Nantucket fishing
Nantucket Activities Great Point is where I fell in love with fishing and I don’t think I’m alone with that statement. It’s truly one of the most beautiful locations on one of the most beautiful Islands that I can think of and the fishing can be awesome up there.Too often in fishing, and in life, we reflect in the short term and get frustrated with how things have changed. Over the past few years a lot of people who fish Great Point regularly have become frustrated with seal activity and the lack of bait. The general feeling is that the fishing has deteriorated up there. While this statement has truth to it, it is still a magical place. I was up at the point early this week on an overcast, windy day and watched an eight-year old catch his first fish. I can tell you first hand, that he will never forget that memory, I promise.I say it so definitively, because I remember catching my first bluefish like it was yesterday. I drove to Great Point with my brother Corey, my uncle Hugh Halsell and his son Benji. It was August 1986 and we were in the way back of their Chevy Suburban. We were casting with the wind at our back, to no avail. Benji took me across the spit of sand and we hucked an 8 foot custom Bill Fisher Rod with an ounce and half ballistic missile (not much has changed!) into the wind and my rod went tight. I reeled that Penn 704Z with all might until that perfect bluefish was flopping at my feet. I will never forget that day, I promise.A Young Cam Gammill Fishing Great PointSo, the next time you have the weather keeping you inside while on Nantucket, I hope you remember that story. There are always fish to be caught and hopefully they are memorable ones. Especially since Great Point is fishing well right now. We are seeing some monster bluefish up there. We’ve heard several reports of 12+ pound fish caught off the point. We’ve heard nights of 15 fish caught by an angler and we’ve heard of two-pound bluefish. You’ll never know what to expect, but there are fish around, so go enjoy!If you’re a die hard, and are focused on bass despite the 70 degree water, Great Point at night has been very good. In fact, the entire East side of the island has been producing bass at night. There is a nice drop off on the East side and those fish cruise the surf. Use a big swimming plug and reel as slowly as possible. Seriously, slow… You’ll actually feel your plug get tapped before a good mellow take.Bonito fishing is still good but not consistent. There will be tides of 15 fish and tides of 3-4 fish. Truthfully, our weather has been all over the place, so these fish have not had any reason to be consistent. If you want some diversity in your fishing habits though, and have access to a boat, you should be able to catch some bones. These fish are most prevalent on the West end, but you’ll find them at Great Point and in some of the eastern rips.Our offshore bite has been pretty good as well. We have some decent numbers of tuna around the island and some of these boys are big! Just don’t follow albacore’s instgram account, because you’ll expect to catch doubles on every trip. Captain Bob DeCosta has had a heck of a week and deserves some mention here. We’ve had fish both South and East and some have been caught on the troll and by pitching spin rods at them. The methods and locations change on a daily basis, so check in with us at the shop before you head out.So go out and enjoy our special fishery. Even if the weather is not great, because great things happen out there everyday and I can guarantee when you leave Nantucket, you’ll have wished you fished more. Go wet a line and make a memory!
I rarely post on NJ fishing but, crazy as it sounds, I probably have more experience surf fishing Nantucket and the Cape than I do in NJ. Went every year with co-workers right around end of September, early October. We primarily fished the east side of the island near Wauwinet and Sankaty Head lighthouse. Occasionally we would venture to the south near the airport. Typical surf fishing scenarios with schools of big blues moving in and out but they seemed to stay in one place for a decent amount of time regardless of tide. The part I liked most about Nantucket was fishing totally without bait. We threw big Hopkins, Krocodiles and Kastmasters morning, noon and night. If the fish were closer to the surface you can have a blast with a Satellite or any plug retrieved at maximum speed skipping the top. You couldn't reel too fast ! The locals used to make a plug called a "Nantucket Rabbit". It was a flat, wooden tear drop shaped creation with a lead core. Probably weighed 4-5 oz. Also a surface skipper. If you can find one in an antique shop, buy it. You will have a real piece of fishing Americana. Of course one place that should be on every surf fisherman's bucket list is fishing the rip at Great Point. I can remember seeing 15-16 lb blues backlit in glassy curls at sunrise at Great Point. You'll need a 4X4 with the proper permit to get out there. Our only success with bass and albies came at Great Point, mostly on the Sound side. If the weather is cool or wet you'll probably don your waders. Be very careful because there is nothing flat about most oceanside Nantucket beaches. It drops off like the Grand Canyon. I'm sure you'll find many other ways to fish Nantucket but I had great success throwing heavy spoons and fast moving surface plugs. Good luck and have a safe trip !
Nantucket Fishing Report – September 28, 2017 By Capt. Dave Peros Last Updated September 29, 2017 Matt Manera from the Nantucket Tackle Center said that the fishing is slowing around the island, but there are definitely some spots that are producing a variety of species. Great Point is probably your best bet for albies, both from beach and boat, while the Bonito Bar has been tough to fish due to the rough conditions that are still around. Matt explained that you are going to have to pick through a good number of bluefish up at Great Point for every albie you catch, with a few bonito taken as well. He added that you are also going to have to accept betting “sealed” as this area is filled with them. Along the southside, fishing is still virtually impossible due to the high surf. There have been some schools of albies seen working off the beach, but they are 150-yards or more out, keeping them well out of range of any shore angler, if he or she even thought of dealing with the dangerous rip currents. With swells up to 12-feet, boaters are also avoiding the southside. As far as bass go, there are some fish up inside the harbor, including around Polpis and around the Second and Third Points of Coatue. Surface plugs such as Smack-its catch plenty of fish, as do unweighted soft plastics in the six to seven-inch range. The northside is also seeing some good action on bass around Dionis, the 40th Pole, and Eel Point; Matt advised that along with soft plastics, the Daiwa SP Minnow is a popular choice on the island. Years ago, I recall that Nantucket surf anglers I spoke to kept speaking about pearl Bombers, so I would imagine that SP Minnows in the same color range would be the way to go. Local Favorites by Hogy Nantucket /**/
BibliographyFish Great Point . (1970). Retrieved on March 24, 2019, from https://fishernantucket.com/fish-great-point-nantucket-fishing-report/.
Nantucket Fishing Report . (1970). Retrieved on March 24, 2019, from https://saltycape.com/nantucket-fishing-report-september-28-2017/.
Nantucket surf fishing in Oct. . (1970). Retrieved on March 24, 2019, from http://www.stripersurf.com/forums/showthread.php?t=540588.
Northern Exposure Nantucket . (1970). Retrieved on March 24, 2019, from https://www.vrbo.com/200388ha.
Word Count: 2010
I rarely post on NJ fishing but, crazy as it sounds, I probably have more experience surf fishing Nantucket and the Cape than I do in NJ. Went every year with co-workers right around end of September, early October. We primarily fished the east side of the island near Wauwinet and Sankaty Head lighthouse. Occasionally we would venture to the south near the airport. Typical surf fishing scenarios with schools of big blues moving in and out but they seemed to stay in one place for a decent amount of time regardless of tide. The part I liked most about Nantucket was fishing totally without bait. We threw big Hopkins, Krocodiles and Kastmasters morning, noon and night. If the fish were closer to the surface you can have a blast with a Satellite or any plug retrieved at maximum speed skipping the top. You couldn't reel too fast ! The locals used to make a plug called a "Nantucket Rabbit". It was a flat, wooden tear drop shaped creation with a lead core. Probably weighed 4-5 oz. Also a surface skipper. If you can find one in an antique shop, buy it. You will have a real piece of fishing Americana. Of course one place that should be on every surf fisherman's bucket list is fishing the rip at Great Point. I can remember seeing 15-16 lb blues backlit in glassy curls at sunrise at Great Point. You'll need a 4X4 with the proper permit to get out there. Our only success with bass and albies came at Great Point, mostly on the Sound side. If the weather is cool or wet you'll probably don your waders. Be very careful because there is nothing flat about most oceanside Nantucket beaches. It drops off like the Grand Canyon. I'm sure you'll find many other ways to fish Nantucket but I had great success throwing heavy spoons and fast moving surface plugs. Good luck and have a safe trip !
Nantucket Fishing Report – September 28, 2017 By Capt. Dave Peros Last Updated September 29, 2017 Matt Manera from the Nantucket Tackle Center said that the fishing is slowing around the island, but there are definitely some spots that are producing a variety of species. Great Point is probably your best bet for albies, both from beach and boat, while the Bonito Bar has been tough to fish due to the rough conditions that are still around. Matt explained that you are going to have to pick through a good number of bluefish up at Great Point for every albie you catch, with a few bonito taken as well. He added that you are also going to have to accept betting “sealed” as this area is filled with them. Along the southside, fishing is still virtually impossible due to the high surf. There have been some schools of albies seen working off the beach, but they are 150-yards or more out, keeping them well out of range of any shore angler, if he or she even thought of dealing with the dangerous rip currents. With swells up to 12-feet, boaters are also avoiding the southside. As far as bass go, there are some fish up inside the harbor, including around Polpis and around the Second and Third Points of Coatue. Surface plugs such as Smack-its catch plenty of fish, as do unweighted soft plastics in the six to seven-inch range. The northside is also seeing some good action on bass around Dionis, the 40th Pole, and Eel Point; Matt advised that along with soft plastics, the Daiwa SP Minnow is a popular choice on the island. Years ago, I recall that Nantucket surf anglers I spoke to kept speaking about pearl Bombers, so I would imagine that SP Minnows in the same color range would be the way to go. Local Favorites by Hogy Nantucket /**/
BibliographyFish Great Point . (1970). Retrieved on March 24, 2019, from https://fishernantucket.com/fish-great-point-nantucket-fishing-report/.
Nantucket Fishing Report . (1970). Retrieved on March 24, 2019, from https://saltycape.com/nantucket-fishing-report-september-28-2017/.
Nantucket surf fishing in Oct. . (1970). Retrieved on March 24, 2019, from http://www.stripersurf.com/forums/showthread.php?t=540588.
Northern Exposure Nantucket . (1970). Retrieved on March 24, 2019, from https://www.vrbo.com/200388ha.
Word Count: 2010
