All along Lobsterville Beach one morning this week, about a dozen anglers stood in waders, casting into the surf. On any given day during the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, Lobsterville and neighboring Menemsha are hotspots for surfcasters and fly fishermen of all ages.

The weekend weather demonstrated a tried and true maxim for competitors in the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby: east is least, west is best. Plenty of fish were weighed in Saturday, but there was a drop off Sunday and Monday.

Early Sunday morning, Hannah Gibb was the first to arrive at the Oak Bluffs ferry gate, ready to cast off the Steamship Authority wharf as part of the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby’s annual kids’ day, which kicked off at 6 a.m.

This years kids’ derby is Sunday, Sept. 20, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Just a short window of time, before the ferries roll in and take over.

At the stroke of 12:01 a.m. Sunday, no one turned into a pumpkin, but a whole lot of people turned into obsessive, superstitious and sometimes secretive competitors in the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby.

By many accounts, the 70th annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby is shaping up for a strong start on Sunday morning. Committee member Amy Coffey said Wednesday that all four derby species — false albacore, bonito, bluefish and striped bass — are biting.

Vineyard artist Abe Pieciak is opening a pop-up gallery for his art business, Lure Fish, at Nevin Square in downtown Edgartown.

By all accounts, the 69th Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby was a major success with records all around. But the number of striped bass was dramatically lower, with only 288 weighed in.

Bluefish carried the day this year at the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, with two men taking home the grand prizes for bluefish caught from the shore and from a boat. The derby saw a record 3,282 registrants.

The last weigh-in Saturday night saw Helena Kirschenbaum win the grand slam with her striped bass while Seb Keefe brought in a shore bonito to take over top spot on the leader board. And then it was over. The derby awards ceremony is today at Farm Neck.