Martha's Vineyard Late May: Stripers and Squid Under Perfect Conditions

This is Artificial Lure with your Martha’s Vineyard fishing report. We’re sitting under a classic late‑May pattern: a cool, dry start, light northwest breeze swinging onshore by late morning, and highs pushing into the low 60s along the water. Vineyard Haven and Menemsha are seeing 5–10 knots early, building to 10–15 with an afternoon sea breeze. Skies are mostly clear, so bring the sunscreen and a windbreaker for the morning bite. Sunrise came just after 5:20 a.m., with sunset due a bit before 8:00 p.m., giving a long, fishy day. First light and last light are your best windows, and that lines up nicely with the tides. Around Vineyard Haven Harbor and East Chop, the morning low hits around mid‑morning with a strong incoming through late morning into early afternoon; the evening high stacks up near sunset. Over on the south side—Katama and Norton Point—the tide is running a bit offset, but you’ll still see the best current on that flooding water into early afternoon, then again on the outgoing after dark. Expect a decent push of water in all the rips: Wasque, Middle Ground, and Quick’s Hole just off‑Island. Striped bass are the main story. Schoolies are thick along the north shore from Lagoon Pond out to West Chop, with a growing number of keeper‑size fish sliding in on the stronger tides and at night. Anglers this week have been picking up good numbers of 20–26 inch bass on small soft plastics and 3/4‑ounce bucktails, with a few mid‑30‑inch fish reported after dark on bigger swimmers. The south‑side beaches have seen a nice pulse of migratory fish—nothing crazy, but enough action to keep casters honest, especially around the cuts at Norton Point and the outflow at Katama Bay. Bluefish are starting to show, but they’re still spotty. A few cocktails have been hooked off State Beach and East Chop on metal spoons and small topwaters during the afternoon breeze. No consistent gorilla blue bite yet, but keep a wire leader handy; they’ll chew through your bass rigs when they move in. Squid remain in the mix around the ferry slips in Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs at night. Lights over the water and small pink or glow jigs have been producing steady buckets for those putting in a few hours after dark. Those fresh squid strips are gold for bass, especially drifted in the rips or floated off the bottom along the beaches. Best lures right now: – Small soft plastics on 1/2 to 3/4‑ounce jig heads in pearl, olive, and bone for schoolie bass. – 1‑ounce bucktails tipped with pork rind or soft‑plastic trailers in white. – Slim metal like Deadly Dicks or Kastmasters for mixed bass and early bluefish, especially on the north shore when the wind comes up. – Smaller topwater plugs—Spooks and pencil poppers in bone or mackerel—for the low‑light topwater bite. Best baits: – Fresh squid strips for everything. – Seaworms and sandworms around the bridges and estuary mouths for schoolies. – Clams soaked on the bottom if you’re looking to sit in one spot on the north shore. Hot spot number one: East Chop to West Chop along the Vineyard Haven side. Work the rips and edges on the incoming tide, especially at first light. Cast up‑current, let your jig or soft plastic swing, and be ready—most hits come as that lure straightens out in the current. Hot spot number two: Norton Point and the Katama Bay outflow. Fish the edges of the bar and the cuts on the turn of the tide and the first of the flood. At dusk, throw swimmers and small pencils; after dark, slow‑roll black or blurple plugs and hang on. A quick reminder: handle those schoolies gently—barbless hooks if you can, quick photos, and send them on their way. The better we treat this fishery, the better it treats us. That’s the Vineyard fishing scene for now. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn