Steve Amaral came in this morning to weigh in his own 18.15-pound striper as well as Michael Alwardt’s striper, a 17-pound fish. The two men have fished together for 17 years.

Mr. Amaral, of Oak Bluffs, 72, has fished 62 of the 63 derbies. One of the most respected shore striped bass fishermen around, he was named to the derby hall of fame last year. He said he caught his fish Sunday night sometime between 6 and 9 p.m. at the South Shore. The air was calm, the seas were the same. The men were fishing with eels.

“It is going to be a tough derby for getting a 40-pound striper from the shore,” Mr. Amaral said. “The boat fishermen are doing fine. I am just saying it is going to be harder.”

Mr. Amaral cites erosion changes along the usual beaches as the reason it’s tough. Beach erosion all along the South Shore has restricted the vehicular access for anglers.

The Norton Point beach opening prevents anglers from driving to Chappaquiddick to go fishing at 3 a.m. Without ferry service at that late hour, an angler has to think hard about putting his vehicle on the Chappaquiddick side before midnight.

*

Charlie Barr, of Oak Bluffs, said he heard good fishing was on the Chappaquiddick side of the Norton Point Beach opening last night.

Unlike most derby anglers, Mr. Barr doesn’t mind sharing tips with other anglers. “You are not going to catch the fish I’ve already caught,” he said.