"Martha's Vineyard Fishing Report: Late Season Stripers, Tautog, and Wind Warnings"

Artificial Lure here coming to you live with your Martha’s Vineyard fishing report for Sunday, November 16th, 2025. Here’s what’s happening out on the water and along the Island’s storied shores today. We’re looking at crisp fall conditions with sunrise at 6:32 a.m. and sunset at 4:21 p.m., so best to hit the water early. Weather’s seasonably cool, upper 40s to low 50s, with a strong northwest breeze on the way and a Gale Watch set to kick in by late morning, according to the National Weather Service. Expect rougher seas—by midday, smaller crafts would do well to tuck into the lee or stay closer to shore for safety. Layer up, watch the wind, and check the latest advisories before launching. On the tide, we just came off a low at 2:04 a.m., with high tide peaking at 8:50 a.m., dropping to another low at 2:45 p.m., and another high rolling through at 9:13 tonight, all specific to the Oak Bluffs station. These fall tides have been pushing bait in and out of the harbors, and the bite has been best about two hours on either side of high, when the current’s moving but not roaring[6]. Now for what you really want to know—what’s biting and where. Fall’s striped bass run is mostly winding down, with big migratory bass pushing south, but sharpies are still pulling late-season keepers off Wasque and the Gut at sunrise with plugs and live eels. Smaller schoolies are working the surface around Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs piers right at first light—guys are picking them up tossing pink Hogys and white Albie Snax, sticking tight to the rocks. Tautog fishing remains steady off the jetties and rocky reefs—think East Chop or Menemsha. Blackfish have turned on with the chill, especially at slack water; locals are filling buckets with green crab or Asian crab fished right on the bottom. The false albacore and bonito that kept the harbor arms buzzing last month are mostly gone now, but there are still mackerel showing in deeper water and some scattered reports of hickory shad near Lagoon Pond. Keeper sea bass are also around, working structure on the south side in about 35 to 55 feet if you anchor over the rocky bits near Squibnocket or Gay Head. For best results, focus on: - Soft plastics like 7-inch Slug-Gos in white or bubblegum for stripers. - Green crabs (whole or halved) for tautog—drop right into the rocks. - Diamond jigs bounced on the bottom for late-run sea bass and the odd cod. - Live eels drifted through the rips at Wasque for a shot at a cow. If you’re into natural baits, cut fresh menhaden or mackerel gets it done for stripers—especially at dawn and dusk tides. For tautog, nothing beats a lively green crab. Hot spots for today: Wasque Point and the Chappy Gut at the mouth of Edgartown harbor for lingering stripers and a shot at a late blue. For tog, hit the west jetty at Menemsha or the pilings off East Chop—get there at slack and ride out the tidal swing. Recent reports from The Martha’s Vineyard Times and folks at local tackle shops say the " This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.