bass fishing nantucket

[matt Q]

i'm planning a striper fishing trip to nantucket during the first week in oct. anyone know of any fishing guides (surf) and charter boats. also, need a nice place to stay.

the bass are alive and well on the jersey shore. last three mornings i had bass from 8- 17 lbs. fished in surf, used crabs.

[JohnR]

Matt, welcome aboard... I've fished Nantucket the last few falls now and the fishing has been fair to good but inconsistant. There are several web resources you can look up to find guides and places to stay, Nantucket.net for example. I usually stay with some friends and they handle the house rental bit... Have you fished there before? We've done fairly well from shore at Smith Point, Great Point, and Brant point - bass on eels and blues on just about whatever you threw...even caught an albie on a 3oz Habs Needlefish while casting at bluefish!!! That was a big supprise. But overall, my friend Greg ("Schoolie Monster" from the board here) has had better luck than me out there.

Are you focused on Nantucket as more of a family trip or for a dedicated fishing trip? For just fishing, I'd recommend the Vineyard at that time of year. More fish, bigger fish, more places to fish and you can also catch "The Derby" at that time of year on MV... Better fishing on MV IMO...

[schoolie monster]

Hey Matt,

I have to agree with John. If you are looking for a hardcore bass fishing vacation, Martha's
Vineyard or Rhode Island are your best bet.

I absolutely love Nantucket in the fall. It becomes un-touristy (is that a word?) after Labor Day and the weather is still great. It is a beautiful island and I go pretty much every year...but...

The fishing is not nearly as good Rhody or the Vineyard. Nantucket doesn't have alot of shore structure to bring in and hold fish. Its all sand beaches. Their are two main rips, Smith Point and Great Point. Brant Point and Eel Point both have great drops and good current and both hold fish. Their are also a couple of minor rips on the southside of the island at Surfside and Miacomet beaches. But as John pointed out, these spots are inconsistent. Boat fishing is generally more productive. They do pretty well on the charters... those guys fish those waters all year, so they know where the fish are.

Now, I'm not trying to talk you out of going. I'm missing that trip this year due to an in-law wedding in Florida (hmm... tarpon or bonefish?) and I'm devastated. However, realistically, if you are looking for hardcore, "I need to catch 200 bass and I'm gonna fish every waking second" type of fishing, you may want to try those other places. But, if you are looking to relax with your family, do some oversand drivin', enjoy having beaches mostly to yourself, and just want some decent fishing, maybe throw in a charter, Nantucket's a great place.

And hey, I caught a 20lb. stripe last year, a 25lb. the year before, and enjoyed several bluefish blitzes... and to be honest, I don't fish really hard when I'm there. There are fish to be had. According to the locals, October is a much better bass month as the fish start to run.

I know its not a ringing endorsement fish-wise. As far as places to stay and charters, I would check the web. I rent a couple of cottages out at Smith Point, but they are private owners that don't really rent to people they don't know. But there are tons of places, and you shouldn't have too much trouble at that time of year. Same for the charters... they do surf, boat, flycasting, deep water, flats fishing, whatever. Also, if you go, stop into Nantucket Tackle... they are the only place with eels and there's a woman that is pretty good about givin' out info. Also, Bill at Bill Fisher's Tackle will deal some info if you buy a few lures.

Best of luck to ya.