The western end of Martha's Vineyard is hallowed striped bass ground. From the harbor at Menemsha to Squibnocket Point, Dogfish Bar and the Devil’s Bridge rips off the Gay Head cliffs, this is the birthplace of much of the Island's surf and fly-fishing tradition, and it still produces big bass.
The ground
Fish the rips, bars and rocky points where current sweeps bait. Devil’s Bridge and the Gay Head rips are classic big-bass water; Dogfish Bar is a fly-rodder’s wading legend.
How to fish it
Work the rips with soft plastics, flies and plugs, and fish live eels at night. Match the sand eels and squid, and mind the current and rocks around Gay Head.
Tip Dogfish Bar is a wading fly fisher’s classic on a moving tide, while the Devil’s Bridge rips reward a boat working the current. Pick your approach to the spot and always time it to the tide that turns the rip on.