When the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby kicks off next month, boat fishermen will be able to fish in all of Buzzards Bay for the first time.
The derby committee announced on Wednesday that this year the boat boundaries for the annual fishing tournament will be expanded to include the entire bay. The change was made as a way to open up more areas to boaters, especially those on the western end of the Vineyard who may not be able to reach some of the prime fishing areas around Nantucket.
“It opens up new territory for folks and I think people will embrace it,” said derby president John Custer.
The south and east sides of Nantucket have become some of the most prized fishing areas for boat fishermen in the month-long tournament. But that’s not accessible for many boaters, especially those based in Menemsha or Tashmoo, according to Mr. Custer.
Several derby participants suggested expanding the range of the derby to include Buzzards Bay, according to Mr. Custer. In the past, the northern reach of the boundaries extended just past the Elizabeth Islands.
“This opens up the whole thing, which is nice,” Mr. Custer said.
The derby committee considered the change over the winter, and dove into derby records and the institutional memory of its members to see if there had been any boundary changes over the years.
Mr. Custer said no one could remember any.
“We could not find the last time they were changed,” he said. “It’s been a long time that there’s been any change for the bounds.”
The boundary change doesn’t affect shore fishing. During the derby, contestants will only be able to weigh in shore fish that were caught on the Vineyard.
This year, though, fishermen will be able to have both shore and boat teams in the team competition, according to Mr. Custer. In the past, fishermen had to choose one category.
The derby, which dates back to 1946, starts this year at 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 13 and runs through Oct. 17.
This article appears in August 21, 2026.
I’m so glad I stopped participating in the derby. This is just ridiculous! How is it fair that people with smaller boats (yaks, canoes, tin boats, etc) that can’t venture out that far supposed to compete with giant boats that can fish tens of miles from MV? Why have boundaries at all at this point?
A possible alternative would be to have two boat divisions? Maybe too much to deal with.
Over the years, the Derby has done amazing things in terms of awarding scholarships to graduating island high schoolers! The legacy of Ed Jerome and Ray Ellis who painted the yearly prints which helped fund the scholarships will always be revered! Having said that, I tend to agree with Scott Patterson in giving a thumbs down to the change. Honestly, I am astonished at just how far away boaters can fish and still call it an MV Derby fish! The article points out that the Derby committee could not recall any boundary changes over the years. I would suggest that is because it was felt that it was unwise to make a change. And with good reason.
This turns it into a ‘rich mans game’. If it was up to me I would say it has to be within a half mile of the Vineyard. It is the MV derby.
The comments above are genuine and truthful. The Derby has and will remain a staple event, and iconic ode to the past, but frankly watching $110,000 pick up trucks roll up to weigh-in with their $300 kill bags iced up and somehow you start thinking this cherished event (like many other things on the island) has been hijacked by wealth, and expenditure. May whoever wins this year, have landed such a colossal winning fish on light tackle from shore or from the bounding edge of a 13 ft whaler. Good luck.