The Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby returns for its 76th year on Sunday, Sept. 12, and will feature many of the great prizes and important safety measures it did last year.
According to an email from Derby president John Custer, the Derby committee is excited to kick off the season after many months of planning and consideration. “Throughout the spring and into the summer, we considered how we could best run the event, in light of public health and safety. Last year we learned a lot, and we were pleased that the Derby community supported our efforts to promote the safety and well-being of all involved,” Custer wrote in the email.
Again this year, operations inside Derby headquarters at the Edgartown Wharf will be limited to the weighing of fish, and committee members and volunteer staffers will be situated in the same locations as 2020.
“[We] appreciate the collective understanding of all that we are working to best ensure everyone’s safety, while also allowing folks to participate in this amazing event and share the spirit of the Derby,” Custer wrote.
Prizes will again be distributed out of the window at Derby headquarters during weigh-in hours, from 8 am to 10 am and 8 pm to 10 pm.
Plans are still being worked out for the awards ceremony on Oct. 17, but officials are hopeful they will be able to hold a safe, celebratory event — similar to the festivities prior to the pandemic.
Derby apparel and merchandise will be available online only through the Derby store, including hats, shirts, and sweatshirts. All sales will benefit the Derby scholarship fund.
And the Kids Day Derby at the Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority wharf is back on this year, on Sunday, Sept. 19. Cooper (“Coop”) Gilkes of Coop’s Bait and Tackle will host the event this year, from 6 to 8 am. Bring your own tackle — no Derby pin required.
According to Custer, last year’s Derby reinforced how much the age-old event means to anglers both on the Island and across the country. “For the committee, that was gratifying and rewarding,” Custer said.
Although the Derby committee still has a lot of work to do in the coming weeks, the event is on track, and Custer is excited to kick off the competition. “We hope for favorable weather and good fishing. The Derby is important to us, and we look forward to it for 11 months, so this is an exciting time of year,” Custer wrote.
Folks should preregister and pay online starting Friday, Sept. 3. Bring confirmation information to any of the Derby registration outlets to pick up a button, Vineyard Vines hat, souvenir booklet, and official rules brochure.
Eligible fish this year are bluefish (22-inch minimum), bonito (21-inch minimum), and false albacore (25-inch minimum), measured from tip to tail.
In 2020, Derby officials voted to remove striped bass as an eligible fish species, and that provision is continuing for this year’s competition.
Derby officials ask that anglers respect social distancing when fishing in proximity to others not in their immediate group or family, and wear face coverings when social distancing isn’t possible.
There is no gathering by the Derby headquarters allowed — no coffee or merchandise will be available, and the leaderboards will not be available there.
Real-time results will be posted online at mvderby.com/results.
Register for the Derby at mvderby.com/register.
Entry costs are $60 for the tall tackle division ($35 for seniors), $25 for the junior division, and $25 for the mini all-tackle division. The fly rod division costs are $60 for adults, $25 for juniors, and $35 for seniors.