August 22, 2019
Dear Fishermen and Friends,
The Big News is that several Albies have been caught in the last couple of days. All of the fish that we have heard about have been from the boat, but in the day or two, we are sure to hear that Anglers from Great Point will have caught fish! Speaking of which, Great Point is open all of the way now! It feels like September may be right around the corner.
In general, fishing continues to be really good and with Ablies here, it is set up to be awesome. Our favorite fishery in the last week has been at Great Point. I have not spent a ton of time out there this season, mostly because it has not fished all that well. I’ve been out by beach several mornings this week and had a ton of luck. There are mornings where I’ve hooked 15 bluefish in just a couple of hours. I had another morning where several stripers were caught. While I personally have not caught any Bonito, I feel as though there has been some good action with these fast fish. When I am just targeting Bluefish, I use a heavier metal like a Hopkins and cast it as far as I can and retrieve very quickly. I’ve had luck on bass with smaller swimmers and smaller profile metal plugs such as a deadly dick. For Bonito and False Albacore, use a Deadly Dick or an epoxy minnow. For those of you who just associate Great Point with fishing, I would encourage you to treat it like a beach day. It is so fun to bring the family out and escape the world for a few hours with some fishing mixed in.
From the boat, Great Point has also fished well, especially on the outside. We are seeing bigger Bluefish in the mix and we are seeing some feeding frenzies on the top water. The rip itself is holding some smaller fish, but we’ve heard of the best action down the beach.
The West End of the Island continues to hold a lot of fish. If you are focused on catching a slam, three species in one day, fishing these waters will be your best bet. The Bonito Bar has been a little hit or miss lately on an east tide (or rising), but will produce action. When the fishing is slow, creep into the shallower water, be very careful though, and you’ll get some great bluefish action under the birds. I need to stress though, only fish these waters with someone who knows them. They can be dangerous, especially on a day with bigger swell.
Most anglers gravitate towards the Bonito Bar when I say the west end of the Island is fishing well. I urge you to explore, because there is a lot of water to fish and it is all productive. North of Muskeget is Long Shoal which has been a ton of fun! The edges south of Muskeget have also had a steady pick of fish as have the edges over by the Vineyard.
Fishing might be one of the greatest distractions in life. It is a chance to escape with friends, family or by yourself and just focus on the moment. All to often in our world, we are so preoccupied with what is ahead or what is behind that we don’t embrace the moment.
Unfortunately, in the business of summer and with charters, sometimes you forget about the simplicity of fishing and how impactful it can be. We had a really special moment this week. We have an old friend who has fished with us for 20 plus years who had a medical event. And, when I say friend, I say it in it’s truest form. Over 20 years of fishing, you form bonds that cannot be explained to others. This client has opened their home to us and vise versa. Anyway, he was not able to fish for a couple of years while working on his health and just this week had the opportunity to get on the water for a short period. When he hooked into his first fish, a Bonito, the world was all right again for a few minutes. The tear in his wife’s eye spoke a volume of words. These are the moments that I love in life and I am so grateful that fishing can give us these.
Go wet a line!