Current Waters: Stripers Galore

There are fish EVERYWHERE. All depths, all types of water, boat or beach. Any fishing style. And the reason? Bait, bait and more bait. Sand eels, squid, bunker, and a pile of small scup (which is like candy for stripers and bluefish) are all helping to keep the fish around for a while.

Squid in particular are most abundant in Nantucket Sound right now. Like many of our summer sea creatures, squid are a migratory species that come to our waters every spring to spawn. They live offshore in deeper cooler water during the winter. Large groups of squid aggregate both south and north of the island each summer. Female squid lay hundreds of eggs in capsules that they attempt to attach to the sea floor, but these often come loose and wash ashore. Right now and into July is when you may see squid egg masses wash up on the beach or “squid mops” as they are usually called. Let us know if you see any!

If you want to get into the fishing spirit, a tournament is a great way to motivate throwing a line or two in the water. The Nantucket Hockey Foundation is hosting its first annual fishing tournament open to all anglers. It’s perfect timing for a tournament with all the action we’ve been seeing. Multiple species, from boat or beach (inshore only). The tournament runs June 13-19th for individuals or teams of three. Register at nantuckethockeyfnd@gmail.com. Prizes go to the top three spots. Check out the sponsors and those that have taken the time to put it together. It’s for a good cause which is always a decent excuse to get on the water. The tournament is strictly catch and release helping ensure more fish available for future excursions.

This is a good reminder for how best to accomplish a good, quick catch and release. To help keep a strong fishery, we want to use best practices for tackle, gear, and timing. Switching your treble hooks to in-line hooks and bending the barbs minimizes impact on a fish. You can get help and advice on this at any of your favorite Nantucket tackle shops. If you want to take a photo – be ready with your phone/camera so that the fish can go back in the water to swim another day. Hold the fish up quickly, holding the underside for support. The faster this happens, the sooner the fish can be returned to the water.

This Sunday, June 12th, the Nantucket Shellfish Association is hosting Oysterfest. Join the Nantucket Shellfish Association, Nantucket Land Council, and Cisco Brewers from noon to 4pm for a fun day tasting Nantucket's finest oysters. This is a chance to taste oysters from multiple Nantucket farmers. Cocktails, oysters, live music, a shucking contest – all in the name of a good cause: to preserve and protect Nantucket’s harbors, water quality, and shellfish resources. See you at the raw bar!