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Late September Bite on Martha's Vineyard: Stripers, Bonito, and Fluke Highlight Epic Fall Run
Published 7 months, 1 week ago
Description
Artificial Lure here with your up-to-the-minute Martha’s Vineyard fishing report for Friday, September 19th, 2025.
It’s a classic late September morning—crisp, clear, and just enough chill in the northwest air to remind us fall’s sneaking in. Water temps have dipped and baitfish are stacked inshore, setting the stage for an epic fall run. Right now in Aquinnah, it’s 67°F under clear skies, wind light out of the NNW at 7 mph, high today reaching 77°, low of 59°, so layer up if you’re heading out[local weather].
Sunrise slipped in at 6:35AM, and sunset will close the curtain at 6:52PM—these golden hours have been dynamite. Tides on Edgartown Great Pond are near perfect for afternoon and evening outings; low tide hit at 10:58AM, and prime high water’s coming up right before 5:00PM. That incoming, especially mid-late afternoon, has produced the best bites all week[Edgartown tides chart].
Striped bass are leading the parade. Schoolies and some keeper slots are feeding tight to the shoreline, matching hungry clouds of peanut bunker and silversides. Hot stretches—Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, Whitehall, Hart Haven—are holding fish, especially on a rising tide. The night crew has found bigger bass off Chappy beaches: after dark, it’s all about tossing big soft plastics and needlefish plugs down the surf line. Fly anglers should stick with Clousers in olive/white or sand eel imitations, and the flats at sunrise have been steady pickings.
Bluefish have made scattered runs, especially at East Beach and Wasque Point, popping up in short-lived blitzes around bait balls. A few solid “chopper” blues are mixed in. On the bottom, keeper fluke are still in play off Dogfish Bar if you’re drifting by boat, and the black sea bass bite lingers at Menemsha Jetty.
Bonito are flat-out plentiful right now—plenty of bones coming off the north-facing beaches and in the sound, with a few false albacore (albies) in the mix. Albies have been trickier, popping up fast and vanishing just as quick, but the best shot’s been the western sound near West Chop. The Derby scales have seen a few trophy albies and 8+-pound bonito in the last couple days, so keep that wire leader handy. On The Water magazine notes the feeds come and go quickly, so don’t chase yesterday’s hotspot—cover ground and use your eyes.
Weakfish, sand sharks, and even some tautog are in play around the rock piles; folks at Sports Port Bait and Tackle are moving lots of green crabs for the tog bite, especially in the Elizabeths and out toward Woods Hole.
Best bets for today’s tackle:
- **Lures:** 7” white soft plastics on jigheads, epoxy minnow lures, Deadly Dicks, and Kastmasters for bonito and albies.
- **Fly gear:** Olive/white Clouser Minnows, sand eel imitations at dawn or dusk.
- **Bait:** Fresh chunk mackerel, squid strips, green crabs for tautog, and live eels after dark for stripers.
For hotspots, don’t miss:
- **East Beach/Wasque Point (Chappaquiddick):** Ideal for dawn or dusk striper and bluefish.
- **Menemsha Jetty:** Nice mix—bass, blues, sea bass—especially at sunset.
- **Dogfish Bar:** Fluke action still solid, best by boat as the tide turns.
Charters out of Oak Bluffs and Edgartown have had families reeling in mixed bags—including some sand sharks—making for memorable trips, according to recent TripAdvisor reviews.
That’s today’s Martha’s Vineyard fishing scene. Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe for the latest local action. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please 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.
It’s a classic late September morning—crisp, clear, and just enough chill in the northwest air to remind us fall’s sneaking in. Water temps have dipped and baitfish are stacked inshore, setting the stage for an epic fall run. Right now in Aquinnah, it’s 67°F under clear skies, wind light out of the NNW at 7 mph, high today reaching 77°, low of 59°, so layer up if you’re heading out[local weather].
Sunrise slipped in at 6:35AM, and sunset will close the curtain at 6:52PM—these golden hours have been dynamite. Tides on Edgartown Great Pond are near perfect for afternoon and evening outings; low tide hit at 10:58AM, and prime high water’s coming up right before 5:00PM. That incoming, especially mid-late afternoon, has produced the best bites all week[Edgartown tides chart].
Striped bass are leading the parade. Schoolies and some keeper slots are feeding tight to the shoreline, matching hungry clouds of peanut bunker and silversides. Hot stretches—Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, Whitehall, Hart Haven—are holding fish, especially on a rising tide. The night crew has found bigger bass off Chappy beaches: after dark, it’s all about tossing big soft plastics and needlefish plugs down the surf line. Fly anglers should stick with Clousers in olive/white or sand eel imitations, and the flats at sunrise have been steady pickings.
Bluefish have made scattered runs, especially at East Beach and Wasque Point, popping up in short-lived blitzes around bait balls. A few solid “chopper” blues are mixed in. On the bottom, keeper fluke are still in play off Dogfish Bar if you’re drifting by boat, and the black sea bass bite lingers at Menemsha Jetty.
Bonito are flat-out plentiful right now—plenty of bones coming off the north-facing beaches and in the sound, with a few false albacore (albies) in the mix. Albies have been trickier, popping up fast and vanishing just as quick, but the best shot’s been the western sound near West Chop. The Derby scales have seen a few trophy albies and 8+-pound bonito in the last couple days, so keep that wire leader handy. On The Water magazine notes the feeds come and go quickly, so don’t chase yesterday’s hotspot—cover ground and use your eyes.
Weakfish, sand sharks, and even some tautog are in play around the rock piles; folks at Sports Port Bait and Tackle are moving lots of green crabs for the tog bite, especially in the Elizabeths and out toward Woods Hole.
Best bets for today’s tackle:
- **Lures:** 7” white soft plastics on jigheads, epoxy minnow lures, Deadly Dicks, and Kastmasters for bonito and albies.
- **Fly gear:** Olive/white Clouser Minnows, sand eel imitations at dawn or dusk.
- **Bait:** Fresh chunk mackerel, squid strips, green crabs for tautog, and live eels after dark for stripers.
For hotspots, don’t miss:
- **East Beach/Wasque Point (Chappaquiddick):** Ideal for dawn or dusk striper and bluefish.
- **Menemsha Jetty:** Nice mix—bass, blues, sea bass—especially at sunset.
- **Dogfish Bar:** Fluke action still solid, best by boat as the tide turns.
Charters out of Oak Bluffs and Edgartown have had families reeling in mixed bags—including some sand sharks—making for memorable trips, according to recent TripAdvisor reviews.
That’s today’s Martha’s Vineyard fishing scene. Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe for the latest local action. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please 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.