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Martha's Vineyard Surfcasters
Martha's Vineyard
Surfcasters Association
P.O. Box 3053
Edgartown, MA 02539
Author: Created: 5/23/2011 9:52 PM RssIcon
Announcements, News, Advocacy, the Island and just about anything else you can think of related to or supported by the Martha's Vineyard Surfcasters Association.
By MVS Host on 5/23/2011 10:24 PM
A drastic decline in striped bass stocks has state and federal officials scrambling to protect the fish, but many recreational fishermen say the government isn’t moving fast enough.

“It’s really scary,” said Cooper (Coop) Gilkes 3rd, owner of Coop’s Bait and Tackle shop in Edgartown, who has seen the haul from the annual June catch-and-release striper tournament fall dramatically. “At one point we had somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 fish weighed in on one night. Last year there were 100 and it’s like a staircase going all the way down to last year. It’s just dropped every year.”     Read the Full Article

By MVS Host on 5/5/2011 12:00 AM
In order to fish recreationally for finfish in Massachusetts marine waters, including up to the first dam in rivers and streams that flow to the ocean saltwater fishermen must have:
  • A MA Recreational Saltwater Fishing permit, or
  • A recreational saltwater fishing permit from a state that has a reciprocity agreement with Massachusetts.  As of January 1, 2011, Massachusetts has reciprocity agreements with: New Hampshire

    Get Your License Here
By MVS Host on 3/24/2011 12:00 AM
Alexandria, VA - The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board has initiated development of Draft Addendum III with the goals of reducing striped bass fishing mortality (F) up to 40% and further protecting spawning stock when it is concentrated and vulnerable. The addendum was initiated in order to allow managers to promptly respond to the results of the stock assessment update in the fall if necessary. Provisions of the addendum, if passed, could be implemented prior to the start of the 2012 fishing year.
By MVS Host on 2/24/2011 12:00 AM
Mycobacteriosis is an emerging infectious disease that affects well over 75% of the resident striped bass in Chesapeake Bay.  Signs of the disease include unsightly skin ulcers and pale gray nodular lesions in the internal organs, mainly the spleen. It is believed that once infected, striped bass ultimately die. 

If you have ever caught an infected fish you will immediately know how serious this problem is. The disease exists here, I know, I caught an infected keeper in Cape Poge last year. Please read this material and if you can a write a check to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Foundation.  Read More!
By MVS Host on 1/16/2011 12:00 AM
The Christmas weekend storm has wreaked more havoc on Chappybeaches particularly the area between the old tire deflation lot andWasque Point. More than 20 feet of beach was lost at the site of theformer deflation lot and the ocean is now less than 150 feetfrom Jerry & Sue Wack's house. The road from what was thedeflation lot has all but disappeared with only the very lower portionremaining. Currently the only way to access the Chappy side ofNorton Point Beach is on foot from the bathing beach parking lot,and that may not even be possible at high tide. The Trustees haveremoved all of their signage from the lot and the Foster SilvaMemorial rock has been moved back to the Wasque guard house.The seaward end of the lot is being washed over almost daily and isfilling with seaweed and sand as well as debris from the remainingbluff which is only about 30 feet from the edge of the lot. WasquePoint itself has been reduced in size and there is absolutely no dunebetween Wasque and what was once Metcalf's Hole. Much of thesand has been pushed inland and there is very little left to the SwanPond. The entire area including much of East Beach is filled withdebris coming off of the bluffs. Accelerating the problem is thefact that the Katama side of Norton Point is continuing it's marcheastward and starting to parallel the Chappy side. This has createda 100 yard sluiceway which funnels the water out of EdgartownHarbor directly toward the southwest corner of Chappy which istaking the biggest hit.See aerial views directly below comparing the Water line from theSummer of 2008 to the current water line in December 2010. Click Here for the Full Story with Photos.