Thing in Nature that are different this year

[Parapapam]

Guys,

I have been thinking about what a strange fish year this has been. The obvious things that are off this year are:

1. Water heated up very quickly in Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay effecting the striped bass fishing.

2. Virtually no SW wind days. When was the last summer you can remember with this little wind from the SW?

3. Lots of "good looking water" down south that held very little life.

4. Bluefin came through in big numbers early and then pettered out with only a few small ones around for some of July, all of Aug and now most of Sept.

But there are other thing that I have seen in nature that is strange this year:

5. Virtually no mosquitoes in either suburban Boston or Falmouth. Usually my house is swarming with mosquitoes due to it's proximity to (virtually) standing water and dark woods. This year... none.

6. I can't remember the last tick I have picked off my dog. I haven't re-applied Frontline since early July. Last year he was good for an average of a tick a day. More if I wasn't on top of the Frontline applications.

7. A rather significant increase in the number garter snakes in the woods this year. (other snakes as well).

What else have you noticed that is different this year from "normal" years?

Mike

[Tuna Meltdown]

ALOT more blue sharks in and around Stellwagon.

[amarshall]

Here's my laundry list of observations:

No moths, I know it's cyclical

Warm warm water on the South Shore. Almost 70 degrees in late july. 72 degrees on the SWC.

No mosquitos as you said.

5 different kinds of bait in Green Harbor this year. Usually only 2 or 3. Wondering the correlation between water temps and bait types.

My allergies have been ridiculous this year.

Not many thunderstorms this year. No rain.

Hardly any halfbeaks on the corner this summer.

Very little footballs in Cape Cod Bay.

small BFT showing in April.

What times, I've bothered to go bass fishing in Duxbury, it's been very quiet, yet Race Point in P-town has been a bonanza all summer.

Macks seemed to stay longer this summer, no bluefish until August. Now it's loaded with blues.

I've never seen in the previous 32 years, days before with no bait, whales and birds on the SWC. This year I've had several trips where the SWC aka "the greatest show on earth" has been a dead zone. DEAD

[Massbaytuna3]

For the most part; no sand eels on the Bank.

Mackeral stayed around for the longest time in the spring in a while.

[Tbgame32]

7. A rather significant increase in the number garter snakes in the woods this year. (other snakes as well).

Mike

I second the garter snakes, out of control in my yard this year... not good when you hate snakes!

[backman]

many moon eyed calves born
two headed chicken's
spontaneous combustion
crop circles
witches have been seen at night

12/21/12 is coming. beware....

[Reel Pursuit]

12/21/12 is coming. beware....

Don't laugh. That 12/21/12 stuff creeps me out. I'd really like to know what the Mayans were thinking.

[scottne]

No ticks here either.

The bugs may be due to all the spraying that was done in SE MA. Bats are all over the place here where I've never seen them before.

Most shocking are the problems they've had along the cape bike trail just last week. Real sign of how things have changed.

[amarshall]

many moon eyed calves born
two headed chicken's
spontaneous combustion
crop circles
witches have been seen at night

12/21/12 is coming. beware....

Mr Serious mariner throws the wrench in the spokes of a serious thread and it's already spiraling out of control.

[hotreels jr]

tuna in many places much closer to the harbors, from chatham all the way around the cape and inside the bay, right up to boston.