Late Fall Fishing Forecast for Martha's Vineyard - Tautog, Stripers, and Cod Opportunities Abound

As of November 21, 2024, the fishing scene around Martha's Vineyard is still holding up despite the late fall season. Here’s what you need to know for today’s fishing trip: **Weather and Tides:** The weather is expected to be moderately fishable, with mild temperatures for this time of year. Sunrise is at around 6:30 AM, and sunset will be at about 4:15 PM. Tides are crucial; today you'll have a high tide at 8:30 AM and a low tide at 2:30 PM. These tidal changes can trigger fish activity, especially around the beaches and estuaries. **Fish Activity:** Yesterday saw scattered schools of stripers, small bluefish, and bonito cruising through Vineyard Sound and along the Elizabeth Islands. Tautog fishing remains one of the best options, with fish moving to deeper waters as the temperatures drop. You can still find stripers in the estuaries and further up the rivers, feeding on small schools of peanut bunker[2]. **Catch Reports:** From recent reports, tautog fishing has been steady, with anglers catching keeper tog in the 19-inch range. Captain Kurt Freund of Fishsticks Charters reported landing four keeper tog and several smaller ones in Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay. There are also reports of cod being caught in relatively shallow waters, which is a nice bonus for this time of year[2]. **Best Lures and Bait:** For stripers, bluefish, and bonito, topwater plugs and epoxy jigs are still effective, especially in areas like Vineyard Sound. For tautog, using crabs or clams as bait is recommended. If you're targeting bass in the freshwater ponds, small- to mid-size lipless crankbaits, swimbaits, and finesse soft plastics are working well. Nightcrawlers and shiners are also good for bass and trout in the kettle lakes[1][2]. **Hot Spots:** - **Vineyard Sound:** This area has been seeing surface feeds of stripers, bluefish, and bonito. - **Elizabeth Islands:** Known for tautog and mixed schools of bonito and bluefish. - **Buzzards Bay:** Good for tautog fishing, especially in deeper waters around 30 to 40 feet. - **Freshwater Ponds:** Kettle lakes around the island are producing good bass and trout fishing. With the mild weather persisting, it's a great time to get out and enjoy the late fall fishing on Martha's Vineyard. Just remember to adjust your tactics as the fish move to deeper waters with the dropping temperatures. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.