October 14th, 2008 2:52pm
The timeless art of fishing.
If you’ve been out on the water of late then you probably already know the fish have been tough to come by. Janet Messineo of Martha's Vineyard Fishing Charters and Taxidermy did hear the striper fishing on Cape Cod is amazing right now, not that that does anyone much good on the Vineyard. Fishing has been difficult for both shore and boat anglers and with heavy terminal tackle or fly gear.
It’s the final week of the 5-week derby and the fishing is slow, slow, slow. When only one striper in the low twenties is weighed in and another in the low teens with NO third or fourth daily it means the fish are just not feeding. The bluefishing has been better with fish between 7 and 10 pounds each day and he weather is spectacular for the boat fisherman to chase the few schools of bonito and false albacore.
On Sunday at 1 p.m. hundreds of fishermen will gather at Outerland to celebrate the end of another MV Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby and see who will win the $30,000 Chevy Silverado and $30,000 Eastern 20' Center Console. Almost 3,000 fishermen and women have fished very hard, and even those that never weighed in a fish have had the opportunity to enjoy Martha's Vineyard at its best. Janet anticipates the migration of the fish will begin next week when the derby has ended and most participants are back at work and cleaning up the wreckage of their respective, neglected lives.
Hearty anglers will fish on until around Thanksgiving, or until all the fish have headed south.
- Tee Clarkson
