Bass & Bluefish Derby

By Mark Alan Lovewell

Vineyard anglers believe the best time for fishing on Martha's Vineyard is in the fall. The hustle bustle of summer is gone, the Island beaches and waterways are more accessible and many species of fish are well fed and ready to begin their fall migration through these waters. Nothing draws the big fish into our waters better than large schools of bait now swimming in all the Island's coastal ponds, harbors and bays.

The annual Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby is a month-long fishing contest that happens right in the middle of autumn. The contest begins in mid-September and finishes in mid-October. While most of the fishermen are locals, the participants come from all over the world. Last year, there were close to 3,000 contestants all looking for the largest of four species of fish.

The derby is more than a fishing contest for striped bass and bluefish, anglers also pursue two of the fastest species of fish in Island waters: bonito and false albacore.

More than a quarter million dollars in valuable prizes are offered to the fisherman with the biggest in any of a variety of different categories.

Prizes range from daily pins to the grand prize. The grand prize is a boat , motor and trailer valued at $25,000.

A fish shack at the foot of Main Street in Edgartown becomes the center of the universe for a lot of the fishermen. It is the weigh in station for the thousands of fish that are caught. From 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. every morning and from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. every evening fishermen come to weigh in their fish.

Hundreds of pounds are weighed in daily and thousands of pounds of fish can be weighed in during a weekend. The weigh in station is open to the public and there is usually a good crowd on hand to watch the anglers walk in with their fish. There is not a fishing contest in the world quite like the Vineyard derby. There are a lot of fishing contests operating at the same time within the month-long contest.

Fishermen compete for daily prizes, the biggest fish caught in a day; weekly prizes, for the angler catching the biggest fish that week. There are senior citizens' prizes, children's prizes, women's prizes and luck of the draw prizes. There are prizes for the fishermen who use conventional fishing gear, the rod and spinning reel. There are prizes for the fishermen competing with a flyrod.

The whole contest is divided into two divisions, the shore fishermen compete amongst themselves as do the boat fishermen.

"The derby is more than a fishing tournament, it is an experience. Fishermen from all over the country share the common bond, a love for the ocean and this pristine Island," said Ed Jerome, the president of the derby.

"Some come and fish the entire derby and some fish just for the weekend. Whatever your commitment, they have a good time," Jerome said.

For adults and anglers 16 years and older the cost to enter the derby is $35. Junior fishermen and senior citizens pay $15. There is a separate flyfishing division and junior division, and all are competing for the grand prize. Registration is at any of the Island's fishing tackle shops. With the registration, a fisherman gets a derby button which can be worn prominently on a hat or jacket.

The best of a derby involves the fish. Striped bass is considered the best and most popular sport fishing in Vineyard waters. These are fish that weigh as much as 50 pounds and can be caught at any time day or night. Striped bass migrate to Vineyard waters in the spring and they head south in the fall. This big fish feed on the many varieties of bait swimming in Island waters. Boat fishermen catch striped bass during the day and shore fishermen usually catch the biggest of them from dusk to twilight.

Striped bass is among the tastiest of fish. It has a white fleshy meat that is suitable for baking, broiling and can be used in fish chowder. The largest striped bass ever caught during the derby weighed 60 pounds and 2 ounces and was caught by Dick Hathaway of Edgartown in 1978. Striped bass are spawned in the freshwater estuaries of Chesapeake Bay. The fish work their way up the Atlantic coast every year like clockwork, first arriving in Island waters in April and the last usually leaves this area by Thanksgiving. Fishermen have several ways to catch this fish. They can use bait, eels or lures that look like eels and other fish. Catching striped bass with saltwater flies is about as much an art as any other craft. The minimum size for the derby is 32 inches, though the state minimum is 30 inches.

Bluefish are a deep sea fish. They are hearty, active fish and they put up a wicked fight. The heaviest bluefish caught in the derby weighed 23 pounds 4.5 ounces and was caught by Jean Hancock in 1972. Bluefish are a more gamy tasting fish but cook up well when caught fresh. Bluefish are usually caught day or night using lures that dance on the surface of the water, though some boat fishermen love to catch bluefish using baited hooks. The minimum size for the derby is 22 inches.

Bonito are a fast moving fish. They first arrive in Vineyard waters at the end of July and while they are never as large as a bluefish or striped bass, they are more fun to catch. This is a fish with a lot of energy. The heaviest bonito caught at the derby weighed 12.44 pounds and was caught by Gary Look in 1994. The lures used by rod and reel fishermen resemble small sand eels, slivers of chrome steel. Some anglers prefer to use real sand eels. The minimum size for the derby is 21 inches.

False Albacore has a strong following among some fishermen. They are tough to catch. This is a fast little tuna, also called Little Tunny. These fish arrive late in August and stay only through the end of September. False albacore are the fastest sport fish you can catch from the shore. They swim in tight schools and attack schools of bait fish with great intensity. The fish fly out of the water, so it is amazing they can be caught. The largest false albacore caught in the derby was weighed in by Donald MacGillivray in 1990. The fish weighed 19.39 pounds. False albacore are caught the same way as bonito, with a tiny lure that doesn't measure more than three inches in length. The minimum size is 25 inches.

Jerome said: "This is a fine contest open to children from four years old to children over 80."