Massachusetts · Cape & Islands
MAHI MAHI FISHING
IN NANTUCKET
Nantucket is a solid destination for mahi mahi fishing. Book a charter and target mahi mahi with local experts.
About Mahi Mahi Fishing in Nantucket
Also called Dolphin or Dorado. Stunningly beautiful and acrobatic. Excellent eating.
Mahi Mahi — also called Dolphin or Dorado — are the most brilliantly colored fish in the ocean. Their iridescent body shimmers with electric blues, greens, and golds that literally change before your eyes. Males (called "bulls") develop a prominent flat forehead, while females ("cows") have a more rounded head profile. These fast-growing pelagic fish are found in blue water near floating debris, weed lines, and current edges. They are acrobatic fighters that tailwalk across the surface and make spectacular aerial leaps.
Scientific name: Coryphaena hippurus
Mahi Mahi Seasonal Calendar — Nantucket
Month-by-month availability for mahi mahi in Nantucket, MA.
How to Catch Mahi Mahi in Nantucket
Techniques & Bait
Trolling ballyhoo rigged with colorful duster/lure combinations along weed lines, current edges, and near floating debris is the classic technique. Once a school is located, stop the boat and pitch live pilchards, cut ballyhoo, or small live baits to the school — mahi travel in groups and multiple hookups are common. Casting light jigs, spoons, or fly-rod streamers to fish visible near floating objects is incredibly exciting. Keep one fish in the water next to the boat to hold the school in place while catching others.
Recommended Tackle
Medium spinning or conventional rod (6'6"-7 ft), 4000-5000 reel, 20-30 lb braid, 30-40 lb fluorocarbon leader. For trolling: 20-30 lb class conventional rigs. Mahi have sandpaper-like mouths — fluorocarbon leader works fine (no wire needed).
Best Deep Sea Fishing Fishing Spots in Nantucket
Top spots where local captains target mahi mahi and other deep sea fishing species.
Nantucket Offshore Tuna Grounds
The deep water south of Nantucket over the continental shelf is a premier bluefin tuna fishery where giant and school-sized tuna chase menhaden, herring, and squid from June through November. The area's proximity to the shelf edge and warm Gulf Stream eddies creates ideal conditions for tuna to concentrate in fishable numbers. Charter boats out of Nantucket run 20 to 50 miles south to reach the tuna grounds for some of the best bluefin fishing in the world.
Rosie's Ledge
Rosie's Ledge is an underwater ridge southeast of Nantucket where the hard bottom rises from surrounding depths to attract cod, pollock, black sea bass, and bluefin tuna. The ledge's structure concentrates baitfish over the hard bottom, drawing tuna and sharks that patrol the edges during warmer months. Bottom-fishing over the ledge produces consistent catches of cod and sea bass while trolling the perimeter targets passing tuna.
The Dump (South of Great Point)
The Dump is a well-known offshore fishing area south of Great Point where the seafloor drops off from the Nantucket Shoals into deeper water, creating a natural bait-concentrating feature. Bluefin tuna, blue sharks, and mako sharks cruise this transition zone following schools of baitfish pushed by currents off the shoals. It is a productive area for both chunking and trolling during summer and early fall.
Davis Bank South
Davis Bank South lies roughly 40 miles south of Nantucket where an elevated section of the continental shelf concentrates marine life in the surrounding deep water. Bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, and bigeye tuna are targeted along the bank's edges during warm-water months when Gulf Stream influence pushes bait concentrations over the structure. Long-range offshore charters from Nantucket consider Davis Bank a primary destination for big-game fishing.
Other Species in Nantucket
More fish you can target while visiting Nantucket.
Mahi Mahi Fishing in Nantucket — FAQ
Mahi Mahi fishing in Nantucket is productive during .
Mahi Mahi fishing charters in Nantucket are typically deep sea fishing trips. Prices vary by trip duration and group size. Most charters include all gear, bait, licenses, and fish cleaning.
Trolling ballyhoo rigged with colorful duster/lure combinations along weed lines, current edges, and near floating debris is the classic technique. Once a school is located, stop the boat and pitch live pilchards, cut ballyhoo, or small live baits to the school — mahi travel in groups and multiple hookups are common. Casting light jigs, spoons, or fly-rod streamers to fish visible near floating objects is incredibly exciting. Keep one fish in the water next to the boat to hold the school in place while catching others.
No — when you book a charter in Nantucket, your captain provides all required Massachusetts fishing licenses as part of the trip.
Mahi Mahi regulations in Massachusetts include minimum size limits and bag limits that vary by season. Your captain will know the current regulations and ensure compliance.
While targeting Mahi Mahi in Nantucket, you may also catch Striped Bass, Bluefin Tuna, Bluefish, Black Sea Bass, Fluke. Many charter trips target multiple species for the best action.
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