South Cape (Cod) / Buzz. Bay diving?

[krustykrab]

Anyone ever dive in the Pocasset / Wings Neck / Bassetts Island area on the south side of the cape / Buzzards Bay??

A friend of mine has a boat down there and we were contemplating some dives.

Any experiences / advice would be appreciated!

 

[reefseal]

currents! lots of sand..

If have time and $$ for gas, suggest go cape code bay and dive target ship (off Welfleet) Dove this weekend. Awesome fun wreck dive. Lots of Tautog, Stripers to spear and lobzillas in port holes!

 

[RIOceanographer]

I don't know much about Buzzards Bay diving but I grew up nearby on Martha's Vineyard so I know a few sites in the MV and Nantucket sound area that might be in your range.

The Port Hunter is a wreck between Falmouth and East Chop on Martha's Vineyard just off Hedge Fence Shoal. It is marked on the charts on the northwestern end of the shoal. It is a pretty nice dive (or at least it was when I dove it in 1991). It is a very high current area so it needs to be done at slack tide and you should definitely have someone stay with the boat.

http://wreckhunter.net/DataPages/porthunter-dat.htm

The Herman Winter is another shallower broken up wreck off of the Gay Head on Martha's Vineyard. I have a couple of artifacts from that one. It is shallow enough in places that surge can be an issue.

http://wreckhunter.net/DataPages/hermanwinter-dat.htm

I have also been told that Tarpaulin Cove on the Vineyard Sound side of Naushon Island is nice shallow dive but I have never done it myself.

 

[yak]

currents! lots of sand..

If have time and $$ for gas, suggest go cape code bay and dive target ship (off Welfleet) Dove this weekend. Awesome fun wreck dive. Lots of Tautog, Stripers to spear and lobzillas in port holes!

Luis,

It is illegal to spearfish for striper in Mass.

 

[reefseal]

Luis,

It is illegal to spearfish for striper in Mass.

Those stripers were huge! Circling in wreckage.

I'm not a spear fisher but they looked easy to spear fish.

 

[yak]

Those stripers were huge! Circling in wreckage.

I'm not a spear fisher but they looked easy to spear fish.

Yeah, they come in real close. Sometimes we break up a crab and they almost rip it out of your hand.

 

[scubastew]

Yak is correct no spearing stripers only rod and reel. Though I hope that law changes soon since the striper population is back bigtime since having such a low stock just 5 or 6 years ago. Right now there are too many stripers, eating too much not to mention eating plenty of juvinile lobsters!!! I'm surprised the lobstermen havent complained about them.

However, Tautog are legal to spear but there is a minimum length. Never eaten a tautog any good?

 

[RIOceanographer]

Never eaten a tautog any good?

I like them.

 

[decapoddiver]

Though I hope that law changes soon since the striper population is back bigtime since having such a low stock just 5 or 6 years ago. Right now there are too many stripers, eating too much not to mention eating plenty of juvinile lobsters!!! I'm surprised the lobstermen havent complained about them.

It is too late at night and I'm too tired to even get into this now but you are way off on so many points. The stripers are not doing great. The numbers of fish may be up but the size i.e. breeding stock is far down. I will back this up with actual studies and facts in the morning. I spent the day at StoryLand and need to sleep.