Why has the fishing from the Cape beaches declined so much?

[Slipknot]

In the past 4-5 years the bass fishing from the Cape beaches has gotten exponentially worse and worse each year. The numbers of fish that used to venture in close to shore at night has gone way downhill since 2001 or so. Every year less fishermen are fishing the outer beaches. Each year the bluefish take up the slack more and more.
Diehards walk the beaches at night even with eels with nothing to show for it all summer long. It has gotten pathetic.

Why?


Some say it's the bait staying offshore a mile or so, others state the more obvious = seals are the reason. Is it a combination of lots of things or a cycle?

I want to know when it will improve because I love the outer beaches but I also know when it is futile to pound sand for no return.
I am sick of losing plugs to seals when I do hook up with an occasional bass or a large blue at night.
I imagine that even the boat guys out by Race point have seen a decline as well over the past few years.
What can be done? and who is going to get the seals out of there?

[BigFish]

Seals Bruce....plain and simple. Since their numbers have increased down the backside.......bait and more importantly stripers, are more reluctant to spend much time inshore. What can we do? Nothing.

[Clogston29]

While I’m certainly no expert, it seams to me that the presence of the seals and/or migration of baitfish to the offshore shoals due to other reasons has prevented large amounts of bait (sandeels and silverside) from populating the shorelines of the outer Cape. Without that, the whole food chain breaks down. Rather than roam the barren waters looking for whatever food they can find, the bass either stay off shore where the bait on the cape is or head to other areas – either wherever the bunker are or to rockier areas to the north and south where there is a more diverse food chain along the shoreline (crabs, pollack, lobster, tog, etc.). The lack of ecological diversity at the bottom of the food chain on the outer cape shoreline is part of the problem is I guess what I’m trying to say.

what can you do? probably nothing which sucks. They're never going to exterminate seals, and with them there there's really not much incentive for the baitfish to migrate back inshore. Maybe eventually things will get bad enough that the seals run out of food, then they'll probably show up other places and the cycle will start again.

[Back Beach]

The summer fishing declined before the seals became an issue. What I mean by this is the schools of fish that used to spend the summer in proximity to the shore out there seem to have relocated. From the early 80's through 2000, we had good catchable numbers of fish out there all summer. The summer fish would bunch up and begin to move from mid to late august through mid September. At times the summer fish would be joined by migrating schools. You could tell when the new schools of fish arrived as the sizes and numbers would be different. In 2000 there was a noticeable lack of resident summer fish out there and I subsequently gave up on commercial fishing out there shortly after. We did have some remarkable fall fishing out there up until 2004, but that has since died off too. I would attribute some of this to seals, but if you fished the cape long and hard as I did, its apparent there is something else at work in addition to the seals. With all that said, keep your eye on the place as its gone through slow periods in the past too. It wasn't all glory all the time as some of the "experts" would have you believe.

[Rappin Mikey]

They heard I was coming and got scared.
Fo rizzy, do the math. Find out how many lbs of fish seals eat in a day. Then multiply that by the estimated number of seals. Then multiply that by 120. There is your answer.

[Sea Dangles]

Bruce, just the thought will make you sick again. Why drive past the canal?

[eastendlu]

If the seals are there then you can estimate that their is an abundant amount of food to sustain them or else they would move on.I'm no expert but i would venture to guess its a cycle as nature has a way of balancing things out in the end its just how long the cycle will last.

[cardnial77]

plus with the longshore currents of the cape, Moving sand has probably Moved traditionally productive spots

[Bronko]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

The summer fishing declined before the seals became an issue. What I mean by this is the schools of fish that used to spend the summer in proximity to the shore out there seem to have relocated. From the early 80's through 2000, we had good catchable numbers of fish out there all summer. The summer fish would bunch up and begin to move from mid to late august through mid September. At times the summer fish would be joined by migrating schools. You could tell when the new schools of fish arrived as the sizes and numbers would be different. In 2000 there was a noticeable lack of resident summer fish out there and I subsequently gave up on commercial fishing out there shortly after. We did have some remarkable fall fishing out there up until 2004, but that has since died off too. I would attribute some of this to seals, but if you fished the cape long and hard as I did, its apparent there is something else at work in addition to the seals. With all that said, keep your eye on the place as its gone through slow periods in the past too. It wasn't all glory all the time as some of the "experts" would have you believe.

Mike can you expand on that? Do you have any theories as to what else may be at work? Because I am reluctantly falling into the seal "pit of despair" with many others. Although I have gone over other ideas like bait migration patterns, water temp, structure change... I miss the better days.

[numbskull]

Unfortunately, there is another possibility to consider. The genetic trait for bass to feed inshore was punished severely by catch and kill fishing (be it recreational or commercial). The fish that feed offshore have been less pressured and lived to pass on their instincts. I have no proof that is what is happening, but would anyone be surprised if it is? Lu's point about there being enough bait for the seals to thrive on is a strong argument that the absence of bait is not the real issue.

[bart]

thats a great theory Numbskull. something i've been wondering about myself....

[onsetangler]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Unfortunately, there is another possibility to consider. The genetic trait for bass to feed inshore was punished severely by catch and kill fishing (be it recreational or commercial). The fish that feed offshore have been less pressured and lived to pass on their instincts. I have no proof that is what is happening, but would anyone be surprised if it is? Lu's point about there being enough bait for the seals to thrive on is a strong argument that the absence of bait is not the real issue.

That really is a very interesting theory,I have always thought it was all the seals fault, and I still think part of it is, but that is definately something to think about.

[Flaptail]

As backup to what Numbskull put forth as theory, we often have spectacular wire line jigging upon return from chasing bluefin out east of Chatham just before we head for the barn maybe a 1/2 to 3/4's of a mile off of the beach just east of Chatham light.

Also, we have run in to herds of bass and bluefish 35 miles east of the inlet in past years that ate the spreader bars with abandon enough to be a pain in the ass.

There are plenty of bass just off of the beach all along the outer Cape. Plenty of bait too. They just won't come in to the beach. One thing we did notice is that just along shore the water temps were colder than they are just a mile or so east of the beach.

The beach will come back. When is anyones guess. It has never ever been consistent in reality. The 70's, the 90's and a ray of sunshine here and there. To believe that it and has been great year after year after year is naive, you have to beleive and hope that each year will be the one ( and then hope nobody else finds out).

Hardly anyone fishes beyond ten pm until the second rip crew shows at 4am at RP. I still do but I'm a holdout.

Seals do suck but I have seen a herd of 20 seals with an sctively feeding school of bass just inshore of them and they were not chasing the bass. I have lost hooked bass to them but have never seen them take wild fish other than in Scorton Creek in winter.

[Pete F.]

I think this is all an Internet rumour to keep the NY guys from going to the cape.

[Sweetwater]

We all talk about the striped bass inshore to the cape because that's what we target. But I've been fishing the national seashore from the beach and by boat, and Cape Cod Bay by boat for many years and have seen other changes as well. Sand Dabs used to be an irritant in picking your bait, but I can't remember the last time I saw a Sand Dab. Sand Eels used to be abundant in the sand for raking on the Race and around Hatches Harbor, but few can be found now (although they're abundant in the water column). Skates used to be everywhere (I guess I shouldn't complain), but can't remember the last time I caught a skate while bait fishing. Fluke were plentiful in P-town harbor and the bay, but now are slim pickings. Fluke and skate seem to have been replaced by a HUGE population of spiny dogfish. Although peanut bunker are typically around, the large near shore shoals of baby bunker has been a rare sight. All of these changes seem to have coincided with the growing presence of seals. But correlation is NOT causality. I don't know if the seals are solely responsible for this change over the last 10 years (and especially the last 5 or so), but if I'm CSI Cape Cod, they're my #1 suspect.

[Slingah]

Originally Posted by bluefishercat

I think this is all an Internet rumour to keep the NY guys from going to the cape.

aaahhahahah...someone finally figured it out
there are plenty of HUGE bass!!! come on up...the gig is up

[eastendlu]

Originally Posted by bluefishercat

I think this is all an Internet rumour to keep the NY guys from going to the cape.

The way its going on the Cape i'm just glad there are no fish in N.Y. also very few seals come to think of it.

[l.i.fish.in.vt]

i don't think there is a lack of fish off the cape beachs,maybe a lack of decent sized fish and shore caught fish,but the boats had tons of fish right off the beach.paddling the kayak just off the beach i saw fish all summer.i know guys that were getting 50 to 75 fish a day during com season but only a handful of keepers. i think something is happening to the water quality that is affecting the bottom close to the beachs. when snokeling the bottom is devoid of bottom life, something is keeping the sandeels from borrowing along the beachs, you see tons in the water just off the beach. i also think that the majority of bigger fish are staying south in LI and NJ or heading north were bigger bait is available.i think the seals just compound the problem and make things even worse.i do find it odd that the bluefishing hasn'tfrom the beach hasn't been affected

[ThrowingTimber]

All that ky jelly in the water is attracting seals

[OLD GOAT]

Like Sweetwater i find the inshore and inside the bay void of life. sand eels. sand dabs(which my kids were raised on) black back flounder, skates ,sculpin. Do you think the poop from 6-9000 seals hauling out on the sandbars and beach would have anything to do with it?Think about it the next time your little kid plays in the sand. the seashore is a PARK. I think that means for humans

[gone fishin]

The seals are folllowing the fish into the canal also. Just a matter of time before they establish a community in Buzzards Bay and Sandwich. Last year they came in with the herring and hung around all season. It was common to compete with them at the west end.

It will never again happen - but!!! Bring back the bounty.

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

Bruce, just the thought will make you sick again. Why drive past the canal?

[Adam_777]

Something is causing the seals to migrate from their old stomping grounds.Find out what.....

Cape guys need to start breeding great whites and Orcas to feed on the seals.Simple yet effective solution.

[RickBomba]

Sealz!

[tattoobob]

Sense Ricky and Mikey started fishing there the fishing has declined


MUNG

[macojoe]

You are all right! The moving sand, the enviorment, Dogfish, Seals, and you be surprised to see the birds eating small Flounder off the flats!

Its all a cycle! And I am sure at some point it will be great again! Just have to wait it out.

I moved to the Cape in 95 Just for the Chatam fishing!! As I was driving here 6 days a week to fish any way!!
I just moved off the Cape in November and I am buying a house right now near the canal. As I have not fished out of Chatam in like 4 years, just not worth it anymore. But I am still close enough if it ever changes!

[Jenn]

I am a true believer in the cycle theory...to a point. I think the large presence of seals is certainly a factor too. Mung.....I havent seen a year in the past 25 years that I have been going there that mung hasnt been around. Its noting new and I dont think thats the reason for the lack of fish. I DO worry about why I have not caught a single skate or flatfish while baitfishing in the last several years though. Not that I LIKE skates but 10 years ago you could fill a pick up in a night if you wanted too and now not even a one? Digs sandeels? forget it...

Is this all part of the big cycle? I hope so....and I hope its about through!

[tattoobob]

Last year (and years past) I have seen Seals eat Skates, Dogfish, flounder, Striped bass, & Blue fish.

Jenn I just hate mung it always stays in the best structure

[cardnial77]

Did we also forget about the possible long term affects from the outfall pipe. people constantly talk about the affects of nitrogen from lawn fertilizer leaching into the ocean. how many millions of gallons of nitrogen come out of that pipe a year and are funneled down tward the cape by the labrador current.

[piemma]

I'm a believer in the cycle theory. Mike is right, it wasn't always glory times on The Back. We had down years and spectacular years. 94, 95 were banner years for big fish. 99, 2000 not so much. 2001 Fall was HUGE.
My old record books show that 96, 97 we "sucked wind" from mid-July thru the 1st of Sept. I think we tend to remember the good night and forget all the bad ones.

There is no question that the seals have effected the quality of the fishing. I still think the Bass will come back.

[NIB]

NIB has caught all the fish in NJ..