Fishing along the East Coast wouldn't be the same without Striped Bass. Known for their beauty, power, and taste, Stripers have drawn anglers for generations. With the explosion of light tackle, Bass fishing has been transformed from heavy tackle to the sport fishing its now. Traditionally, anglers tried to beat the sun to the water or brave stormy seas (both of which still work!). Many may have laughed when Capt Tom started targeting them with light tackle on the surface, but during Capt Tom's nearly 4 decades fishing Nantucket, he has broadened striper fishing to the flats and almost every other nook and cranny around the island.

Striped Bass reproduce in the Chesapeake and Hudson Bays. A Northern Spring migration extends to Maine's Coast. September triggers their Southern migration. A chain reaction Southward causes Stripers to leave their Summer waters and head back to their breeding grounds. Commercial fishing and pollution in the Chesapeake and Hudson nearly forced these amazing fish into extinction in the '80s. Environmental measures and the expansion of catch and release fishing have brought them back extraordinarily. It is up to every angler to ensure history does not repeat itself.

Striped Bass are great on the fly or spin. While we find them throughout the summer, late May through June is when they feed the most aggressively around the clock. Once late July heats up the water and faster fish like Bonito and Tuna start to compete for food in the daylight, we have to work a little harder and often advise an early morning or evening tide.

Bluefishing is inherently linked to the history of Nantucket. Generations of Islanders have hurled plugs into the surf hauling in big ferocious Blues. The waters around Nantucket have maintained a world-class bluefishery that attracts more anglers year after year. Many believe that our waters offer the best Bluefishing on Earth.

Bluefish embody the best of what sport fishing has to offer. They are known for their hard fights, and Nantucket has some of the biggest Bluefish anywhere with average sizes ranging from 8-15 pounds. Their aggressive feeding habits causes them to chase surface lures with reckless abandon often causing several at a time to launch far into the air in pursuit of a surface lure. While Bluefish have developed a reputation for tasting badly, there are many - including our entire crew - that love the taste of fresh Bluefish. Probably the only reason many anglers turn away from Bluefish is their abundance. This is true, and the challenge offered by striped Bass and other species is understandable, but the resilience and abundance of Bluefish are celebrated on Nantucket.

Beyond the great numbers of Bluefish around Nantucket, their behavior is unlike most other fishing locales. Many clients are initially hesitant to target Bluefish, saying they've caught plenty before. Nantucket Blues are distinct from their kin in other waters. Our Blues are big and spend most of their time at the water's surface. While trolling with wire lines and dragging in a n 8 lb Bluefish may not excite many anglers, the chance to evoke acrobatic strikes with light tackle - fly or spin - can cause the most seasoned angler to act like a wide eyed rookie.

We invite you to experience the world's best Bluefishing for the first or fiftieth time. Those new to fly-fishing should take advantage of the aggressiveness and abundance of Nantucket Bluefish. It is a great way to hone your casting skills while putting a gigantic bend in your fly rod. We promise that you'll be hooked for life.

Among the most beautiful fish in the Sea, these fish warrant the name Bonito - Spanish for beautiful. Their visual beauty is accompanied by speed and strength that make them a top game fish on light tackle - spin or fly. Another quality of fish in the Tuna family is great taste. Fresh Bonito is one of the tastiest around and might be best served as sashimi on our boats with some soy sauce and wasabi.

Bonito begin to crowd our waters in early August with some early arrivals in late July. They chases the hordes of Sand Eels around the West End through August and into September. The waters around Madaket are well-known as the best Bonito grounds on the island, and we'll often see boats from Martha's Vineyard searching for Bonito off Smith's point.

The best area is known as the Bonito Bar. Fortunately for us, it is only 15 minutes from our dock, and we can easily try our hand at some "Bones" on the way to or from other fishing grounds. Its also nice to have a few secret Bonito spots away from the crowds on the Bonito Bar.

Whether you've been hooked by the beauty, speed, and power of these fish or you want to try it for the first time, we look forward to getting you hooked up to some of these speedsters.

These fish rank among the best light tackle species in the world. Lightning fast with the build of a Tuna, they have provided joy and frustration for many anglers. With great surface action, and a limited time window each season, False Albacore have attracted a following that chase them to the Cape and Islands late August and September.

The last 5 to 10 years has made Nantucket one of the best areas to target these beauties. We hope you come find out for yourself how exciting it can be to hear your line scream from your reel. We also invite you to see Nantucket during September after much of the on-land chaos of the Summer has passed.

Fluke and Black Sea Bass offer a fun change of pace from the rest of the island's species. Both are caught with baited hooks and small weights bounced along a sandy ocean floor as we drift along with the wind. This can be great for kids or even a welcome reprieve from the fast paced and often demanding fishing on the surface. We welcome an entire charter focusing on these fun fish, but often work a drift or two into any charter upon request.

Fluke are simply "Summer Flounder" or "Left Handed Flounder." To the naked I, they look the same, but they are actually reversed with their eyes on the opposite side of their body - and they have teeth! Black Sea Bass are small, beautiful, and delicious... so are fluke!

The thrill of catching - and even seeing - a big shark brings thousands of anglers out to deep waters year after year. The process is much different than light tackle fishing and can often include a waiting period as the crew chums up the water and attracts the sharks to the boat. Since we only go off shore if conditions and recent reports bode well, it is a good bet that we will see action.

The two main species swimming near Nantucket are Blue and Mako Sharks. While shark fishing can be hot or cold, the sheer number of Blue Sharks around Nantucket creates great odds of encountering several of these eating machines - at times, there have been dozens circling our boat. Blue Sharks can range from 3 to 10 feet and give an amazing fight.

The real thrill of shark fishing on Nantucket is the potential for hooking into a Mako Shark. These fish are revered among fishermen as incredibly fast and powerful. Swimming in excess of 45 mph, they have been seen jumping upwards of 30 feet in the air. Fighting a Mako Shark ranks among the top in terms of excitement, and you will never forget being a part of catching one.

While over fishing has taken its toll on Sharks worldwide, we have had great success finding Makos in our waters over the past two seasons. As with Striped Bass, we are devoted to raising awareness towards preserving these amazing fish. Please take some time to visit some of these links to learn more (will have links to shark conservation orgs).

Mako sharks have earned a reputation as a wonderful eating fish, and many hold this quality as their primary motivation for catching one. We strongly emphasize their incredible beauty and dominance as one of the top predators in the sea. If you ask us, the reason to catch a Mako is the unforgettable excitement that accompanies hooking into one. To see one of these creatures jump so high that you have to look up to see it is truly an unbeatable experience.

Captain Tom's Charters has committed itself to strictly catch and release shark fishing. We do not feel this lessens the value of the experience, and our clients will tell you themselves that after catching and releasing such an impressive animal, they are thankful to have let it swim away and breed again.

The Tuna family is one of the most highly regarded fish among serious anglers. There speed, strength, beauty, and potential size make them a top target for many fishers. The most sought after species is the Bluefin family. Within Bluefin Tuna, there are several groups differentiated by size.

The Giant Tuna are sought for commercial value due to the rising demand for sushi. These fish can exceed 1000 pounds and are in their own league in the world of fishing. Recent seasons have not been very productive for Giants, and the decision to go out depends on the potential for a catch. The season for Giants around Nantucket is in the Fall, and this is rarely an option for charter trips.

The Bluefin Tuna that we do target include the "baby" and mid-range Bluefins. Baby Bluefins have recently populated our inshore waters, allowing us to catch them during regularly scheduled charters. We have had tremendous luck catching them on both fly and spinning gear. The term baby is mis-leading, because these Ôschoolie' Tuna are 20 - 40 lbs and provide amazing fights on light tackle.

The third group - mid-range - consists of Tuna between 50 on 300 lbs. When they are in Nantucket waters, we are happy to take Tuna trips from 10 to 40 miles off-shore. These trip require prior planning and longer than 4 hours. For these Tuna, we use heavier tackle that involves trolling gear. While it is not our usual light tackle fishing, it can be a great experience especially if you are looking to try something new. As with Shark fishing, we will only go after them when conditions and fishing reports point towards success.