During the second week of the Striped Bass and Bluefish derby, the name most often escaping the lips of Derby fishermen was not a trusted lure maker or a fishing buddy, but a hurricane named Jose.
For 72 years, fishermen have approached the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby as dreamers. Plenty of lines will hit the water at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.
On Thursday morning, about 35 fishermen took part in a Safety and Survival Training program, a two-day free course that walked commercial fishermen through live saving skills, including plunging into the frigid ocean in thick neoprene survival suits.
Martha’s Vineyard commercial fishermen let the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries know what they think of proposed rule updates and new regulations that would affect the Island fishing industry.