There is nothing remarkable about the fish right now, with perhaps the most interesting news this week concerned large numbers of albies off the Cisco area, with the little tunny coming in close enough to give shore anglers a shot.
Nantucket
Great Point has been the hotspot for albies on the island, reported Dave Stetson at Bill Fisher Tackle; he caught nine there earlier this week while fishing from shore using metal lures and Epoxy Jigs.
The fishing around the Grey Lady has been “very good,” with albies at both Great Point and Smith’s Point for both shore and boat anglers, with the latter also holding some schools of smaller bluefish.
Albie fishing has been very good up at Great Point, both for shore and boat anglers. Epoxy Jigs have been working best, especially in olive and neutral colors.
The Bonito Bar has been good, but he said it has been up-and-down, with no albies reported as well. Matt spoke to a boater who managed some bass at Miacomet Rip, while shore anglers have been doing best along the southside towards Nobadeer and Madequecham.
There have been some schools of bluefish at Smith Point and the bonito are definitely concentrated on the west side of the island, with Great Point generally slow except for the occasional bluefish from beach and boat.
When folks have been able to fish the Bonito Bar, most are finding that it is fishing really well. Matt Manera at Nantucket Tackle Center said that along with the traditionally popular Yo-zuri Crystal Minnows, this year the pearl variety, which is similar to the pearl Bomber, has been catching a lot of fish when cast to the outside edges of the bar.
Out on the Grey Lady, all reports are pointing to the Bonito Bar as the spot where the fishing is best. Anglers are catching a mix of bonito, bluefish, and bass, but Matt Manera from Nantucket Tackle Center offered a word of caution that this area can become dicey, with eight-footers reported today around the rip. An occasional bonito has been caught at Great Point, with mainly bluefish caught from the beach as you move closer to Sankaty.
Bonito have shown up in good numbers around, where else, the Bonito Bar; pink or olive Epoxy Jigs and Yo-zuri Crystal Minnows are top choices on the island and folks use them from beach and boat. Speaking of the beaches, a few bonito have been caught from the sand up around Great Point, with bluefish in the mix there as well as between Eel Point and Smith’s Point and Madaket.
The word from Matt Manera at the Nantucket Tackle Center is the beach bass fishing has slowed, although folks are still picking some up at night on plugs and Hogy’s along the southside beaches. The Bonito Bar has produced one bonito so far, while Dave told me that five have been caught up around Great Point, so obviously there is room for improvement. The fluke fishing in the deep water and rips of what are called generically the Nantucket Shoals.