If you want to fish Cuttyhunk.... you better start exercising those legs.

[bart]

well put

[eelman]

When I went there in the spring there were fishing clubs from NY,CT,MA,RI...You name it. lots of guys could not find fish at Block etc..so they decided to give cutty a whirl...In my opinion haveing fished both places, Cutty is easier and thats what everyone wants, its much smaller and fish are concentrated more out there. The fishing is great no doubt but still , save for the walk from the club to the pigs, I dont think its anywhere near as hard as Block is, at least from a fish finding point of view. When I went out there last spring there were guys from NY,CT,MA,RI..You name it...It seemed like alot for a 2 mile Island...you could see that the writing would be on the wall as to just how much tolorance there would be for hoards of fisherman out there, especially since the place is half private...The mentality is different and they just dont want to be overrun, I dont think its got to do with trash or anything else, its just privacy...simple as that.

When I was there the NY guys told me that the CT. Surfcasters told them about it, I know those guys had been going there for a few years or more and they thought anyway that no one knew...people knew because there is always someone in a group that talks...Obviously the word spread that the fish are stacked up out there like cordwood...duh?? of course they would be! Its in a perfect spot and its small...not alot to learn about that Island...its fairly easy for someone who has any brains to walk off the boat and know where to fish after a couple hour walk.

Now I see that from my point of view and really there is no dening this fact....This is definatly an Internet born spot burn. No question about it, Its the new 21st century way. Just because its an Island does not mean it can be freely talked about and then think no one is going to go there....Most of the new guys are so hot up to catch fish they will go to any length to get to a place and spare no expense.Then, when an instance like this comes up they say stuff like, "I will go anyway" I will bring bolt cutters" "screw the owners" makes me laugh. The very people that had a hand in it are now whinning.

If the people who own land or the whatever decide to turn a cold shoulder to fisherman out there , just remember and search back here and on other boards and look at how much that place was talked about...Then look at the new concept, instead of going with a couple friends, now its an all out party with grand plans and groups of 10 guys or more plus boats and rooms and tons of food.. That wont last forever no matter where it is. Block Island never had that , nothing like that. You never saw groups of 10 guys heading over together.

I dont have tons of time out there , I am just stating what I think is going on...My prefrence has always been the Block...Which by the way still has plenty of fish..

You guys slammed someone I Know well for "spotburning" and all the time your lighting a match and tending a fire of your own without even realizing it Burning yourselves........

Remember to, that just because there is a bass on the church and bonnie hugs everyone who gets off the boat with a rod in there hands doesnt mean the private land owners feel the same way...One thing is for sure...She and the club (Acually hotel) are not there for free they are buisness people who are in buisnesss to make money...thats why they charge for the rooms...money drives everything....The forbes or whoever else owns land doesnt need surfcasters money but the club does..She doesnt own the club and the current owners have in fact discussed selling the place in the near future..There is always more to things than meets the eye...

Would I still go there? once a year sure, but when its over its over...sooner or later one of the private owners hirs will want to do something with or on there property..and I dont think surfcasters are tenants that they have to keep.

Carry on, book your reservations now for huge groups next spring...cause it wont last forever...............

[piemma]

Bill is right. The internet is a great tool but can cause huge problems such as the spreading of information at frightening speed.

Back in the "old days" (late 70's thru late 90's) no one ever spoke of Cutty. We knew the boat guys hammered fish out there but there was too much good fishing on the Cape. The Back was still hot. No seals to speak of and very little closure problems.

I think the Cutty thing started to get big the last 3 years. There were a select few who were quietly doing a number out there but weren't talking about it. Then there were a few posts here and on a couple of other sites and the next thing you knew there were more trips being organized to Cutty than to all the other destinations.

I also think that the down turn of fishing on the Back, the lack of big fish on the Block and the access difficulties there (i.e. no access to SW Point without a long walk). The costs and access problems on the Vineyard and Nantucket and the other exotic destinations that were "trips" back then. All of these things combined with the great fishing have made Cutty the destination of choice for the better than average surf fisherman.

Access there will become more difficult. The Forbes family will put tighter controls on the chain of islands and then the place will become less of a favorite destination.
Personally, I think that if the Feds can cooperate with the fishing community and resolve the access and seal problems on th Outer beaches, the fishing will return to what it was in the past and the presuure will be decreased on the Islands.

[JohnR]

Bill is wrong in this parts of this case. "This site" ruined Cuttyhunk? Give me a effin' break. I think you are again over emphasising the reach this site has in the negative. It took two seasons for Cutty to be destroyed - by the Internet? The Internet can have a negative impact, surely just as monthly and weekly magazines and the "Fish Here" articles in them, weekly fishing reports in newspapers, "Fish Here" books, and any other "source". I believe S-B strikes a good balance when it comes to direct and indirect pressure - though even maybe tooo restrictive but better safe than sorry. We CERTAINLY have less coverage than OTW or the Fisherman, and therefore far less pressure.

The specific items in this thread in argument on Cutty are the access to the SW corner of the island and the chain put at the end of the access road. This has been going off and on for at least 5 years I know of and was the case the first time the "S-B" group went over several years back.

The past decade has had two large fishing bed & breakfasts on the island catering to fisherman, the docks have their charters that cater to fisherman. Clubs and individual anglers have been going to Cutty for years to fish from shore. The fact that 20 people from this site & a few others have arranged 2 trips over there have had little impact.

Cutty is being written about in Maggies from both shore and boat, it is known in an historical sense simply as where the big gals go (hence Church & Cinto). Cutty has a lot of pressure For It but it also attracts some of it's pressure by design. There are many on the island that need the Tourodollars to survive.

And yes, you are absoultely correct to state that the few land owners over there want to keep their deal private but at the same time some of the residents over there need to keep down 4 jobs to make it. Not many places you'll have someone as a charter guide, fireman, and three other job descriptions.

So which is it? S-B burns places toast? Or we're too hard on people that talk spots? That everything is given away on a silver platter? Or too many thumping their chest?

Is there too much pressure on Cutty? Probably. Are we - S-B - the source of that pressure? Uh, I don't think so. Certainly not in a significant way. And certainly at a much lower pressure than other methods have on other spots.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by piemma

Bill is right. The internet is a great tool but can cause huge problems such as the spreading of information at frightening speed.

Back in the "old days" (late 70's thru late 90's) no one ever spoke of Cutty. We knew the boat guys hammered fish out there but there was too much good fishing on the Cape. The Back was still hot. No seals to speak of and very little closure problems.

I think the Cutty thing started to get big the last 3 years. There were a select few who were quietly doing a number out there but weren't talking about it. Then there were a few posts here and on a couple of other sites and the next thing you knew there were more trips being organized to Cutty than to all the other destinations.

I also think that the down turn of fishing on the Back, the lack of big fish on the Block and the access difficulties there (i.e. no access to SW Point without a long walk). The costs and access problems on the Vineyard and Nantucket and the other exotic destinations that were "trips" back then. All of these things combined with the great fishing have made Cutty the destination of choice for the better than average surf fisherman.

.

No doubt it is the "IN" place right now. Every place has its turn. When the cape was good, EVERYONE went. You would see MA,RI,CT,NY,NJ plates parked bumper to bumper on a Tuesday night. How crowded was it? People had to save spots for one another in the afternoon so you would have a place to stand at night.This was all well before the internet. People gravitate towards the easy, or presumed sure thing when it comes to surf fishing.
Seeing the cape sucks,NY is too far, NH has no fish,Rhody has no access, and the only thing you can catch in CT is lyme disease, everyone puts Cutty on a pedestal right now. This too shall pass when the fad wears off, leaving the real die hards with the place all to themselves, just like all the above mentioned locales.
Most of my fish are still caught in little "hole in the wall" spots nowadays, because I never got a good return on my efforts by chasing the "fad" spots.If you are smart, you will learn to fish the places closest to where you live really well, and you will produce better than average results with good consistency.

[eelman]

Back Beach makes a good point, Its is a fad and fads come and go, its this genarations Block Island. I think the discussion on how fast Info gets around is a good one, there is no doubt that its a lightning fast world now. I still think that an Island that small is going to come to a breaking point sooner or later.

I see lots of guys here do great things etc.. your all good friends and all that and its a great place to hang and chat etc... But Still discussions go on about places no matter how inocent and people learn where they are talking about very fast. Comes with the territory.

[fishaholic18]

Bill, how did you learn about Cutty?
I know how I did.....
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander???

[Canalman]

Billy,

I'm not trying to start a huge battle or anything, but you really played a big part in ths "blowing up of cutty" check these out...

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...ighlight=cutty

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...ighlight=cutty

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...ight=cuttyhunk

With the things you say in these threads... who wouldn't go? That said, I wouldn't know half of what I know about cutty if it weren't for your whispered secrets... like I said... not trying to start a battle... just pointing this out.

-Dave