Inshore fishing
Striped bass are the largest and perhaps most highly prized of the inshore gamefish. Small “schoolie” bass start to arrive in mid-April, with larger fish following soon after. The best time to fish for striped bass is usually in late May through June, when they can be caught on light spinning or fly tackle. While there are some stripers in residence throughout the summer, the warmer water temperatures tend to make the bass seek deeper, cooler water and dictate a change in tactics. As the water cools in the fall, stripers become more active again and the fall migration provides another round of striped bass action that can last into November.
Bluefish are, pound-for-pound, some of the hardest-fighting fish around. They are voracious predators and will readily take a variety of lures and flies. Bluefish are usually abundant in Vineyard waters from May through October.
Atlantic bonito and false albacore are small members of the tuna family that generally prefer warmer water temperatures. Eagerly anticipated, the bonito usually arrive around the third week of July and are present in good numbers in August. Preferring even warmer water, false albacore usually don’t arrive until the last week of August. Both bonito and albacore are beautiful, fast and strong. Their keen eyesight can make them challenging to hook, and their power and speed makes them even more challenging to land
Other inshore species, including black sea bass, fluke and scup are abundant in Vineyard waters throughout the summer months. Though perhaps less glamorous, these are fun to catch and even better to eat! While these fish are usually targeted with standard bottom-fishing rigs and bait, they will readily strike a variety of lures and they can give a good accounting of themselves on light tackle.
As water temperatures drop in October and November, good numbers of (blackfish) move in to the local wrecks and rockpiles. It takes some skill to hook a tog and once hooked, they are surprisingly strong fighters that will doggedly resist being pulled from their rocky homes. Although the crowds of tourists thin out dramatically after Labor Day, some of the best fishing of the year is yet to come. In the fall, fish feed heavily to prepare for their migration, and fishing around the Vineyard reaches a peak some time in late September or October, depending on the weather and water temperature. Each year, thousands of fishermen look forward to the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, which runs from mid-September to mid-October. An annual event since 1946, it is the East Coast’s largest fishing tournament. Daily, weekly and Grand prizes are awarded for the largest striped bass, bluefish, bonito and false albacore. I strongly encourage anglers who fish during the Derby, even for one day, to register, because you never know when the fish of a lifetime will bite.
Offshore fishing
The waters east and south of the Vineyard are visited by a variety of pelagic gamefish like tuna, mahi and marlin. When they will arrive, how close they will come to the island, and how long they will stay all depend on water temperatures and baitfish migrations. Bluefin tuna may arrive in our waters as early as June, and stay well into the fall. Yellowfin and albacore tuna, mahi and white marlin usually move in as the water temperature continues to rise in July and August. Warm-water eddies that swirl in off the Gulf Stream can bring bigeye tuna and wahoo within striking distance. In addition to the opportunity to do battle with some of the biggest and strongest fish that swim, offshore anglers are often treated to sights of a variety of marine life that are only found in the deep blue water far from land. Whales, porpoises and ocean sunfish are a few examples.
AND THE BEST TIME TO FISH THE ISLAND? DURING THE LEGENDARY “DERBY”… Although the crowds thin out dramatically after Labor Day, some of the best fishing of the year is yet to come. In the fall, fish feed heavily to prepare for their migration, and fishing around the Vineyard reaches a peak some time in late September or October, depending on the weather and water temperature. Each year, thousands of fishermen look forward to the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, which runs from mid-September to mid-October. An annual event since 1946, it is the East Coast’s largest fishing derby. Daily, weekly and Grand prizes are awarded for the largest striped bass, bluefish, false albacore and bonito. I strongly encourage anglers who fish during the Derby, even for one day, to register, because you never know when the fish of a lifetime will bite. Fishermen who put away their gear after the Derby Awards ceremony miss out on an opportunity to catch some hard-fighting and very tasty fish, black sea bass and tautog. As the water temperatures drop in late October and November, some surprisingly large tautog move in to the local wrecks and rockpiles affording us a last chance at some very exciting fishing and some great-tasting fillets for the freezer. This year, try extending your season a few more weeks by getting out for sea bass and ‘tog.