Striped Bass

Also known as "line-siders," "rock-bass," and "square-tails," stripers are adaptable hunters. Large fins give them stability in rough waters, allowing them to feed even in breaking surf. They have the power and speed to chase down baitfish on the ocean's open sand-flats. These agile swimmers also scour rock bottoms and weed beds for crustaceans. Bass have no teeth and therefore must swallow sand eels and squid whole. Crab and lobster, they mash with a crusher-plate in the back of their throats. Nantucket's surrounding waters offer stripers a range of diverse habitats in which they can hunt, and be hunted. Stripers arrive in force by June and stay through October. Fishing them off the beaches at night or in the rips and on the flats in the middle of the day, few fish reward anglers like the striped bass. Most challenging - and most fun! - is stalking the vast sand-flats that halo the island and sight-casting for these large, powerful fish.

False Albacore

Bonito

Aptly named "beautiful," these green and striped, streamlined fish arrive in Nantucket in August to feed on the sand eels that cloud the island's late summer waters. A member of the tuna/mackerel family of fish, Bonito swim with torpedo-speed. Keen eye-sight and needle-like teeth make them great fun to cast for, fight, and catch. Bonito are also great eating, especially sushi-style: raw with a splash of soy sauce and a dash of wasabi. The West-side of Nantucket offers New England's most consistent Bonito-fishing.

Bluefish

Piranha of the North Atlantic, "Blue dogs" boast razor-sharp teeth and more biting-power than some shark. No fish is more aggressive than the blue. These eating machines grow up to 20 pounds. Blue fishing in Nantucket is perhaps second only to the coastal waters of Africa. Throwing top-water plugs
for blues guarantees non-stop action!