Nantucket Fishing Report—September 17th, 2025

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,

In many ways, it feels like August.

In the last two weeks, we have had an infusion of bluefish. I was out on my boat a few days ago and caught fish on every cast for an hour. Now, these fish were on the smaller side, but pulled hard and did the Bluefish things. I was in Madaket, but these fish and bigger fish were showing up on the east side of the Island, at Great Point, and on the north shore. It has been a blast. 

I then went to the Bonito Bar and bam… 2 hours later, landed 14 bonito. And the craziest part was, no bluefish. And just a few days earlier, bluefish were everywhere. It seems that the Bones pushed the bluefish away as the primary predator in that water column. This is exactly the behavior we normalized in August. The biggest difference was that August hovers around 70 degrees. Our water temperatures have dropped to 66 degrees. 

Bonito still seem to be the most prevalent exotic fish of the month. Shore anglers are regularly being rewarded. The South Shore still is the spot to be first thing in the morning. Fish have been caught from Surfside to Madequecham. In there, we are also having a mixture of Blues and an occasional Albie. As we get a little more daylight, those fish seem to move offshore, but anglers at Great Point continue to catch Bonito midday. 

From the boat, there are still a lot of Bonito at Great Point and along the east side of the Island. We even caught a 10lb fish just a few miles off the beach. These fish are feeding under birds, so look for some surface action. I’ve converted to single hooks and I love the experience. I do miss some fish, but I really don’t hurt any of the fish. It is always a clean hook-up and an easy release. I highly recommend this approach for anyone looking to catch and release. 

I’ve been doing the same for bluefish for years, and it is a no-brainer. While we have a lot of Blues around the Island, the shore anglers are having a tougher time with these fish. They are very focused on moving water and have not moved into the beaches in significant numbers. They are there, but it is often a game of attrition. This isn’t always true, as I love hearing about the blitzes that do and will happen, but those are not on the regular yet.

Albies have been a bit slow this year. Everyone is hoping the new moon this weekend will shake things up. The fish that are here are very, very big and very fun. It is a killer experience to hook a 12-16lb albie on spinning gear! The fish that have been caught are generally on the east side of the Island. This past weekend, there were over 30 boats on the southeast rips, many of which were from the Vineyard. This is a sign of a slower season, but honestly, fish feel that pressure too, and I wouldn’t fish in the same area as that many boats. Go explore and find some different fish, they are around.

Tight Lines

Tight Lines,

Captain Corey Gammill: 203-962-8867
Captain Cam Gammill: 508-332-9149
Captain Mike Ruby: 508-221-7144
Captain Nat Reeder

Book a Charter!

The Spring Run is right around the corner. This is our favorite time of year with Bass rolling on squid. It is a scene not to be missed. We would love to get you on the water for a charter, call 203-962-8867