Bigeye tuna fishing out of Falmouth and Woods Hole is a summer canyon trip. Boats run to the eastern canyons, 70 to 130 miles out depending on whose numbers you use and where you measure from. For the biology and tackle behind the fish, see our bigeye tuna fishing guide. For the harbor itself, see the Falmouth / Woods Hole port page.
This guide covers when the fish are around, how far boats run, the structure you cross leaving port, how local boats fish, who runs these trips, and where to check the rules.
When bigeye are here
Bigeye from this port are a summer canyon season fish. They live offshore, not in Vineyard Sound, so you plan a dedicated canyon trip for them rather than an afternoon outing from the harbor.
The season is the window when local boats run to the eastern canyons and list bigeye as a target. Everything else on this page assumes that trip.
Where boats run from Falmouth and Woods Hole
The destination is the eastern canyons. For the wider canyon and regional picture, see bigeye in the Atlantic Northeast (see also the Atlantic Northeast fishing guide).
The distances below are ranges supplied by the charters. They are measured from different reference points, Cape Cod and Nantucket, and are not surveyed figures.
| Source | Reference point | Range | Trip format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machaca Charters | South of Cape Cod | 80 to 130 miles | Not stated |
| Castafari Sportfishing | South of Nantucket | Roughly 70 to 100 miles | 34-hour trip |
At these distances, you have to decide how much range and fuel reserve your boat can carry. The near end is a long day and the far end an overnight, which is why the 34-hour format exists.
Plan the canyon edge on the Chart Contours layer before you leave the dock. Chart layers are not for navigation.
South of Cape Cod: 80 to 130 miles
Machaca Charters describes the canyons as 80 to 130 miles south of Cape Cod. The spread matters for planning, since the near and far ends are different trips in fuel and time.
South of Nantucket: the 34-hour trip
Castafari fishes roughly 70 to 100 miles south of Nantucket on 34-hour trips. A trip that long means a night on the grounds, which sets up the night drift covered below.
Structure on the way out
None of this is bigeye ground. It is the structure you cross leaving Woods Hole and Falmouth, through Vineyard Sound toward Martha’s Vineyard.
- Hedge Fence Shoal
- Port Hunter wreck
- Nobska Light rips and boulder field
- Lucas Shoal and Middle Ground
- Stone Pier, Woods Hole
Hedge Fence Shoal and the Port Hunter wreck
Hedge Fence Shoal sits between Martha’s Vineyard and Falmouth, at 20 ft. The Port Hunter wreck lies at the west end of the shoal, at 25 ft.
Nobska Light rips and boulder field
The rips and boulder field sit off Nobska Light, a departure-area landmark off Woods Hole.
Lucas Shoal and Middle Ground
Both are named grounds near port, in the sound you cross on the way out.
Stone Pier, Woods Hole
Stone Pier is the port landmark at Woods Hole.
How it is fished locally
Local canyon trips work the same fish two ways: boats drift at night with bait and jigs, and they troll by day. For wider technique, see our tuna fishing guides.
The overnight format lets a single trip cover both.
- Night: drift with bait and jigs
- Day: troll for the same fish
- Format: one overnight trip covers both
Night drift with bait and jigs
On canyon trips, boats drift at night with bait and jigs. Trip length matters here because you need to be on the grounds when the night drift happens.
Daytime trolling
In daylight, boats troll for the same fish. The troll is the other half of the same trip and doesn’t compete with the night drift.
Who fishes for them out of this port
These local charters list bigeye tuna.
Castafari Sportfishing
Castafari Sportfishing is run by Capt. Damon Sacco on a 45 ft custom Jim Smith express. Castafari fishes roughly 70 to 100 miles south of Nantucket on 34-hour trips.
Machaca Charters
Machaca Charters runs The Machaca, with Capt. Willy Hatch and first mate Ryan. Machaca describes the canyons as 80 to 130 miles south of Cape Cod.
Tunacious Charters
Capt. Bill Manthorne runs Tunacious Charters, which lists bigeye tuna.
FAQ
How far is the run to the canyons from Falmouth?
Machaca describes the canyons as 80 to 130 miles south of Cape Cod. Castafari fishes roughly 70 to 100 miles south of Nantucket.
When do boats target bigeye out of Woods Hole?
During the summer canyon season, on trips to the eastern canyons.
How long is a canyon trip for bigeye?
Castafari runs 34-hour trips. At these distances the trip is a long day at minimum, and an overnight at the far end.
How are bigeye fished on these trips?
Night drifts with bait and jigs, and daytime trolling for the same fish.
Do the shoals near Woods Hole hold bigeye?
No. Hedge Fence Shoal, the Port Hunter wreck and the Nobska rips are departure-area structure. Bigeye water is the eastern canyons.
