Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Fishing the Vineyard Report 8/22/07



I really can’t stress how good the fishing on Martha’s Vineyard and surrounding coastal waters is right now. I have been extremely impressed with the condition of the fishery this year, and it just seems to keep getting better.

All four of our major local inshore species are in the mix as of now, with some areas sporting all of them feeding in close proximity to each other. Albies are the most recent addition to the scene; I landed my first one of the season yesterday after losing a handful of them in the previous days. The inshore bonito fishing is the best that any of us have seen in years, with double digit catch numbers on flies and plugs becoming common place. Huge schools of small to medium sized bluefish are available just a bit further off the beach than the green fish, and bass are still available early in the morning hours.

The bait fueling the current fishing fire is predominantly peanut bunker, with baby squid, silversides and sandeels on the menu as well. This wide variety of bait allows us to throw a wide variety of flies and plugs; personally I’ve caught more bonito on topwater stuff this year than ever before. The fishing fantastic right now and only seems to be picking up steam; it’s shaping up to be a truly special fall.



Captain W. Brice Contessa
www.fishingthevineyard.com