The Tight Lines Fishing Report is brought to you by Corey and Cam Gammill via Bill Fisher Tackle and Bill Fisher Outfitters. Visit their website, their shop at 127 Orange Street, or give them a call at (508) 228-2261.
Dear Fishermen and Friends,
It’s the time of year if you’re a serious fisherman on Nantucket, where you might catch your breath, recalibrate your gear and get ready for a crazy second half of the season. The first half of the season has been absolutely amazing.
The best treat of the first half of the season has been how good the bluefishing has been. Historically, this was a given, but in recent years, we have struggled to catch Bluefish in any decent numbers. Last year felt as though we had a bit of a rebound but this year, so far has been really good. All areas of the Island are holding fish and there are pockets where Bluefishing is unbelievable.
Targeting Bluefish from the beach has been really fun. Friends were down at Fishermans (aptly named) a few days ago and caught 10 fish in an hour. This is not a unique story as we have had the same in Miacomet and Cisco!
If you are on a boat, you should be targeting the South Shore of the Island. There are fish between 8-10 lbs that are hitting top water plugs every cast. We’ve even weighed a few fish in excess of 15 lbs! It is truly a special experience. I also heard that the east side of the Island is holding similar fish, but I have not spent much time there. From the beach, the best spot continues to be Dionis and Eel Point during the day. Although, the south shore from Miacomet to Cisco in the evenings has been really fun when those fish push in close enough. Make sure to have a leader, because they get quite aggressive.
If we are looking forward, I fully expect to have great Bonito fishing in the next two weeks. Everything is lined up perfectly for it. There are sand lances across the Island. Some areas, it is so thick, you can walk on them. If you are looking to prep for these speedsters, keep a leader on your rod, but make a smaller diameter. Sometimes, it’s best to use fluorocarbon as they are very visual eaters. If you are fishing in more active water, target these fish with a small yozuri or a swimming plug. If you are seeing these fish pop in the harbor or calmer water, switch over to an epoxy jig or a small metal and make sure to reel very quickly.
Anglers are still doing well targeting bass at night. It has been best on the South shore, especially when we have some active water. We’ll have Bass inshore throughout the height of the summer, you just need to know when and how to target them. Remember, these fish feed at night in oxygen rich water. Look for deeper holes on the south side of the Island and you should have some good protection.
Our fishery will be changing in the next couple of weeks. Go enjoy and embrace this change and be prepared for new species to be in the mix!
Tight Lines.