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Catch the late August blitz on Martha's Vineyard - stripers, blues, and bonito feeding hard in the rips.
Published 8 months ago
Description
Artificial Lure with your Martha’s Vineyard fishing report for Friday, August 29th, 2025.
First light hit at 6:06 AM, with sunset set for 7:18 PM—plenty of time for an outing before the season turns. Winds have mellowed since Erin blew through, waters are settling, and the fishing action is definitely rebounding. Today's tide for Vineyard Haven gave us a low at 10:47 AM and a high coming up at 5:25 PM—so plan your casts around those changes for best results. Weather’s seasonably mild with just a little breeze; overcast skies early could help keep the fish active on top.
Let’s talk about the bite: Stripers, bluefish, and bonito have all been feeding hard as big schools of sand eels get pushed in by recent winds, especially around the rip lines. Stephen at Kismet Outfitters in Edgartown notes bird activity is hot—where you see birds diving, keep an eye out for fast action from bass and blues. Albies are just starting to trickle in, so have your fast-retrieve gear ready.
Menemsha is a solid spot right now—fishing boats there bring in lobster, clams, striped and black sea bass, and fluke daily, and shore anglers have been picking away at keepers as well. Edgartown jetties and the Vineyard Sound inlets are also producing, especially on the outgoing tide when bait flushes out of the lagoons. Out in Nantucket Sound, conditions are clearing but still a bit dirty; most success is coming from the north side of the island, with a particularly good bonito bite near the harbor, as Rick Ramos has been reporting.
As for techniques: with sand eels running long, use slightly larger-profile flies and soft plastics than earlier in the season. Local fly anglers are scoring stripers and albies using pink, green and white Albie Escorts, with a fast, two-handed strip. For spinning setups, try diamond jigs and epoxy jigs when you spot blitzes, or cast-top water plugs into those active birds. Stripers are also taking soft plastics and swimming plugs off the beaches and especially the inlets.
From the tackle counter—M&D Outfitters stocks fresh sea worms, eels, pogies, mackerel, clam, squid and green crab. Eels and sand eels have been top baits for stripers; squid and chunks do the work for bluefish and sea bass. Bonito are keyed in on smaller live bait or flashy jigs, so stock up before you hit the water.
The amount and types of fish still reflect the late August upswing: stripers are blitzing in the shallows, bluefish (mostly snappers) in good numbers, with bonito showing up stronger by the day and black sea bass steady on deep structure. Lobster boats continue dropping traps, bringing in daily catches for the local seafood markets in Menemsha; Larsen’s and Menemsha Fish Market are both serving up fresh lobster and chowder after your trip.
Hot spots for today:
- **Menemsha Harbor**: Best for sunset, sea bass, fluke, and fresh seafood if you’re looking to keep.
- **Edgartown Jetty & Vineyard Sound rip lines**: Solid striper and bluefish action, outgoing tide is prime time.
- **North side harbors**: Bonito and blues near the harbor slicks.
That covers the report for August 29th—birds, bait, and bass all working hard. Remember to check your local tournament schedules; the Nantucket Inshore Classic starts September 7th for anyone itching for competition.
Thanks for tuning in to today’s Martha’s Vineyard fishing update—don’t forget to subscribe for the freshest, day-by-day details and insights from around the island.
This has been a Quiet Please production—for more, check out quietplease dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
First light hit at 6:06 AM, with sunset set for 7:18 PM—plenty of time for an outing before the season turns. Winds have mellowed since Erin blew through, waters are settling, and the fishing action is definitely rebounding. Today's tide for Vineyard Haven gave us a low at 10:47 AM and a high coming up at 5:25 PM—so plan your casts around those changes for best results. Weather’s seasonably mild with just a little breeze; overcast skies early could help keep the fish active on top.
Let’s talk about the bite: Stripers, bluefish, and bonito have all been feeding hard as big schools of sand eels get pushed in by recent winds, especially around the rip lines. Stephen at Kismet Outfitters in Edgartown notes bird activity is hot—where you see birds diving, keep an eye out for fast action from bass and blues. Albies are just starting to trickle in, so have your fast-retrieve gear ready.
Menemsha is a solid spot right now—fishing boats there bring in lobster, clams, striped and black sea bass, and fluke daily, and shore anglers have been picking away at keepers as well. Edgartown jetties and the Vineyard Sound inlets are also producing, especially on the outgoing tide when bait flushes out of the lagoons. Out in Nantucket Sound, conditions are clearing but still a bit dirty; most success is coming from the north side of the island, with a particularly good bonito bite near the harbor, as Rick Ramos has been reporting.
As for techniques: with sand eels running long, use slightly larger-profile flies and soft plastics than earlier in the season. Local fly anglers are scoring stripers and albies using pink, green and white Albie Escorts, with a fast, two-handed strip. For spinning setups, try diamond jigs and epoxy jigs when you spot blitzes, or cast-top water plugs into those active birds. Stripers are also taking soft plastics and swimming plugs off the beaches and especially the inlets.
From the tackle counter—M&D Outfitters stocks fresh sea worms, eels, pogies, mackerel, clam, squid and green crab. Eels and sand eels have been top baits for stripers; squid and chunks do the work for bluefish and sea bass. Bonito are keyed in on smaller live bait or flashy jigs, so stock up before you hit the water.
The amount and types of fish still reflect the late August upswing: stripers are blitzing in the shallows, bluefish (mostly snappers) in good numbers, with bonito showing up stronger by the day and black sea bass steady on deep structure. Lobster boats continue dropping traps, bringing in daily catches for the local seafood markets in Menemsha; Larsen’s and Menemsha Fish Market are both serving up fresh lobster and chowder after your trip.
Hot spots for today:
- **Menemsha Harbor**: Best for sunset, sea bass, fluke, and fresh seafood if you’re looking to keep.
- **Edgartown Jetty & Vineyard Sound rip lines**: Solid striper and bluefish action, outgoing tide is prime time.
- **North side harbors**: Bonito and blues near the harbor slicks.
That covers the report for August 29th—birds, bait, and bass all working hard. Remember to check your local tournament schedules; the Nantucket Inshore Classic starts September 7th for anyone itching for competition.
Thanks for tuning in to today’s Martha’s Vineyard fishing update—don’t forget to subscribe for the freshest, day-by-day details and insights from around the island.
This has been a Quiet Please production—for more, check out quietplease dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.