Tuna Ground

the Hooter

The buoy off Wasque Shoals. The Hooter marks the Wasque Shoals area southeast of Chappaquiddick, a hearable landmark on the inshore edge of the grounds south of the Vineyard, stripers and bonito early in the summer, bluefin as the season goes.

Like a lot of good tuna spots, the Hooter is named for a landmark, a horn or whistle buoy (the kind you can hear before you see) that marks a piece of water known to hold bluefin. The buoy itself is not magic; it simply marks structure, current or a bait concentration that draws fish, and gives anglers a reference point to fish around.

The ground

Fish the structure, current edges and bait in the vicinity of the buoy, not just the buoy itself. As always, the fish relate to the bait and the water, so use the mark as a starting point and search out the life around it.

How to fish it

Work it like any tuna ground: troll to locate, then jig or pop the fish you find. Match the local bait.

Tip Do not fixate on the buoy itself, fixate on the bait near it. The Hooter is a reference point; the fish will be wherever the bait and current set up, which might be a half-mile off the mark on any given day.

About the coordinates The coordinates on this page are an approximate reference to orient you, not a navigation waypoint. Fish move, and numbers vary boat to boat, get exact, current marks locally and always run on a plotter with proper charts.
Regulations Tuna are federally managed highly migratory species requiring an HMS permit, with category, size and retention rules that change through the season. Confirm current rules with NOAA Fisheries HMS before fishing.
From the page to the water

Learn it here, land it out there

Reading is a great start. The fastest way to get good is a day on the water with someone who does it every day.

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Note: fishing regulations (size limits, bag limits, seasons, permits) change often. Always confirm current rules with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater), MassWildlife (freshwater), or NOAA Fisheries (offshore/HMS) before you keep a fish.