The 71st Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby began at 8 am, Sunday, when weigh master Roy Langley slid open the door of the well-weathered shack on Edgartown Harbor and rang a classic hand bell, signaling the start of five weeks of fishing madness.
The contest began on a somber note. Longtime Derby president Ed Jerome asked those present to pause for a moment of silence and remember those killed on September 11, 2001.
There are various levels of bragging rights in the Derby and on Sunday morning the honor of being the first fisherman to weigh in a fish went to Tim Peters of Oak Bluffs. His was the first bluefish to be placed on the weigh station scale, a 10.85-pound beauty. More fish will follow but for one brief moment, Tim Peters led the Derby.
For those readers unfamiliar with this five-week fishing contest, think of it as the Island’s fishing Olympics — without bribery, doping (unless Red Bull counts), big-money endorsements, multimillion-dollar stadiums, or Busby Berkeley opening ceremonies. The surrounding ocean is our athletic venue.
The modern Olympics obsesses over flag-waving and each nation’s medal count. What nationalism exists in the Derby breaks down to two categories: Islander (a category built on subcategories riven by ancient tribal feuds based on family name and town of origin) or off-Islander.
Yet I still relish the thought of Derby accolades. I dream about walking into the weigh station — the piscatorial Brigadoon that appears every fall on Edgartown Harbor — carrying a big striped bass as the assembled tourists ooh and ahh and the hardcore fishermen feign disinterest, but listen for any scrap of information that might provide a clue about where the fish was caught.
There are big stripers, and there are big Derby stripers. In recent years, anything over 30 pounds has been a big fish, but a 30 is not the stuff that Derby dreams are made of. Watch a fisherman walk into the weigh station with a 50-pounder, and you will understand.
The Derby prize structure is based on four categories of fish: striped bass, bluefish, false albacore, and bonito, in the shore and boat division. There are age groups and male and female categories [For more information and daily results go to mvderby.com].
The Derby committee, made up of volunteers drawn from the Island community, is responsible for the five-week contest. Their work takes place throughout the year.
The committee this week reminded fishermen that they must have a valid saltwater fishing license. In some cases, out-of-state licenses are valid where there are reciprocal agreements.
The committee also announced some rule changes. These include a change in the daily mystery prize, previously awarded by luck of the draw to a fisherman who had weighed in a fish.
“Mystery Prizes will now be awarded through luck of the draw to anyone registered in the Derby,” the committee announced. “No fish needs to be weighed in to be eligible.”
In the past, fishermen would often weigh in a fish that was not competitive in order to try and win a mystery prize. This is a good change that will eliminate the incentive to keep a fish that would otherwise be released.
The team competition has been amended to its original setup, with four fish (one of each species), not eight, eligible to count toward a team’s total. Once again the aim is to cut down the number of fish taken.
Boat fishermen are also reminded that they may not carry any Derby-eligible fish outside Derby boundaries, even for the purpose of refueling at adjacent harbors.