Cuttyhunk Island

Cuttyhunk, a small island reached by ferry from New Bedford, is one of New England's most storied surfcasting spots for big striped bass; The Fisherman calls it one of the birthplaces of the sport. It's a little over a mile long and ringed with boulders, and since visitors can't bring cars, every spot is a walk. The Fisherman's writers describe fall trips with 20- to 40-pound bass, but also warn that this is rough, rocky water for experienced surfcasters.

When to fish

• Late September and early October: the peak in The Fisherman's accounts, when blitzes of big bass can happen, especially on an onshore wind and high surf.
• Around the tides: at the western tip, the incoming tide swings around the island into Buzzards Bay and piles up bait and bass, even in slow years.

Where to fish

• The Radar Tower (western tip): fish it around high water, when the current wraps around the point.
• The Pyramids (southwest bend): named for concrete blocks that slid off the bluff. It fishes best with a south, southwest or especially southeast wind, and better still in big surf.
• Other named spots: the Highflyer and Bass Bend, and Canapitsit Channel and Sow and Pigs Reef at the island's two ends.

How to fish it

Eels after dark and big pencil poppers at first light are the go-to methods. At the Pyramids, throw pencil poppers by day and into the dark, metal-lipped swimmers in the washes, and big metal-lips and needlefish at night; the biggest fish come to live or rigged eels fished from the leading rocks. Bring your heaviest gear and leaders. Chunking bait works in only a few spots.

Getting there

Passenger ferries run from New Bedford; book them, and lodging, well ahead. Visitors can't bring cars, so plan to walk (some trails are private), and bring all your tackle, because there are no tackle shops on the island. Most of the shoreline is covered in large rocks, the surf can be treacherous, and storms can leave you stranded. You need a Massachusetts saltwater fishing permit. Striped bass have a slot limit, you must use inline circle hooks when fishing bait for them, and gaffing them is illegal.