Awesome Nantucket Fishing Adventure

[TerriMc223]

Just got home from a 2 day fluke/seabass trip out of Hyannis Ma on a nonsponsor party boat.
On our way out to Nantucket Shoals, we made a stop for sea bass fishing not far from the harbor. Loads of 3#, 4#,5# plus sea bass. We arrived off Nantucket and fished in deep water. Water temps were pushed down to the upper 50's due to three days of high winds earlier in the week. It made for unusually tough fluking. Still ,the pool fish on day one was 6#to 7#.
We tied up in Nantucket Harbor for the evening. I got up @ 3:30 and some of the guys were jigging up a decent squid catch off the side of the boat. Harbor lights were attracting them. We headed out again for day two @ 4 am and were back fishing @ 6 am. The water was a little better and so was the fluking. Pool fish day two was 10.3 #. Drifting conditions up there are fierce! 18-20 oz sinkers were necessary. At one point I needed 24 oz. Thought I hooked a really big one at one point only to find out I had tangled with a couple anglers and the combined weights between us had to be over 5 #
This was my 5th or 6th year up there. Many anglers ( at least half) are from Jersey. Many of them stayed for the next 2 day trip today and tomorrow.
Wound up with a decent catch myself after all and will be back up there in August.

[MohawkJD]

Thanks for the report. I'm fishing with them on Monday, I added some 16 oz sinkers and a heavy rod after reading this. Were you jigging for sea bass? I was told that's how they catch them up there. For the fluke, I'm going up with whole squid, smelts & all sorts of big gulps. What kind of bait worked best?

[TerriMc223]

Most folks were jigging one way or another for the sea bass.We also caught them while fluking sometimes.
For fluke I did ok using a pink/white six inch grub . while 4" swimming minnows gulps on a popcorn high low rig worked.bait works well up there
They have some 20" sinkers available on board if you need one. Catch 'em up!