Flounder, Fluke, Sand Dabs..
..
Pleasant Bay. Nauset Harbor, Mill Pond.. all abundant, years ago with winter fluke.. fluke in the summer, could get fluke off the beach almost all summer too, hence that nuiscance thing Flap had
but they was good eating.. Sand Dabs. and sand eels, in both Pleasant Bay, and out front off of Nauset..
the seals started showing.. some wintered over in both the Harbor, and Pleasant Bay.. yes man was invovled there too.. them pump rigs they brought in for clamming right around the same time.. wiped out a lot of them.. but the seals were more than happy to oblige in eating whatever came out of the hydraulics..
As the numbers of seals increased the flounder, fluke, sand dabs, and sand eels disappeared from the front beach, and the estuarys..
the sand eels were the last to go.. I remember even in the late 90's, 98-99.. you could go work the bars near the Chatham inlet at low tide and fill a bucket in short orde.. no more. Still got my CS rake a hangin in the shed.. (needs 2 tines relaced) in hope that I can someday use it again.
So..all the bait is just about wiped out, and smaller fish.. you would think the seals would move on.. no.. they just started targeting schoolies and snapper blue.. they have moved on to the larger ones now..
But, as far as the water.. I agree.. the crap from road runoff, and all the trophy mansions with the golf course type lawns, and huge septic systems right on the shore edge.. and the golf courses along the bay as well.. have to have some impact.. whatever happened to all the eel grass?.. and now chunks of the marsh itself, is dying...