Current Waters: Nantucket Fishing Report

Striped bass fishing has been great. We’re seeing a variety of sizes in different spots. Some areas favor more keeper-sized fish, and others smaller. We had one spot where everything was over keeper-size. We had a hard time catching one for dinner because they were all too big! But it’s constantly changing – they’re on the move.

I still think the strong bait in most locations is squid, but there is still a variety of bait, which means you have to mix up your angling game as well. We can’t always catch the fish the way we want to. If you want to produce, you have to adapt to what the fish want. I’d love to be able to fish top water every time, but that’s not always the case.

There are some big bluefish around. The water temp isn’t the bluefish’s happy place yet. Some are being caught, and some quite large. There hasn’t been a big presence of bluefish in the areas I’ve been working. It’s just a matter of time.

We’ve picked up a few black sea bass recently which is a nice addition. There is a little bit of variety with the black sea bass and fluke.

We’re always talking about boat fishing. So let’s talk about those of you with little ones trying to catch their first fish or who just want to stay in the harbor. Getting kids out on the water, whether from the beach, the dock, or in a boat, is how we light the spark of fishing. Getting the next generation excited about fishing gives me some hope for our future fishery and our cultural heritage.

One great introductory fish is a scup. They can be caught off of Brant Point, the town pier, or in the harbor from a kayak. They are very accessible. You may also see a sea robin, baby sea bass, and dogfish. It’s all exciting, especially to kids. Of course, I’d love everyone to go on a fishing charter with me, but for the little ones, staying in the harbor might be an easier choice. Go on a Critter Cruise – that’s a trip that creates our future anglers.

Scup are also commonly called porgy. They are relatively small fish, growing up to 18 inches. They are a great introductory fish. They can be found in the harbor and out near structures around docks or on the bottom. To fish, we typically jig for them with small lures or hooks with a little bait like a piece of squid or clam. A typical rig has a few small hooks on one rig. Any of our local tackle shops will have the basic setup. Scup are fun on the line since they are energetic fighters, and they taste pretty good too! Scup are a favorite for a good fish fry at my house.

Another species that’s a hit with kids are dogfish. Dogfish are small, bottom-dwelling sharks. What kid doesn’t want to get up close to a real shark?! For me, let’s just say that one man’s treasure is another man’s tangled line. They can be sort of a nuisance to us when we’re targeting other species, usually the bottom fish like black sea bass or fluke. But they do make it exciting, especially with kids on board. They can put up a good fight on the line and be cool to see up close. You don’t have to worry about their teeth, but their tail can whip and be a pain to deal with – it’s how they can tangle up line pretty good.

The sea robin (aka gurnard) is another bottom feeder we tend to dismiss, but is actually a pretty cool fish. We usually toss them back as strange-looking bycatch, but bringing them on board when there are new anglers, you can see how interesting they are. Sea robins are sort of prehistoric-looking with wing-like pectoral fins and leg-like feelers that make them look like they’re walking on the sea floor. When you bring them to the surface, they sometimes croak or grunt which has something to do with their swim bladder. Rather than target them, you’ll probably catch sea robins when you’re going for something else. For example, you are very likely to catch a sea robin around schools of scup and black sea bass.

Remember to check the fishing regulations for size and catch limits for each species. Anyway, this is my reminder not to take any of our fish for granted, especially with new anglers. It’s not always about the “biggest catch” or the trophy fish. As I like to say to my clients; the only rules are to keep the lines tight and smile.

Until next tide…