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Vineyard Fishing Report: Striper Arrival, Trout Bites, and Pre-Spawn Bass Action
Published 1 year ago
Description
Artificial Lure here with your Wednesday, April 23 Martha’s Vineyard fishing report. We’re shaking off a cold, late spring, but the Island is finally waking up with sharper fish activity and plenty of anticipation from locals and visitors alike.
Let’s start with the weather. After weeks of chilly wind and stubborn water temps, things are finally starting to warm up. Daytime highs are reaching the high 50s and hovering around 60, with sunshine expected to stick around and push those water temperatures up a little more. Ocean temps are still in the mid-40s, but the forecast is in our favor for a stronger bite soon. Sunrise was at 5:53 AM and sunset will be at 7:32 PM, so there’s a solid window for those dawn and dusk sessions that we all love.
On the saltwater side, the south shore and Wasque are beginning to see the first real signs of migratory schoolie striped bass. These early arrivals are mixed in with holdovers, with most catches coming from the surf on the south side beaches. Fish are mostly shorts to mid-20-inch range, but if you put your time in, you might tangle with a heavier striper. The action should only improve as water temps edge higher and the herring runs stay strong. Peanut bunker and river herring are thick in the ponds, so sighting ospreys and gulls working the bait is a solid clue that stripers are close by.
Tautog reports are slow but improving. Most tog action locally has been around deeper structure and rocky spots, with a few shorts and mid-sized fish being reported. The warm-up should flip that bite on any day now.
Freshwater is where the Island has really shined the past week. Trout fishing is hot in the stocked ponds—think Duarte, Seth’s, and Uncle Seth’s. Anglers have been scoring well with shiners, inline spinners, spoons, and even small flies like Woolly Buggers. Largemouth bass are also on the chew and feeding hard ahead of spawn. Best results have been with curly-tail grubs, soft plastics, and small jigs.
Best baits and lures? In saltwater, go with small soft plastics, 4- to 5-inch paddle tails, and swimming plugs that imitate herring. Also try small bucktail jigs. For tog, green crabs and seaworms are your ticket. In the ponds, trout are hitting shiners, spinners, and spoons, while bass are smashing curly-tail grubs and Texas-rigged worms.
Hot spots to try are Wasque Point for early stripers and the Edgartown outer harbor for both tog and schoolie bass. For freshwater, hit Duarte’s and Seth’s Ponds for trout, and try some of the up-Island lakes for pre-spawn largemouth.
That’s the Vineyard update for today. Tight lines, and I’ll see you out there.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Let’s start with the weather. After weeks of chilly wind and stubborn water temps, things are finally starting to warm up. Daytime highs are reaching the high 50s and hovering around 60, with sunshine expected to stick around and push those water temperatures up a little more. Ocean temps are still in the mid-40s, but the forecast is in our favor for a stronger bite soon. Sunrise was at 5:53 AM and sunset will be at 7:32 PM, so there’s a solid window for those dawn and dusk sessions that we all love.
On the saltwater side, the south shore and Wasque are beginning to see the first real signs of migratory schoolie striped bass. These early arrivals are mixed in with holdovers, with most catches coming from the surf on the south side beaches. Fish are mostly shorts to mid-20-inch range, but if you put your time in, you might tangle with a heavier striper. The action should only improve as water temps edge higher and the herring runs stay strong. Peanut bunker and river herring are thick in the ponds, so sighting ospreys and gulls working the bait is a solid clue that stripers are close by.
Tautog reports are slow but improving. Most tog action locally has been around deeper structure and rocky spots, with a few shorts and mid-sized fish being reported. The warm-up should flip that bite on any day now.
Freshwater is where the Island has really shined the past week. Trout fishing is hot in the stocked ponds—think Duarte, Seth’s, and Uncle Seth’s. Anglers have been scoring well with shiners, inline spinners, spoons, and even small flies like Woolly Buggers. Largemouth bass are also on the chew and feeding hard ahead of spawn. Best results have been with curly-tail grubs, soft plastics, and small jigs.
Best baits and lures? In saltwater, go with small soft plastics, 4- to 5-inch paddle tails, and swimming plugs that imitate herring. Also try small bucktail jigs. For tog, green crabs and seaworms are your ticket. In the ponds, trout are hitting shiners, spinners, and spoons, while bass are smashing curly-tail grubs and Texas-rigged worms.
Hot spots to try are Wasque Point for early stripers and the Edgartown outer harbor for both tog and schoolie bass. For freshwater, hit Duarte’s and Seth’s Ponds for trout, and try some of the up-Island lakes for pre-spawn largemouth.
That’s the Vineyard update for today. Tight lines, and I’ll see you out there.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.