What Used To Be......

[BigFish]

Was down the backside this past weekend! Sure is a shadow of what it once was 6-7 years ago. The seals have raped that area, made it a waste of time to fish from shore. 6-7 years ago you would see vehicle after vehicle driving up and down route 6 with rods on their bumpers and you could not walk on a beach this time of year without seeing at least a half dozen surf fisherman during the day on any stretch or beach and 4 times that many at night!!! Now......saw 1 fisherman on the beaches down there all weekend. Dozens and dozens of seals. Have not hooked a fish or had so much as a swirl down there on the backside beaches in 4 years!!!! So very sad what has happened down there to the fishery. Talking to that other fisherman who happens to live down there.......not seeing sand eels as he used to, lack of bait inshore continues as does the presence of fish...even blues????? I love it down there but might just have to leave the surf gear home next time. Just no longer worth the effort! I see a few folks venturing out on the Race......but that is not even worth the $150 a season anymore due to the closures! I have not bought a permit myself in 6 years.....remember when you had to get it the first 3 days or you would miss out???? I miss the good old days down there.

[Canalman]

Hopefully Larry, it's just a cycle and in another 5 years it will be back to it's old self. We need more sharks! And sadly, we need a close call where a shark comes in close to a bathing beach... that might change things a little. Although, knowing our society as it is today, we'll be hunting the sharks down to save the seals!

I miss the old days when they'd mount a JAWS-like hunt for a big shark and club all the seals they saw in between! lol

[ThrowingTimber]

The fish are still there we hammered them right off the point this past weekend for hours! 25-35# fish on massive schools of sandeeels. They've probably just learned to stay the hell away from the seals. Get rid of the seals and the fish will go in tighter.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[JohnnyD]

With all the seals on the backside, there's no point even trying to fish there unless it's at night. Last couple years, all you need to do is be at the water's edge for 10-15 minutes and one of those POS seals pops its head out of the water looking for a hand out.

We need the bounty back.

[BigFish]

Originally Posted by ThrowingTimber

The fish are still there we hammered them right off the point this past weekend for hours! 25-35# fish on massive schools of sandeeels. They've probably just learned to stay the hell away from the seals. Get rid of the seals and the fish will go in tighter.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Surf?? Or from a boat Vic??

[BigFish]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

With all the seals on the backside, there's no point even trying to fish there unless it's at night. Last couple years, all you need to do is be at the water's edge for 10-15 minutes and one of those POS seals pops its head out of the water looking for a hand out.

We need the bounty back.

Seals are there at night as well.

[rizzo]

The windows of opportunity there are getting VERY VERY short. Hopefully it comes back into balance with a seal black plague!

[Pete F.]

Originally Posted by rizzo

The windows of opportunity there are getting VERY VERY short. Hopefully it comes back into balance with a seal black plague!

It's called distemper and it will come sooner or later.

[piemma]

I also miss the old days Larry. Spent half my fishing life on the Back. I knew every hole from the Mission Bell to High Head. LeCount, Ballston, Clay Banks (not many know where that is), Lauras, The Bird Houses, 2tenths hole, Peaked Hill. Man, we use to crush fish and have a great time with really good fishermen all around us.

Vic is no doubt right . The fish are still there but with the bird closures and the seals, I haven't gotten a pass since 2003. Just not worth a 300 miles R/T

[BigFish]

Pretty sure Vic was in a boat....of course they crush them from a boat. From the surf??? Not so much!!

[ThrowingTimber]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Surf?? Or from a boat Vic??

Boat. Not very far from shore

[BigFish]

Sounds like you got into some nice fish there Vic....but they have not been coming into surfcasting distance for quite some time. Sure there must be those moments......but it is certainly not like it used to be....not even close! I did my share of fishing down there when it was still pretty good......and I know the difference between then and now and it sucks bad.

[BigFish]

I will also add that the Race from Hatches up to maybe Race Point beach does not seem to have the seal issues due to the way the water moves past there...the backside beaches from the Race to Nauset have a huge seal population as well as the area outside Wellfleet Harbor past LT's Island I am told. From Nauset to Chatham is out of control with seals.

[PRBuzz]

Those schools between the rip and Wood End get killed every day by the boat fisherman, just fish the drop off with wire, umbrellas, what ever......just join the party.

[BigFish]

Guys....I am talking surf...not boat fishing.

[Sea Dangles]

There are still sharpies pounding the outer cape beaches from the surf and I am told the fishing is great at times,especially without the crowds.

[BigFish]

As I said I understand there will be moments...and those guys (most of them) live there! You don't see people making the destination drive down there like 6/7 years ago! I used to drive down with my buddy after work, fish all night, catch a bunch of fish and drive home in the am and it was worth it!!! Not worth the time, money for gas and effort like it was back in the day!

[Finaddict]

Surf, boat ... there are just too many seals ... it really is time to thin their herd ...

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Seals are there at night as well.

They sure are but not like how it is during the day. Like I said above, you stop anywhere for 15 minutes and you'll see one of those turds bobbing around in front of you. Last year, we had a couple seals that literally followed us up and down the beach in our trucks.

However at night, they don't seem to be nearly as intrusive. Birds, seals, closures, overfishing.... it all just sucks.

[Circlehook]

Was there ever a time, "back in the day" that seals were an issue? Is it cyclical, or is this a new thing over the past 5 years?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[JohnnySaxatilis]

Im guessing no becuase there was a bounty on them back in the day. couple bucks a nose, right?

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Circlehook

Was there ever a time, "back in the day" that seals were an issue? Is it cyclical, or is this a new thing over the past 5 years?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Started around 02 or 03 then got real bad after that. Back in the "day". We had 100+ fish nights. I'm not talking schoolies either. My old partner RJ Zaldivia and I had a night in 94 when we caught so many 25 to 35# bass we left. We couldn't catch anymore as our arms were beat. All on eels and all in the surf from the Second Rip to peaked Hill Bar.
I was in the Thundermist Striper Club in Woonsocket at the time and there were some extraordinary fishermen in that club. Lanny Grazine was the president and would win the most points award every year. 1800 to 2000 points. 1 pound = 1 point. His partner was #^&#^&#^&#^& Conoyer and Tony C. George Calzone would join them occasionally. There was also a group from NY that was on the Back all season. Chucky Cigar, Eddie, NJ Charlie. Lucinni was always there. Stevie Voisonet was usually high hook from a little tin boat. he came in one morning with 1400 pounds in his boat. had an inch of freeboard.

Now these guys were all commercial and actually made a lot of money every summer. I was not commercial after 82 0r 83 so I'd just keep my 2 fish. I'm ashamed to admit it now but we use to high grade all the time. We'd give the smaller fish to the comms. Remember everything was still over 34".
For you younger guys, I hope you see this kind of fishing again. We'd start at the Second Rip or the Telephone Pole on the Front and work West with the fish as the tide dropped. Follow the fish for 15 or 20 miles. When they started closing the beach for the birds at the Mission Bell, we'd park all the trucks at the closure sign, except one. Everyone would pile into that one truck and scoot around the closure area. The rangers use to thing we were all in the trucks sleeping and never came past the closure area. Hide the one truck up inside the dunes. It wasn't unusual to see 3 or 4 mid to high 40s in a night, uncountable 20s and 30s. I remember one morning when we ended up at the Bell and Lanny was the only one who kept fishing. he nailed 3, 38 pounders right in a row.

It was amazing fishing. SEALS!!!

[Rappin Mikey]

It's all about the boat or kayak now. What a shame. My wife has a bunch of friends who stay in Truro, so I'll continue to go out there. I am just glad I have a yak and a bunch of Salties needles.

[Raven]

after reading several of your POSTS Paul (Piemma)
with your astute memory and gift for writing

i think you should write a book for future generations.

I really Do...

[piemma]

Thanks Raven. I actually started writing the history of the back and sent stories to OTW and the Fisherman. They both said more suited to book form. perhaps when I retire....

[The Iceman 6]

I and my family used to love swimming Head of the Meadow during the day and fishing it hard at night, those days are long gone. Mikey's right, you need a YAK. I remember a few years back taking the long walk to Nauset from Coast Guard Beach and wondering why I didn't have a hit between the second and third bar (I've always had success there)? Come sunrise, there were tons of seals. I no longer make the walk. BBJ showed my some secret spots though and for that I am grateful.

Ice

[Typhoon]

My friends who commercially fish year in Chatham say the seals are too lazy to chase bass. They have all of the skates they need and they eat them like sandwiches.

They blame the backside bass issue with pair trawling, not seals.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Typhoon

They blame the backside bass issue with pair trawling, not seals.

How exactly would pair trawling have an effect on the beach fishing. It seems that the bass have learned to stay off the shoreline and into the deeper waters. I've seen your boat out there on the Race and I have to assume you turn the corner sometimes and know that there are fish out in the deeper waters off the backside. It's just that they aren't coming into sure because of those sea hogs.

I have issues with pair trawlers for a multitude of other reasons, but don't think we should take the focus off a lack of bass inshore being related to the seals.

[BigFish]

"They" would be sorely misinformed.....it is the seals. I have been witness to the fall of the surf fishery down there.

[MAKAI]

I would guess Larry that the fish are just off the beach for a few reasons relating to seals. Which by the way can swim circles around a bass.

Safety in numbers, your odds of getting eaten go down the more the fish are clustered together.

The deeper the water the more escape room the fish have. ( plus the water out a bit is where the bait is )

While trolling for tuna bait off wood end we have seals on the beach see you hook up, come galloping in to steal your bluefish. Very smart "F"ing predator.

You have no idea how much I miss that way of life, living out of the truck on the beach, chasing fish for sometimes weeks at a time. It was what I lived for.