Nantucket Stripers & Blues
I have fly fished Nantucket for many years, but always wondered how it measured up to other more famous New England fly-fishing destinations.
One warm, golden September evening, I looked out on terns diving near Great Point Rip. Under them were mixed pods of bluefish, striped bass, bonito, Spanish mackerel, and false albacore. My 9-weight was bowed against the heft of a 30-inch striper, and I then realized that Nantucket’s May-to-October fishing is as good as any of the usual New England hot spots, but with fewer crowds.
Nantucket is a small island, little more than a glacial deposit 30 miles off Cape Cod, often draped in mist—hence the nickname “The Grey Lady.” Save for the rapidly eroding bluffs of Sankaty Head, it lacks the high ground that characterizes Martha’s Vineyard’s western shores, and its inland soil is only slightly less sandy than the beaches that line it. But its gritty composition means that Nantucket is surrounded by sandbars, rips, and other fishy water.
Seasons
Late summer and fall. Nantucket fishing usually peaks in mid to late September, but bass and bluefish are often caught into November. In the latter part of the season, autumn’s strong cold fronts can invigorate the fish into wild migration frenzies or slow them with howling northerly winds and muddy water. But for the most part, the fishing is good, and after months of bluefish and striped bass, late summer and fall brings new and welcome diversity.
Depending on water temperatures, Atlantic bonito appear every year beginning in late July or early August. Capt. Tom Mleczko, who has fished Nantucket for more than 30 years, says that anglers ignored bonito for years but now they are well known, and Nantucket’s “Bonito Bar” has become perhaps the most reliable spot in New England for these migratory speedsters.
Bonito Bar is south of the opening between Tuckernuck and Smith’s Point and, on nice days in late summer or early fall, it gets crowded with boats. On an incoming tide, baitfish—mostly sand eels—get pushed up against the bar’s outer edge. On good days, the usually clear water takes on a brownish hue from the massive clouds of baitfish.
The density of the bait can frustrate anglers because the predators—bonito, bluefish, stripers, and even small bluefin tuna—need not move out of their way for an imitation.
A pattern that stands out from the bait, such as a larger Clouser Minnow or Deceiver, often catches more fish. Bonito fishing is streaky, however, and patience is the key.
False albacore round out the fall fishing. The favorite of many New England fly fishers, the first false albacore of the season are usually seen greyhounding around the island in late August. On Nantucket’s west end, albies pursue bait in the channel between Smith Point and Eel Point. Several pods often slash at the surface at different intervals, which can be maddening for boat anglers. Rather than running and gunning, it’s often best to motor slowly, gauge the direction in which one particular pod is moving, and try to intercept it.
Shorebound anglers can catch albies from the tip of Eel Point where the channel comes within a few feet of shore. At times the fish can be as close as a rod length away, and a few minutes later they can be a mile distant. Many local anglers believe the fish move in a predictable pattern and often return to a spot where they were earlier.
Great Point and its surrounding shores are another albie hot spot. Terns and gulls often wheel over multiple pods of fish slicing and cartwheeling their way through schools of peanut bunker, silversides, and sand eels. These sessions in the heavy current of Great Point Rip are accessible only by boat. Shorebound anglers should not attempt to wade out from the point against the tide that cranks wickedly over the bar.
Wading anglers get their best shots at albies nearby at the Galls—the narrowest part of Great Point, where the Atlantic Ocean and Nantucket Sound are separated by only a few hundred yards of sand—particularly on the west-facing beach in the Chord of the Bay.
Spring. In late April, as New England shakes off the last shrouds of winter and water temperatures creep into the 40s and low 50s, bass feed aggressively in the cold water. Because it’s the first chance to grip a fly rod in months, and there are few anglers, spring is my favorite time to fish Nantucket.
The first fish to arrive are small striped bass, some only 12 inches long. Nonetheless, they’re feisty and fresh, their sides bright and dotted with sea lice that are indicative of their travels. As April turns to May and the weather and water slowly warm, larger stripers arrive. Usually by mid-June, bass of all sizes are in Madaket Harbor, Great Point Rip (probably the island’s most famous fishing spot), and elsewhere along the north and south shores.
Copyright © 2012 Intermedia Outdoors
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