By dbalon on
8/28/2017 8:45 AM
There are some great fishing reports in this month's August 2017 Newsletter! Check out the 40 and 50 pound Striped Bass that were caught and released by Cosmo Creanga...Nice job saving these precious fish!!!
There are also other plenty of updates on the MVSA In-House Derby standings, success in the Shark Tournament, latest standings for MVSA Angler of the Year and more.
Check out the full August report here. Just click on the link below:
2017 Aug MVSA Newsletter w addendum.pdf
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By dbalon on
8/10/2017 7:49 PM
Check
out the latest standings of the MVSA for Angler of the Year. These are
the standings as of the end of July 2017.
1. Cosmo Creanga (May-5, June-5, July-5) Total- 15
2. Jason Patterson (May-6, June-3) Total - 9
3. Ron Domurat (July-6) Total - 6
4. Ed Amaral (May- 5) Total - 5
5. Ralph Peckham (June-5) Total - 5
6. Jonathan Cornwell (May- 1, June-3) Total - 4
7. Don Scarpone (July- 3) Total - 3
8. Peter Johnson (June- 1) Total - 1
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By dbalon on
8/4/2017 3:00 PM
The Boneyard presents
Dr. Greg Skomal
“Seeing Deeper into the World of Great White Sharks”
Tuesday, August 8th, 2017
The Old Whaling Church
Main Street, Edgartown
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Suggested donation of $20 per person to benefit North Atlantic White Shark Conservancy
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By dbalon on
8/1/2017 12:28 PM
“We
have just published a new beach update on our Facebook page. We have most
of Leland Beach open (small section in the middle is still closed to protect
one last group of plover chicks). Access around Wasque Point is still
impassable due to erosion--it comes and goes almost daily. The chicks at
the Narrows just north of the Dike Bridge are 28 days old today and are
expected to begin flying in the next few days, so that will be the next spot to
reopen later this week. Once that happens, we know we will be able to get
vehicles as far as Aruda's Point but we still have chicks (plovers and
terns) around the Jetties. We'll need to see where they go in the
next week but they seem to be spending more and more time north of the
rockpiles at the Jetties.
“We have seen the
second adult tern killed this summer on Norton Point late yesterday. The
adult Common tern was found in the vehicle track and had been run over.
At this point we cannot say if the adult was killed by a predator first
and then run over or the other way around. In any case we are heavily
patrolling the stretch of beach from the eastern end of Norton Point to
Wasque where there are several hundred terns hanging out preparing for their
southward migration next month. The Environmental Police are
investigating the first tern which was run over on Cape Poge two weeks ago.
They have also been helpful in convincing Cape Poge residents to
stay out of closed shorebird areas. I wish there was a way to convince
beach drivers that these young birds really aren't vehicle savvy yet. Any help the Surfcaster's members could provide us in reporting
speeding OSV's would be helpful. All we need is a plate number and we'll
do the rest.
Chris Kennedy”
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By dbalon on
8/1/2017 12:25 PM
MVSA Catch
and Release Shark Tournament
Wednesday Aug 2
6 pm - Sunday Aug 6 11:59 pm
100 yards to the west of Wasque Point
sign-up and rules supplied on the beach
circle hooks only
optional side contest for largest shark
MVSA Picnic
on the Beach
Sunday Aug 6
5:00 pm
hotdogs, burgers and soft drinks supplied
you don’t need to have been in the Tournament to
attend
questions that can’t wait: contact Pres Don Scarpone
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By dbalon on
7/5/2017 2:37 PM
The Martha’s Vineyard Surfcaster’s association
Annual Picnic
This Saturday
July 8, 2017
5 pm
Bend in the Road Beach
Hotdogs, hamburgs, Buns, condiments, chips, water,
soda
will be provided, the late afternoon weather forecast looks good……
Have fun with contests, great tales of fishing past
and present, and most of all
great company
Please bring a dish (salad or a dessert) to share.
Please be sure to
thank The Pres Don Scarpone-
he single-handedly
sets this picnic all up!
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By dbalon on
6/19/2017 10:58 AM
We have a number of tern and plover nests that
will be hatching on Norton Point beginning tomorrow morning. Accordingly,
we will be closing much of Norton Point to OSV access from a
point 1/2 mile from the Gatehouse. There is still at least one
plover nest closer to the NP gatehouse but we will need to wait and see how it
fares. That nest is due to hatch next week after the 25th. On
Chappy, I don't believe that Leland Beach will be looking at additional
vehicle closures for several more weeks which would come pretty close to the
time when we should see some easing of the Cape Poge restrictions. All
difficult to predict given the uncertainty of nest and chick survival as we get
later into the shorebird season.
I've heard from several fishermen wondering if we
expect to have a complete closure of all OSV beaches and I believe we will be
able to avoid that. Have also answered several questions from fishermen
wondering why we don't escort vehicles like several of the Cape Cod towns are
trying to do? If you recall we discussed this at the Surfcaster's
Association Banquet this winter. We have the necessary permits to escort
vehicles but the vehicles would have to be escorted by one of the passengers in
the vehicle (i.e., vehicles without a second person in the OSV will be turned
away), access would be limited from 10 AM to 4 PM only, drivers will have to
take a state-approved shorebird identification test, and we would have to
charge vehicles a surcharge on top of the permit fee to pay the $40K
state-mandated additional staffing and equipping for this program. The
Surfcasters I spoke with had no stomach for those kinds of limitations and
additional fees. This new program is not what folks might think it is.
It does
not allow unfettered access to
closed beaches and it is limited to designated choke points (for us, it is
the Cape Poge Narrows and the south end of Leland).
OK, so let's say we exercised the permit to allow for
limited daytime access to Cape Poge north of the Narrows. It would only
allow access as far as Aruda Point as we have chicks at the Jetties along with
a growing tern colony there. If you could somehow get around the Jetties
we have plover chicks both inside and outside at the Elbow. So, lets look
at the south end of Leland. We have a plover nest there that will be
hatching in the next week or two. But that wouldn't help us if we
implemented the escorting program through that area as erosion is
preventing vehicles from rounding Wasque Point.
Trustees staff are looking at all of the ways we can
maintain access while still preventing injury to these chicks. If we
have missed something or if someone has another idea, please let us
know. As always, we appreciate the support of the MVSA.
We'll stay in touch.
Chris Kennedy
Christopher Kennedy
Islands Superintendent
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By dbalon on
6/13/2017 9:35 AM
Some great June fishing reports are starting to come in along with some very respectable fish. Get out there and hit the water now before the summer crowds show up. This is one of the best months of the summer for fishing the Vineyard!
The June MVSA Newsletter is once again packed with all kinds of useful information. Especially the latest fishing report as well as a great article on Striped Bass Sensory Perception (both written by Brian McCarty (Thanks Brian!)).
Check out the full June report enclosed here. Just click on the link below:
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By dbalon on
6/9/2017 2:26 PM
Message from Chappy Assistant Superintendent (Acting),
Tony Lima:
We have some fresh and upcoming shorebird
vehicle closures to let you know about.
Starting from the Dike Bridge working north, the
Swimming beach area will be closed to OSV traffic this coming weekend
(June 10 and 11) from 9 AM to 5 PM. Note: OSV will be allowed
on the Swimming Beach this weekend after 5 PM til the following morning).
The Swimming Beach will be opened 24 hours per day for OSV traffic from
Monday, June 12 until Saturday, June 17 at 9 AM. The swimming
beach will be closed for the summer for OSV access from Saturday, June 17 until
Labor Day.
Staff have just found four plover chicks on the
Oceanside between Aruda Point and the Narrows Crossover. The
Jetties North will remain closed due to erosion, and plover and tern nests on
the eroded and narrow beach which prevents us from shifting the vehicle trail
to avoid the nests.
Another area of note: We have a nest on
the elbow just west of the first crossover that is hatching today. The adults
have been seen feeding on the bayside beach heading east on Cape Poge
Bay. To be in compliance with state and federal law, we will
be closing the road to visitors starting at the Lighthouse on the inside
trail. The closure point at the lighthouse is to allow
OSV's to safely turn around. There is no additional publically
accessible shorefrontage beyond this point along the inner trail to the closure
line. On the Oceanside, we will close the OSV trail a couple
hundred yards west of the chimney. Thus you may still drive around the
outside of the Lighthouse.
Wasque Point is still closed for OSV's to travel
around the Point at the extreme southern end of the Leland Beach due
to severe erosion. However, this point appears to have been growing in
size over the past few days. Until it restores enough to safely allow OSV
passage, it is impossible to drive from Chappy to Norton Point via the
beach. Finally, the outside beach opposite the Norton Point gatehouse is
still closed for OSV access due to erosion. You can safely access Norton
Point via the inside roads.
Updated property maps are available at the
gatehouses.
If folks have any questions they should
contact Tony Lima at Tlima@thetrustees.org or leave a message at 508-627-3599 and he
will return the call as soon as he can.
All the best,
Chris Kennedy
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By dbalon on
5/26/2017 3:28 PM
Chappy and Norton Point Beach Report
TTOR, Chris Kennedy
May 25, 2017
Beach Update
Most beaches on Chappy and Norton Point are open this holiday weekend for oversand vehicles but current permits are required to drive on the beach. If you haven’t grabbed your permit yet, make sure to stop by Coop’s Bait and Tackle in Edgartown or the gatehouses at Chappy or Norton Point. Also, while its still in your mind, we highly recommend that you put your tow rope, shovel, tire gauge and a jack support board back in your beach buggy—trust us you will wish you had done this when you find yourself stuck on the beach some late evening this season.
Norton Point looks good right now but we are still awaiting Mother Nature to drop some sand on the outside beach adjacent to the gatehouse. The first ¼ mile at Norton Point is impassable on the outside beach due to erosion. OSV’s may travel on the inside trail just past the gatehouse and you can move onto the outside beach a short way down the barrier beach. Norton Point gets a little skinny as you near Wasque which allows only one vehicle at a time to traverse a short 200 foot section of beach before you reach Chappy. Norton Beach will have a number of plover and tern nests established shortly which will probably require the closing of the beach near sections where chicks are located. Still too soon to be able to predict where or when that will happen, but experience has taught all of us that it is likely to happen.
Wasque Point is really broad in most spots, but severe erosion at the junction of Leland Beach and Wasque Point has forced the Trustees to temporarily block through traffic to Chappy as of Thursday mid-day(5/25/2017).
A Coastal Flood Warning has been issued for Martha’s Vineyard by the National Weather Service for tonight. We will re-evaluate the situation in the morning and will reopen access around Wasque to Leland as soon as we can.
At Wasque Point, please avoid the beach grass which is slowly beginning to move outwards from the cliff. The grass helps stabilize the beach which is in all of our interests. No shorebirds are currently nesting at Wasque Point but that could change as the habitat looks ideal for nesting plovers.
Leland Beach will once again be a hotspot for plovers. Several pairs of birds have been spotted looking for nesting areas on the outside and inside beach at Leland and we expect nests to be laid down close to the middle of Leland Beach in the coming weeks. Given its importance to nesting plovers we are asking fishermen and vehicle drivers to once again keep their dogs on a leash. Dogs which are found off of leashes may be asked, along with their owners, to leave the beach. Repeat warnings will result in permit revocation. Areas where plovers and terns are nesting will be posted as “NO Dogs” areas. Please help us pass the word.
Dogs will not be allowed on designated Swimming beaches this summer.
Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge is open for vehicle access except for the very end of the Gut where a family of plovers has taken up residence. Again, this is not a surprise as these birds tend to be early nesters and hatchers. Ecology staff have found other nests at the Elbow which may result in additional closures in that area. But we have learned that Mother Nature laughs at us when we think we have the habits and behaviors of wildlife figured out. We also expect to see plovers setting up nests in the coming weeks in all the usual places on East Beach. OSV access across the East Beach Swimming beach will be allowed until mid-June when we will close vehicle access to prevent vehicles from driving among swimmers, sunbathers and kids.
All gatehouses will be open and beaches will be fully patrolled seven days per week beginning Friday, May 26. As always the Trustees appreciate the support of the Martha’s Vineyard Surfcaster’s Association!
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