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

[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

[piemma]

John:
I never meant to imply that it wa S-B.com that caused the overfishing at Cutty. I stated that it was the Internet. I meant that as a generalization. I still believe that the Internet in general spreads information at light speed and, as a result, things (good and bad) happen at a faster rate than back before the .com era.

You know that I am a huge fan, a loyal board member and a friend. I meant harm to our site.

[Canalman]

Originally Posted by piemma

John:
I meant harm to our site.

Freudian slip?

[Clammer]

I can hit f #$%^&*( rocks anywhere ><><

[Fish_Eye]

Hi Everyone,

I first learned about Cuttyhunk about 46 years ago. It was considered the high alter of places to fish back in the 50s when I read about it in Salt Water Sportsman magazine. Damn that Frank Woolner, what a spot burning fool he was! Unless you live under a rock, or you can’t read, or you don’t talk to old timers and pick their brains about great spots to fish, you have to know about Cuttyhunk.

For the last 10 years I’ve been showcasing the island and acknowledging the rich history of the Cuttyhunk Fishing Club and focusing my underwater camera on the schools of linesiders that frequent the area. I happen to be an outdoor writer, that’s my profession; I happen to be a video producer; how could I avoid featuring the one place on the planet that I always dreamed of fishing since I was 10 years old? How could anyone ignore a place that has been synonymous with striped bass since 1864?

I’ve put up many a post with pictures and descriptions of where to fish on the island. My latest DVD has over twenty minutes dedicated to my own hunt for monster bass and it showcases Cuttyhunk. Before the ball drops in Time Square thousands of anglers will have gotten a lesson in history and will learn about Cuttyhunk. BTW last month Field and Stream featured the Striper Club on Cuttyhunk as one of the top 25 places to fish in the United States – over 3 million people will eventually read about it.

For better or worse we live in an information age. In the past you had to figure things out for yourself or perhaps some old salt would take you under his wings and show you the ropes, now the information is out there…it’s only a few mouse clicks away.

However, on a shrinking planet with a growing population and dwindling resources we now have more responsibility than ever before. We have the responsibility to protect and preserve. We all share in the right to use the common resource but access rights to the shore vary from state to state. We are all responsible for how we conduct ourselves when we fish the surf. We need to respect private property, we need to be quiet, we need to police the area and leave it cleaner than we found it. If given the right of way across private property we need to show respect and realize that it’s a gift that can easily be taken away.

I’ve heard plenty of horror stories about golf carts full of beer and gangs of fishermen making their way to the point with more of an interest in partying than in fishing. I’m afraid we’re going to have to police ourselves when it comes to this kind of bad behavior…a few bad apples can ruin things for all of us.

I will continue to promote Cuttyhunk as one of the top striper destinations on the planet, as I will Beavertail, Point Judith, Block Island, Gay Head and the other "secret spots" like Montauk Point. I can only hope that people will enjoy and respect these places as much as I do.

I couldn’t help but notice that there are close to 4,000 views of the post on fishing Australia’s Steep Point and other world famous down owner hot spots, obviously it’s immensely entertaining to learn about a world famous spot to fish…some might say this is spot burning of the highest magnitude. I say, “That’s unadulterated balderdash!” People have a right to tell stories about great places to fish and people have a right to learn about them and even visit them. If anyone has a problem with that concept I hope they visit Steep Point and take a flying leap…hopefully there will be a tiger shark waiting below.

Happy Holidays!


Mike

[eelman]

Originally Posted by 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

Your right Dave, but I sent you alot of stuff to help you out the best I could in PM'S ..........And the cat was far out of the bag before I posted anything...And in one of those threads I edited it down to a simple "cutty was good" You dont have to preface everything you say with "Not trying to start trouble" When in fact thats exactly why you would take the time to search someones past posts, its obvious you want to look at this though only my window of posts..there is a reason for that..I know where you fish...do I paste up here for all to see?? Nope...Most of the cutty threads I write were pics not stunning insight..I am surprised that someone who I have told things to and tried to be honest with turns around and somehow trys to turn threads into my fault? So agree with none of what I said..Those whispered secrets were for you only, and to use that against me when I was tring to be a friend is pretty low in my opinion, those pms should have stayed between you and I...Trust is a funny thing, I took dave at his word when he told me you were "ok" you live and learn...stabbed in the back for giving helpfull advice...this stuff is nuts.......

F18....I did not learn about that place on the Internet, thats for sure...I came very close to going there in 1996 for the first time and it fell though...so Whatever you may think you know or the idea that I learned here is false...Just FYI...

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

F18....I did not learn about that place on the Internet, thats for sure...I came very close to going there in 1996 for the first time and it fell though...so Whatever you may think you know or the idea that I learned here is false...Just FYI...

And where in the F%$#@ did I say that?? Stop putting F%$#@ word in my mouth!!!

I asked u a ?? that u failed to answer...
My point was////YOU learned it from someone,somewhere,somehow..Right?????
Unless you just woke up one morning and figured you'd be the founder this island that has never been stepped on and call it Cutty.....