Current Waters

It’s mid-August and… there are fish out there.

We’re still having lots of fun with stripers. You definitely have to know when and where the colder water will be to make it happen, but we’re still in them for sure.

We’re seeing a few big bluefish in areas I haven’t seen them yet this year. It’s a good sign for that fishery.

There are still a lot of different-sized bait around. Though it’s more prevalent in the smaller size.

Bonito are here and being caught. FYI, those of you who decide to go fish for bonito in the channel, know that the boats coming in and out of the harbor have the right of way. If they run over the fish or bird pile, it’s just part of the action if you’re going to fish in the channel.

I believe there have been a couple of false albacore (albies) caught, but they aren’t abundant yet. Keep an eye out. They are soon to come in.

For the bottom fish, it’s basically the same status as previously. We’re picking at a few, but it’s nothing special right now.

The recreational bluefin tuna season is now closed. It sucks for us now, but if they didn’t close it, it would suck much worse next year. There aren’t a lot of little ones around us anyway. For those of us on charter boats, we can still go on commercial days four days a week. We still have great tuna fishing days ahead of us, so don’t be afraid to call your favorite charter captain; we’re all good at it.

While out tuna fishing, you may run into another strong and powerful fish – the porbeagle shark. It’s one of the bonus sea creatures sometimes experienced when offshore on an all-day trip. Porbeagles have some of the same diet as bluefin tuna, and so they are often found in the same waters. Porbeagles are sometimes underappreciated, mainly by those who are annoyed while focusing on big tuna, but they can be a fun fighting fish. They’re big and heavy, so good on the line. From a tuna fisherman’s perspective, they can be a nuisance, breaking off leaders and hooks. But it can be awesome for a charter to have that experience. It’s always fun with clients to see and potentially land a decent-sized shark, especially if it’s their first time seeing one up close. Plus, and I can attest, they are great tasting.

The porbeagle is a species of mackerel shark distributed widely in the cold and temperate marine waters of the North Atlantic. Gray above and white below, the porbeagle has a very stout midsection that tapers towards the long, pointed snout and the narrow base of the tail growing up to about 8 feet on average (12 feet max).

The porbeagle is fast and highly active. It can be solitary or found in groups. They are also one of the few species known to perform seemingly playful behavior. They have been observed in groups of up to 20 individuals tossing about floating objects, including driftwood and seaweed. They seem to engage in such activity for no apparent reason other than to kill time! Just another toothy creature you may get to see when out off-shore. Blue sharks and the occasional mako are other sharks we might see on the offshore trips. However, porbeagles are most abundant.

Of course, lost of clients immediately think it’s a great white and yell “shark!” The Great Whites are related, but much bigger predators. The porbeagle doesn’t target marine mammals, tending to go for other, smaller fish, squid, bony fish, and smaller sharks. And, in case you’re wondering, because of its fish diet, shark attacks on humans are extremely rare.

They are considered vulnerable in some areas, but porbeagles are locally more abundant and sometimes a nuisance. A federal Highly Migratory Species fishing permit is required for this species. One fish of at least 54 inches fork length is allowed per vessel per trip.

Don’t forget there is still time to enter the August Blues tournament. The competition is heating up. It’s a fun time for a good cause, so get out there!

It’s also Nantucket Race Week. You can see a complete list of events here, but also keep in mind Sunday for those non-racers. Everyone’s favorite event, the one that has been immortalized in many a painting, the Rainbow Fleet parade starts off the Opera House Cup race this Sunday. The weather looks pretty good that day, plus lots of boating eye candy.

Hope to see you out on the water.

Until next tide…