The Vineyard Derby is the heartbeat of the fall run on the Vineyard, but the fishing doesn’t stop when the competition ends!
In a memorable scene from Animal House, the dejected fraternity brothers gather after they are put on probation by the dean. When told “it’s over,” John Belushi’s character, Bluto, rallies the group with an immortal response: “What? Over? Did you say over? Nothing is over until we decide it is!”
Belushi loved Martha’s Vineyard and is buried up-Island in Chilmark. While I don’t know whether he was a fisherman, his defiant call to “fight on” applies surprisingly well to the weeks following the annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby. An increasing number of anglers are deciding that nothing is over. They are fishing through October and into November—and discovering a quieter, more locally focused Vineyard where the crowds have departed, the pace has slowed, and the fishing can still be excellent.
An Island Institution
Attracting more than 3,000 anglers annually and run by a dedicated volunteer committee, the Derby has been a Vineyard institution since 1946. Reorganized as a nonprofit in 1986, it has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to deserving college-bound Island high school students. This year, when the Derby concludes, one of six grand leaders will drive away from the October 18 Awards Ceremony at Farm Neck Golf Club in a customized Jeep Gladiator Mojave X, generously donated by Shep and Ian Murray of Vineyard Vines.
When the final bell closes out the five-week Derby, many anglers pack up their gear and call it a season. A collective exhale seems to sweep across the Island as the applause fades, Derby Headquarters is dismantled, and another year of “Derby Days” become memories. But for those willing to keep casting, the weeks that follow offer something entirely different: great fishing, far less angling pressure, and solitary moments amid the late-autumn beauty of the Vineyard before winter arrives.
A Hidden Gem
By late-October, the Vineyard’s population has fallen dramatically from its summer peak. Some seasonal ice cream and t-shirt businesses have shuttered, but many hotels and restaurants remain open as the Island’s wedding and shoulder seasons continue into November. Ferry and lodging costs can also fall substantially as the calendar creeps toward winter. Fortunately for anglers, the gamefish prowling Vineyard waters don’t consult calendars. As long as the bait remains, the gamefish remain with it.
The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce calls autumn the Island’s “true hidden gem,” a time when the summer crowds disappear, beaches empty and the pace of Island life softens. There is another benefit for anglers willing to extend their Vineyard season: the cost of staying on the island drops along with the crowds. The Vineyard has a reputation as being unaffordable, but many rentals become considerably more affordable in October, with some dropping 20 to 30 percent from September levels—and substantially more compared with the height of summer.
With less competition for rentals, visiting anglers may also find a wider selection of homes and more flexibility. For a group of fishing friends willing to split the cost of a house, a late-fall Vineyard fishing trip can be surprisingly affordable. Hotel rooms that command premium rates in July and August are also 30 to 40 percent lower in October, with even deeper discounts sometimes available as November approaches.
Taking A Breath
There is something magical about walking an empty stretch of beach with a surf rod in hand and seeing no one in either direction. The same is true of pulling away from the breakwater in a boat and leaving the frenetic pace of the summer season behind. And if you do encounter another angler, chances are good it will be a familiar face.
Dick’s Bait & Tackle owner and Derby Hall of Fame member Steve Morris summed it up succinctly by saying “The best part of after-Derby fishing is there are a lot less people fishing.” Those who fish-on after the Derby also share an understanding that can fuel camaraderie. It takes a deeper level of commitment to push through colder temperatures, shorter days and unpredictable late-autumn weather.
As Kismet Outfitters owner Abbie Schuster described it,“After the Derby the entire fishing community takes a deep breath. The island clears out but the fish are still very prevalent in our waters. The shoreline and boats are only occupied by friends and locals who will quickly become friends.” For visiting anglers willing to make the extra effort, this quieter season offers an opportunity to discover an entirely different reason to love the Vineyard.
Changing Patterns
With daytime temperatures often in the 60s and nights dipping into the 40s, this is the season of sweaters, crisp mornings and hot apple fritters. Not long ago, October and November effectively marked the end of the Vineyard fishing season. That is changing. There is always the risk that an early cold snap or storm in November can shuffle the deck and abruptly shut things down, but the general consensus among local anglers is that good fishing is lasting far-later than it once did.
Schuster has noticed the change, “What seems to be changing is how long the fall fishery is lasting. Weather patterns, water temperatures, and bait have all played a role in extending the season, and over the past few years we’ve seen some of the best albie fishing at some of the Island’s marquee spots actually happen after the Derby.”
Copper Gilkes of Coop’s Bait and Tackle in Edgartown agreed, telling me, “It’s definitely happening. When it comes to albies and bonito, I’ve seen them stay around right through to Thanksgiving!”
New Targets
Bluefish, bonito and false albacore—the three species eligible in the Derby—can remain plentiful after the competition ends. But late October and November also bring renewed attention to another Vineyard favorite, striped bass. Larry’s Tackle owner Peter Sliwkowski explained: “There’s definitely a renewed focus on striped bass after the Derby ends. As the water cools and the fall migration continues, striped bass become a bigger part of the fishing again, and for many anglers that’s one of the real attractions of fishing later into the fall.”
After five weeks of keeping “banker’s hours,” running and gunning after false albacore and bonito during daylight hours, many anglers are happy to dig out their headlamps and return to the more traditional, solitary, nocturnal pursuit of striped bass. Coop agreed, saying of this time, “There’s great striper fishing”.
And then there are tautog, (called blackfish by some), hard-fighting structure dwellers prized for their sweet white meat, known as “poor man’s lobster” by some. They can sometimes be caught well into November and have developed an enthusiastic following among Vineyard anglers.
I asked Derby President John Custer what he enjoys most about this time of year. “While I do not wish the Derby away, I admit I look forward to having more time so I can go tautog fishing. There are fewer boats and it is a beautiful time of year to be on the water, especially considering colder weather soon follows. Tautog can be very challenging to catch and they battle tremendously. The real enjoyment is eating them. I put them up against any fish in our waters in terms of table fare. Tautog fishing has become my favorite over the past several years.”
Coop told me that he has definitely noticed more customers in the shop buying gear for tautog fishing in the late fall saying, “Tautog fishing has picked up, that’s for sure.”
OctoberFish
The post-Derby fishing can be so good that Larry’s Tackle in Edgartown sponsors a tournament, OctoberFish, specifically for anglers who aren’t ready to hang up their waders or pull their boats. While winning a prize may not be the reason most people fish, there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition to keep the blood flowing. “In the 12 years Melissa and I have sponsored OctoberFish, we’ve seen plenty of fish caught that would have been Derby-leading fish just a few weeks earlier,” Sliwkowski said. “The fishing can still be great, the crowds are gone, and there’s a more relaxed, local feel to it.”
OctoberFish runs throughout October and concludes with an awards gathering featuring a potluck lunch and raffle. But according to Sliwkowski, the prizes aren’t really the point. “It’s really less of an awards ceremony and more of an end-of-season gathering of the Island fishing community.”
Anyone who would like to get in on the excitement of OctoberFish, can do so at Larry’s Tackle Shop. The cost is $40 per angler and all of the money collected is given back out as prize money. Striped bass have not been eligible since 2024, the categories mirror the Derby with bonito, false albacore and bluefish. Check in with Larry’s Tackle Shop for further details.
Winter On The Horizon
By November, winter’s long, dark grip feels very close. Soon enough, rods will return to racks, boats will be hauled, and fishing gear will begin gathering dust as we wait for the osprey to return and the first bright schoolie stripers to arrive the following spring. The Patriots are playing, pumpkin spice is in the air, geese are heading south and daylight seems to noticeably fade a little earlier each afternoon.
Englanders can feel the season slipping away. That makes every remaining cast a little more meaningful.
Abbie Schuster captured the feeling perfectly: “We all know what’s coming, and we know it’s unavoidable. So, there’s a real appreciation for those last stretches of good weather and good fishing. You’re trying to cherish those fleeting moments—you’re outside, you’re with your friends, and you’re spending time together. There’s something pretty special about knowing these days are numbered and you’re making the most of them.”
Eventually, of course, the cold wins. The bait disappears, the fish move on and another Vineyard fishing season really is over. But not when the final Derby bell rings. Not anymore.
