Striped Bass arrive in Vineyard waters about mid-April, and are plentiful in May. Smaller fish move in first, then the larger fish arrive in early summer and again in the fall, usually staying until the end of November.

Bluefish arrive in May and are usually present in good numbers by Memorial Day. The larger fish show up first, then move offshore for the summer, while the smaller bluefish are available inshore throughout the summer. The fall sees the large bluefish return to inshore waters before heading south.

Atlantic Bonito can show up as early as late June and are usually plentiful by the end of July. Depending on water temperatures, they will stay through the end of October.

False Albacore are present when water temperatures are at their highest, arriving in early September and staying through mid-October.

Other species, including Fluke, Scup and Sea Bass are abundant in Vineyard waters throughout the summer months.

Although the crowds thin out dramatically after Labor Day, some of the best fishing of the year is yet to come. In the fall, fish feed heavily to prepare for their migration, and fishing around the Vineyard reaches a peak some time in late September or October, depending on the weather and water temperature. Each year, thousands of fishermen look forward to the Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, which runs from mid-September to mid-October. An annual event since 1946, it is the East Coast's largest fishing derby. Daily, weekly and Grand prizes are awarded for the largest striped bass, bluefish, false albacore and bonito. I strongly encourage anglers who fish during the Derby, even for one day, to register, because you never know when the fish of a lifetime will bite.

Fishermen who put away their gear after the Derby Awards ceremony miss out on an opportunity to catch some hard-fighting and very tasty fish, black sea bass and tautog. As the water temperatures drop in late October and November, some surprisingly large tautog move in to the local wrecks and rockpiles affording us a last chance at some very exciting fishing and some great-tasting fillets for the freezer. This year, try extending your season a few more weeks by getting out for sea bass and 'tog.