high point. For years, recreational fishermen willingly supported conservative fishing regulations. The result was a resurgence of bass Unfortunately, there are fishermen among us who either do not know or, worse, do not care about what it took to bring the striper back to the current state of abundance we now enjoy. I received the following e-mail from Ron Domurant of Edgartown, treasurer of the Martha’s Vineyard Surfcasters Association (MVSA.org). Ron prefaced his comments with a reference to a message posted on the surfcasters forum from a fellow identified as Will. In his message posted on May 6 Will wrote: “My favorite south side Chappy spots have produced nothing since the first days of fish a few weeks ago. After a week of gradually slowing down, fishing picked up nicely Friday along with the wind at Wasque. Falling tide produced a number a keeper bass with nothing yet above 30 inches and a couple of bluefish thrown in too. Action was steady until mid-afternoon. The average bass caught is definitely getting larger. Anything with white fished slowly seems to be the solution. Twice this week at Wasque I’ve watched so-called sportsmen keeping bass very obviously under 28 inches. Both times they landed the fish and immediately left the beach. I was fishing with Sue both times and really didn’t want to have a big scene with a violator half my age. What to do? Keep on fishing and get over it? Burns me up. Bad.” Ron wrote: “Please note the post on our MVSA Forum regarding the “take” of undersize stripers. A few others have witnessed similar incidents. It appears as though ”catch and run” is the MO which leads me to believe that these law breakers are aware of the current regulations but chose to flagrantly disregard them anyway…. These people should be made aware that they are being watched and the situation will not continue to be tolerated without action. We have many saltwater anglers around today that did not experience the shortages and subsequent moratorium on stripers during the eighties and early nineties. Most of us that have been around a while sacrificed much while the striper fishery was rebuilding. It burns us up to see illegal fish taken so casually. If these people had been around during the lean years, perhaps they would think twice about what they were doing.” It is frustrating to see people violating the rules and have to ignore the situation rather than risk what could be an unpleasant confrontation, or worse. At least on property managed by The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) help is generally nearby. Chris Kennedy, TTOR regional superintendent, said that no fisherman should think he or she has to ignore a violation. Chris said anyone who witnesses a fisheries violation, such as someone taking a short bass while on property managed by The Trustees, should contact a beach ranger and report details of the incident. He said TTOR could conduct an initial investigation and pull a beach permit if warranted and forward the information to environmental police officer Pat Grady for further action. Elsewhere on the Island, fishermen should not hesitate to call the police if they see something egregious. Many police officers are also fishermen and take a dim view of people who do not play by the rules. And as we all know, fishermen who take short bass are often guilty of a “marked lanes violation.” Speaking of the Trustees, Chris said TTOR would soon install an additional air station at the Wasque gatehouse for vehicles coming of Norton Point Beach. He said the County is also working with Edgartown to install an air station on the Katama side by the lifeguard station off Atlantic Drive. Chris said the goal is to have air pumps at all access and egress points so drivers will not attempt to drive Norton Point Beach without dropping their tire pressure to 14 pounds. Chris said the new air pump would be particularly convenient for people who are living on or visiting Chappy. Every season drivers attempting to make the crossing on Norton Point without dropping their tire pressure end up stuck in the sand. Generally, I think that natural selection should be allowed to rule and people who ignore the rules should get stuck in the sand and remain stuck. The problem is they often get stuck in one of the more inconvenient bottlenecks, which forces other people to stop and help. Oh sure, it seems like they are just being nice. My guess is that most Island fisherman are not happy to help somebody driving a Land Rover with Jersey plates get out of the sand. They just want them out of the way. Fish notes Sandra Demel and John Kollett, also known as Buzzards Bay Fly Fishing, are once again providing monthly fly casting classes on the grounds of the rod and gun club in Edgartown. For more information, call 508-693-6338. Dick’s Bait and Tackle in Oak Bluffs will sponsor its 12th annual Memorial Day Weekend Derby for boat and shore fishermen. There is a $20 entry fee. Call 508-693-7669 for more information Past Favorites: Fisherman artist captures spirit of Derby grand slam, October 14, 2004 This fishing Derby is not a man's world, October 7, 2004 59th Bass and Bluefish Derby heads into home stretch, September 30, 2004 For angler Olga Hirshhorn, a dream comes true, September 23, 2004 59th Derby off to quick, sometimes nutty start, September 16, 2004 Catch some luck in the 59th annual bass and bluefish Derby, September 9, 2004 Tuna madness big and small takes over the Island, September 2, 2004 Dr. Play keeps his life's priorities in order, August 26, 2004 Derby welcomes three new members to hall of fame, August 19, 2004 Commercial fisherman finds literary success and fans, August 12, 2004 Fishermen urged to play it safe on the water, August 5, 2004 First impressions are lasting in the art of gyotaku, July 29, 2004 Big rods, big fish, shark tournament draws a crowd, July 22, 2004 Mike Amaral wears the crown of the fluke king, July 15, 2004 It's no fluke, the tournament's this weekend, July 8, 2004 Chronicle of Island fishing adventures, now a classic, is republished, July 1, 2004 Charter captains weather costs and deliver fishing fun, June 24, 2004 Finding the fish is the easy part, June 17, 2004 Game fly fishermen persevere in weekend tourney, June 10, 2004 One fishing photo is worth 1,000 words, June 3, 2004 Fishing begins to heat up for the holiday weekend, May 27, 2004 Beginning where this angler left off, May 20, 2004 Familiarity breeds success in Kids' Trout Derby, May 13, 2004 Thieves Steal Poles, Not Derby Spirit, October 16, 2003 Word Always Gets Around in the 58th Derby, October 9, 2003 Kids Day Derby Provides a Successful Fishing Bouillabaisse, October 2, 2003 Derby Fishing Is a Challenge, but There Are Theories, September 25, 2003 Changes in 58th Derby, September 18, 2003 Good Derby Fishermen Know How to Prepare, September 11, 2003 King Livens Up the Vineyard Fishing Stage, September 4, 2003 Fishless Angler Sets Off to See the Sights, August 28, 2003 Island Fishermen Lured Offshore by Promise of Tuna, August 21,2003 Island Bass Fishermen Survive, August 14, 2003 When the Fish Aren’t Biting, Might As Well Do Chores, August 7, 2003 For Anglers, It's Now Bonito Time, July 31, 2003 Newest Derby Inductees Are Hall of Famers in Any League, July 24, 2003 Fishermen Do Not Get to Say Peep about Norton Point Beach Fee Hike, July 17,2003 Mon Dieu, Winning Fish was Quite a Fluke, July 10, 2003 Prey and Predator Confused On Buggy Night of Fishing, July 3, 2003 Pond Openings Hold Fish and Risk for Anglers, June 26, 2003 For an Angling Father, Something Fishy's Always Welcome, June 12, 2003 Despite Pain of It, Anglers Carry On, June 5, 2003 Fishing, Fishing Supplies & Boat Charters Business Listing |
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