I hope you’re still fishing. The summer tourists may have left, but the fish we’ve been waiting for have finally decided to visit Martha’s Vineyard. Anglers who are entered in OctoberFish have been catching weighables, including some sizable hardtails.
If you wonder if it’s true, just ask David Perrier. On Oct. 22, David was fishing on the Menemsha jetty, as he had throughout the Derby.
“It was like my lure exploded. This fish just took one bullet run. When I got him to turn around, it ran right at me, then it was like a log,” said David, of landing his 15.15-pound albie. “It was gigantic!”
The albie is a personal best for David, and is the current leader in OctoberFish: “I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun as I do on that jetty.”
Steve Wood has weighed in the only two bluefish during the “after Derby” portion of OctoberFish. On Oct. 22, Steve weighed in a 7.65-pound blue. The next day, Steve caught a 10.30-pounder to confirm his lead.
“I was on my way out. I was throwing a two-ounce into the wind. I was on my albie rod, so it was fun,” said Steve, who’s fishing OctoberFish for the first time.
I mentioned to Steve that I hoped to be out later this week, and he kept my expectations in check. “It’s slowing up,” said Steve. “I haven’t seen any others.”
Slow fishing is nothing new after the 35 days I spent casting in the Derby. There was a lot of talk during the 80th Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby about the lack of fish from shore, or even from boats immediately around the Vineyard. And there were facts to back up the frustration. There were only 142 shore albies weighed in this year, and 276 from boats, for a total of 418. In 2024, anglers weighed in a total of 426, compared with 614 in 2023.
After an incredibly scarce summer, a mere 178 blues were weighed in from shore. In 2023, 291 shore blues were weighed in. The only fish with decent numbers was the bonito, with 266 shore bones weighed in.
Those numbers mean most shore fishermen didn’t catch a weighable fish. What’s changed since? Notably, weather and windmills.
Five years ago, all of us who stood on Chappy’s pristine shores casting, catching, and chatting, enjoyed gorgeous views of the ocean while we reeled in fish. Over the past few years, windmills have tainted the skyline. We now stare at dozens, if not hundreds, of ugly windmills, and cast into a near-empty ocean. And while the scientific jury may still be out, the chatter among many anglers is that there is a correlation.
“The lack of fish, at least on Chappy, coincides directly with the installation of the windmills. The feeling is that they are holding bait offshore, like offshore oil rigs do in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Kevin Lord, who rents on Chappy and fishes all 35 days of the Derby. “In 2023, I got 45 albies in 35 days of the Derby from shore; I think there was one windmill up. In 2024, I caught one albie in 35 days, and zero in 2025. If it were a declining population, it would not have been such a steep change. It would be a gradual drop, not sudden. The only change in that time frame has been the windmills.”
Whit Holden, who has traveled from Maryland every year for decades to fish the Derby, shares Kevin’s theories. “I don’t have a scientific explanation, and would sure like to hear one,” said Whit. “The decline is specific to Martha’s Vineyard, and not elsewhere, as far as I know. So what’s changed? Don’t think you can pin it on water temps, because nearby areas aren’t experiencing the same problem at the same time. One thing that has occurred about the same time as our dearth of shore fish is the wind farms, but correlation and causation are two different things. Just worth looking into.”
Some point more to water temperatures as an explanation. Sandy Fisher, a commercial fisherman on the Island, thinks the warmer water temperatures and availability of bait fish are two factors. “Fish are getting here later. The water temperature is warmer. It used to take 18 months for scallops to mature to adults, now it takes 12,” said Sandy, adding, “The trawler boats are killing the bunker population. It’s all about bait. Off Nantucket, there are bait slicks everywhere. There is nothing beyond Nantucket. All the bait hangs out there.”
Fishermen know the local fishing has declined in recent years. No one has the answers today. Time, and hopefully research, will tell.
Fishing miracles
I love touching stories and sappy movies. Happily Ever After (HEA) is my choice for books, movies, and life. My friend Brenda Beal texted me about a wonderful story she’d heard while having appetizers at her friend Paul Sowizral’s home. Paul was out fishing last Friday.
“I was taking a long tour, not catching much. Coming around Dogfish Bar, I saw a commotion near a lobster pot. I went over to investigate. There was a leatherback turtle tangled in the lobster gear,” said Paul, who immediately called the emergency line for turtles in distress.
“They asked me to stand by until they arrived. They cinched their boat up to the lobster-pot line and untangled the turtle.
“I felt kinda good. I love helping the turtles. And it’s a good Friday night cocktail story,” said Paul, who videotaped the release.
If you see a turtle while out on the water, you can report it at 888-732-8878. If you see a turtle in danger, call the Center for Coastal Studies entanglement hotline, 800-900-3622.
Paul’s story has plenty of “awwww” power. Sandy Fisher’s story has plenty of “wow” power.
Last week, Sandy Fisher posted a picture on Facebook of a ring his tenant found in their driveway. Lucas Ornela replied, “Omggg I lost at lobster view when I fell in the water. It’s mineeee.”
“I was on the end of the rocks at Lobsterville. I slipped and fell into the water. The next day at work, I realized that I’d lost my wedding ring,” said Lucas, who was fishing with his wife Maria.
Sandy tried to piece together how a ring lost at Lobsterville ended up in his yard, noting a recent trip to the beach with his son Christian. “During the nor’easter, we couldn’t go out in the boat. We went up to Lobsterville for the first time. Christian was laying in the sand and dragging his bag across the beach. The ring must have got stuck in our gear,” said Sandy. “When my son got in my truck, half the beach came with us.”
Sandy and Lucas discovered they live about 100 yards from each other. “I can hit a golf ball to his house,” said Sandy.
“This could only be a miracle,” said Lucas.
The same day that Sandy and his son got the ring, Christian landed an 11.78-pound bluefish. Christian went on to win the Junior Shore Bluefish, as well as the Junior Boat Bluefish (19.04 pounds) and the Junior Boat Triple Crown.
Two HEA endings in one week. Two more reasons to love fishing!
I hope to see you on the beach, or at the OctoberFish awards celebration on Saturday at noon, at Larry’s Tackle Shop in Edgartown.
Peter and Melissa and the great staff, nailed the end of the fishing year! Thank you all for your support and generosity!
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