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Stripers Arrive on Martha's Vineyard as Squid, Sea Bass, and Trout Provide Diverse Fishing Opportunities
Published 11 months, 2 weeks ago
Description
Good morning from Martha’s Vineyard, this is Artificial Lure with your Friday, May 16th fishing report.
The Vineyard is buzzing as striper season kicks into high gear. Fresh waves of migratory striped bass have moved into local waters since the new moon, with schoolies and the occasional 40-inch plus cow mixing in. The squid run’s fading quick, but scup and black sea bass are picking up in numbers, making for solid mixed-bag opportunities.
Today’s weather looks fishy—mild spring temps and a light south breeze should hold steady, with sunrise at 5:21 am and sunset at 8:01 pm. The tides are favorable, with the outgoing lining up around dusk, and that’s been the ticket for early-season stripers. Plenty of herring schools are pushing up into the salt ponds and estuaries, drawing hungry bass behind them. Water temps are inching up, putting more fish on the move.
Reports from the past few days around the Vineyard and the Cape have anglers connecting with good numbers of schoolie bass, most in the 18 to 28 inch range, but some larger ones up to and breaking 40 inches have been landed. Black sea bass action is heating up, especially off the Middleground and around Menemsha, with some decent scup mixed in[1]. A few tautog and even some holdover trout are coming from the freshwater ponds for those looking to mix things up[3][5].
Best action for stripers has been on the outgoing tide, especially near the herring runs and shallow flats. Metal-lip swimmers, small soft plastics, bucktail jigs, and swimming plugs in natural colors are producing. If you can get your hands on some squid, it’s still prime bait for bass and sea bass, but as the squid run fades, herring-pattern lures and live eels after dark are both solid choices.
Hot spots to try today include Lobsterville Beach and Menemsha Bight for stripers at first and last light, and the waters off East Chop if you’re after sea bass or looking to drift for scup. In the ponds, trout and even some trophy largemouths are around—try Upper Lagoon or Seth’s Pond for a freshwater fix.
Overall, the season is upon us and the Vineyard is alive with options. Tight lines, and I’ll see you on the water.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
The Vineyard is buzzing as striper season kicks into high gear. Fresh waves of migratory striped bass have moved into local waters since the new moon, with schoolies and the occasional 40-inch plus cow mixing in. The squid run’s fading quick, but scup and black sea bass are picking up in numbers, making for solid mixed-bag opportunities.
Today’s weather looks fishy—mild spring temps and a light south breeze should hold steady, with sunrise at 5:21 am and sunset at 8:01 pm. The tides are favorable, with the outgoing lining up around dusk, and that’s been the ticket for early-season stripers. Plenty of herring schools are pushing up into the salt ponds and estuaries, drawing hungry bass behind them. Water temps are inching up, putting more fish on the move.
Reports from the past few days around the Vineyard and the Cape have anglers connecting with good numbers of schoolie bass, most in the 18 to 28 inch range, but some larger ones up to and breaking 40 inches have been landed. Black sea bass action is heating up, especially off the Middleground and around Menemsha, with some decent scup mixed in[1]. A few tautog and even some holdover trout are coming from the freshwater ponds for those looking to mix things up[3][5].
Best action for stripers has been on the outgoing tide, especially near the herring runs and shallow flats. Metal-lip swimmers, small soft plastics, bucktail jigs, and swimming plugs in natural colors are producing. If you can get your hands on some squid, it’s still prime bait for bass and sea bass, but as the squid run fades, herring-pattern lures and live eels after dark are both solid choices.
Hot spots to try today include Lobsterville Beach and Menemsha Bight for stripers at first and last light, and the waters off East Chop if you’re after sea bass or looking to drift for scup. In the ponds, trout and even some trophy largemouths are around—try Upper Lagoon or Seth’s Pond for a freshwater fix.
Overall, the season is upon us and the Vineyard is alive with options. Tight lines, and I’ll see you on the water.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.