So many seals that they're bumping into each other. Several "packs" of 4-6 each swimming together patrolling 20-50 yards offshore. High Head sandbar is loaded with them at low tide. South side now completely closed to ORVs due to birds. I don't mind pounding sand even at my age but with all those seals in front I just..... oh well. Thanks...just had to vent. :wall:

Has not been the same down there going on 6 years now!!! I miss it!!!

Had a couple all the way around P-town in front of the bath house a few days ago. Munching on Bass at the drop off - they shut off a nice bite pretty fast.

Awesome. You just made my day. Going down to Truro for the 1st two weeks of July. Should be great fighting for beach space with them. Maybe I'll catch a shark munching on one of them.

Was tuna fishing at Peaked Hill last weekend in 180 ft of water. Probably about 4 miles off the beach and a seal popped his head up off my kite bait.

46# taken at head of the meadow recently.

It's outta control now in a lot of places. They need to thin them out.

46# taken at head of the meadow recently.

By a seal? Or fisherman? Maybe that is 46 seals taken out.....:rotf2:

Isn't it ironic that they (the tree-hugging, animal-all-cute-n-cuddly types won't think twice about closing beaches because of a bird that is destined forextinction, and seals that are already polluting the beaches with their feces and leftover scraps.

Here's an interesting hypothesus: the number of seals increase each year, yet they are a "protected species".
We see more and more Great White sharks each year, and they are "protected" as well.
What would the environmental Einsteins do when the sharks really start to do a number on the seals? Since they are both "protected species", they can't do a damn thing! They cannot, and I repeat THEY CANNOT do anything to interfere with the natural activities of predator and prey.

Let's pray for a good shark year!


I wonder.....would these same "nature freaks" be as concerned if there were a rare species of tick, mosquito or biting fly discovered on a worldwide travel destination?

Bottom line is that the seals vs human battle will only get worse as the seals take over more beaches as they breed more and more.

There's a certain hierarchy for what gets to live and how to decided which animals are killed when two species come into conflict.

From highest priority to "save":
-Arbitrary land species that some tree hugger petitioned to get "protected"
-Cute animals
-Primates
-Other mammals
-Random species picked up by local/national news
-Everything else

There's an arbitrary list of when it's ok to kill animals for the sake of the above protected animals:
-They are scary (sharks)
-They are annoying (all bugs)
-Rodents
-Non-cute animals (Like killing crows to protect plovers)
-Any animal that a large group of the pub won't make too much of an outcry

The above is just based on my observations. As you can see, it's all arbitrary and "what's best for the environment" has no actual weight to who lives or dies. I think the above list applies around the globe.

In this case, sharks are scary and not cute. My money is that the seals will win that fight.

I will be on the cape next week, trying to avoid the seals and cacthing a few fish, hopefully? The fishing has not been the same here now for a number of years. Last year saw seals in places I hadn't seen them before. One day I swear two followed me along the beach for some distance, finally got tired of that and headed back to the house. Put in your time and you can still find a few bass from time to time.

46# taken at head of the meadow recently.

Was there really?

High Head had a huge population last year. I remember coming over the dune and thinking, "man that is a lot of birds on the water" They were seal heads bobbing in and out of the water above the Bar.

They are a menace and hopefully some day there will be something done to deal with the situation. Chatham and Nauset are loaded as well.

There was, and this morning fish were taken at the Meadow as well, seals or no seals. Some guys soaking sand eels got keepers, and the ladies up here from South Carolina got one with a yellow bomber, go figure.

There was, and this morning fish were taken at the Meadow as well, seals or no seals. Some guys soaking sand eels got keepers, and the ladies up here from South Carolina got one with a yellow bomber, go figure.

No question there are fish around on the beaches. I saw a very nice size fish taken off a beach near my house at 3:00 in the afternoon. Just pissed about seals and closures....my standard fare :)

No question there are fish around on the beaches. I saw a very nice size fish taken off a beach near my house at 3:00 in the afternoon. Just pissed about seals and closures....my standard fare :)

I hear you, and feel your pain Paul!!!

Martha Stewart is siding with the fisherman with regard to this issue of seals. She is penning a new cookbook focusing on surf and turf fare, surrounding plover and seal meals, with an accent of cooking over hardwood beach fires.

Head of Meadow used to be my favorite fishing/swimming beach, those days are long gone.

Haven't fished out there since 2004, but I'd be willing to bet there's plenty of fish out there and I'd find them pretty readily if I vetured out there.

If you see a pack of seals, simply move to where there are none. Although they take over some prime spots from time to time I'd bet the fish aren't far away.

I'm not implying there are fish out there because I don't know, but too many times I see/hear people bitching about the seals when they're not that big a factor. Same thing used to happen with the mung...folks would bitch about it and use it as an excuse to disqualify the fishing out there when we were killing the fish just outside of, and next to, the mung itself.

All the biking fishermen down the canal nowadays are 10X worse than the seals could ever be...not only do they steal your fish, spots, and such but they've grown faster than the seal population too...

I'm going back to the cape...:laugha:

Back beach knows backside like backhand,he even tried mine,it was OK I was actually enjoying it at first.

Back beach knows backside like backhand,he even tried mine,it was OK I was actually enjoying it at first.

CHRISSSSSS!!!! What's up stranger? As usual I cannot make any sense of your posts...is it coded?

Welcome back Mike.
I've tried but I just can't keep the sand out of my shoes . . .

The strange thing I have seen, when fishing there is everyone leaves at dusk, and the place is baron mostly every night. go figure

I don't find fish every night but there are fish to be had

The strange thing I have seen, when fishing there is everyone leaves at dusk, and the place is baron mostly every night. go figure

I don't find fish every night but there are fish to be had

I have had the same experience. Usually I am all alone with my thoughts out there on the overnight. Rarely do I see many fishing in some choice areas. To be honest the seal harrasment factor reduces tenfold as well at night. Then head over to the spot for daybreak unless I am already on fish.

Its funny I have probably been parked next to you guys a bunch out there and not even known it. In any case next time you see a black F150 with ski racks and window stickers feel free to come up and say hi if you are interested.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I have had the same experience. Usually I am all alone with my thoughts out there on the overnight. Rarely do I see many fishing in some choice areas. To be honest the seal harrasment factor reduces tenfold as well at night. Then head over to the spot for daybreak unless I am already on fish.

Its funny I have probably been parked next to you guys a bunch out there and not even known it. In any case next time you see a black F150 with ski racks and window stickers feel free to come up and say hi if you are interested.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Will do always looking for a good chat, after catching or not catching fish
Blk Ford Explorer with a plate # SRFCST