Late Summer Bite on the Vineyard: Stripers, Bluefish, and Sea Bass Galore

Artificial Lure here with your Martha’s Vineyard fishing report for Sunday, August 17, 2025. Air’s already tinged with that late-summer morning snap, and if you were up at 5:58am for sunrise, the glassy water was prime for an early start. You’ll have till 7:30pm to work the water before sunset. The ocean is waking up nicely; today’s high tide hits around 8:41am and again at 9:01pm, with low tides at 3:30am and 3:44pm, so plan your casts for those changeovers—classic Vineyard windows for a hot bite, especially on moving water according to CapeTides.com and Tides4Fishing. We’re at a moderate tidal coefficient (around 55 climbing to 59) per Tides4Fishing, so you’ll see decent water movement but aren’t wrangling with extreme currents. That sets up strong conditions for both inshore and surf action. Weather’s as steady as you ask for this time of August—temperatures in the high 60s to low 80s, light southwesterly winds, just enough to ripple the surface without blowing your line sideways. Patchy clouds but mostly sun, so sunglasses and sunscreen are a must. Let’s talk action: word out of Edgartown and along State Beach is that **striped bass** are still showing, especially in the morning and evening tides. Some larger bass have been caught at first light on the edges of deeper channels—finicky but willing to chase live eels, soft plastic paddle tails like the Hogy or Zoom, and swimmers like the Daiwa SP Minnow. On rougher days, a metal like the classic Kastmaster will get down to them if they’ve gone deep. **Bluefish** made a late but forceful arrival last week, with plenty of action around Cape Poge and off Lobsterville. The schools aren't picky—a silver spoon, epoxy jig, or even a popper will get smashed. Just bring wire or heavy fluorocarbon leaders unless you want souvenirs of your favorite lures left with the choppers. An Instagram post from a local dory crew confirms "bluefish came in hard" this week, backed up by plenty of boat and shore anglers grinning ear to ear. **Black sea bass** are everywhere on the reefs and rock piles—off the Brickyard, Middle Ground, and even around the jetties at Menemsha. Drop down squid strips, gulp teasers, or bucktail jigs and you’ll fill your cooler. Scup are still thick for the family-type looking for steady bites with bait. Reports out of Tidal Fish Forum and local marinas agree the waters from East Chop to Wasque are alive right now, especially when that midmorning tide swings in. The **hot spots** to put at the top of your list: - **Cape Poge Gut**: for stripers and blues on an incoming tide. - **Menemsha Jetty**: for mixed bag, especially at dusk. - **Middle Ground**: for sea bass and a bonus fluke if you drift the right ledges. Baitwise, live eels at night for bass, squid strips for bottom fish, and chunk mackerel will tempt a mix. For artificials, the best performers this week are white or bone-colored soft plastics, chrome spoons, and topwater poppers for blues on the surface. Boaters, Edgarto This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.