Bass & Bluefish Derby Makes the New York Times

In an article titled, “With the Crowds Gone, It’s Down to Serious Fishing,” the New York Times featured the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, and called it “no ordinary contest.”

“September is when islanders begin to reclaim the island, and when older generations engage younger generations with the rituals of fishing and the traditions of the derby, now in its 67th year,” wrote the Times.

With quotes from folks like Kathi Pogoda, Annie Finnerty and Roy Langley, the article paints a clear picture of the importance of the derby to Islanders – both financially, “the derby brought in millions of dollars each year in spending on fuel, bait, tackle and other gear, food, lodging and charter boats,” and emotionally, “it knits the local community of 15,000 full-time residents back together after they lived among a population that swelled to 105,000 at the height of the summer.”