I know Ryan gets a lot of questions throughout the summer about where and how to catch black sea bass. This report is for anglers who want to enjoy some fun bottom fishing, bring home a few quality fish for the dinner table, and try one of our favorite ways to prepare them.
Black sea bass are one of my favorite bottom fish to target because they fight surprisingly hard for their size, can provide consistent action, and are excellent to eat. They also make a great species for introducing someone new to fishing because the technique is fairly simple, and once you locate a school, the action can be nonstop.
My father and I have spent the last couple of weekends fishing around the Gay Head area, and I am happy to report that the black sea bass fishing has been consistently solid since the middle of June.
Plenty of Keeper-Sized Sea Bass
As I have mentioned in the Gay Head and Nomans thread inside the MFCC forum, black sea bass have been plentiful throughout these waters, with some fish measuring up to 22 inches. The larger males are especially impressive, with their dark coloring, bright blue markings, and large humps on their heads. They are beautiful fish and can put up a strong fight when hooked near the bottom.
@ybc with a nice size knothead.
After fishing the area several times, one of the biggest keys we have discovered is using larger lures, especially soft-plastic lures that imitate sand eels.
These larger lures seem to attract better-quality sea bass while also reducing the number of sea robins, scup, and other smaller bycatch species. You may not get as many total bites, but a much higher percentage of the fish you catch will usually be the species and size you are looking for.
My Dad’s friend Brad Earl with one of the nice keeper Sea bass they caught.
Where We Have Been Finding Fish
My Uncle George with a nice sea bass that made for great fish tacos!
We have caught sea bass in depths ranging from approximately 30 to 60 feet. The best depth can vary depending on the location, tide, and conditions, so I would recommend studying your charts and moving around until you locate productive structure.
Rocky bottom, ledges, drop-offs, and other changes in bottom composition are all worth investigating. Black sea bass tend to gather around structure, where they can find food and shelter, so even a small rocky area or depth change can hold a surprising number of fish.
Your fish finder can also make a huge difference. Pay close attention to what you see near the bottom because there will be times when you can clearly mark schools of sea bass holding close to the structure.
Once you mark fish, try to position the boat so your drift carries your lures directly through the area. If you get several bites during one drift, circle back around and repeat the same path.
Want to know what happened next?
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Great write-up. My son picked up one of those “bonus” fluke in Nantucket Sound last week that checked many of your boxes: caught in around 40 feet of water, working a drop-off near structure, outgoing tide, jig tipped with squid…. Fun.
Wow, really enjoyed your article. Very helpful.👍
Great article Andrew, thanks. I pick up the new boat tomorrow and plan to head out that way and see if I can’t get me some bass and fluke. My freezer is getting bare.
Thanks Daniel! Glad you enjoyed.
Hell of a read. A job Well done. Solid memories there with friends and family. Great trip and write up.