Surf Casting Nantucket's Beaches With a Former Police Detective
Steve Tuna picks the beach by wind and tide, then teaches first-timers to cast for bluefish and striped bass.
Steve Tornovish grew up on Nantucket and has spent his life fishing from its beaches. Locals know him as Tuna. He served most of his police career as a detective with the Nantucket Police Department, retired as a sergeant, and now takes small private groups along the island's shoreline.
Where you fish is decided on the day, by wind, tide and beach conditions, and by how hard you want to fish. The south side of the island takes the surf. The north side is more protected and much calmer. Great Point, the seven-mile sand peninsula on the eastern shore, has the widest mix of wildlife and fishing.
One price covers the booking: USD 675 for one to four travelers, and the trip is private, so nobody outside your party comes along. Booking closes 24 hours ahead and confirmation is instant.
Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund. If bad weather calls the trip off, you are offered another date or a full refund. The trip holds five stars from 25 reviews.
Private Nantucket Beach Fishing Activity with a GuidePrivate beach fishing on Nantucket with local guide Steve Tuna for up to four people, about four hours, with rods, reels and tackle included.www.viator.comThe Conditions Choose the Beach
There is no fixed meeting point. The listing says the spot is set by the fishing conditions, and Steve confirms it by text or phone. Pickup can be arranged from the White Elephant or The Nantucket Hotel & Resort, both on Easton Street.
After that the pace is yours. Get up bright and early and fish hard, or go at your own pace and treat it as a day at the beach. Steve knows the island's backroads and heads wherever the wind and tide point.
What Bites Off Nantucket's Sand
Steve fishes for bluefish, striped bass, false albacore and bonito. Rods, reels and tackle come with the trip. Beginners are welcome: he teaches you how to cast a lure and the other basics right there on the sand.
Fish are never promised. Steve says plainly that you will not always catch, and that he takes guests to spots that have been producing. Anything you keep has to fit the current fishing regulations, and he encourages catch and release. Want to take fish home? Steve will clean them for you.
The Angler Behind the Nickname
Steve fishes tournaments as well as guiding: the Spring Sea Run Opener, the Schoolie Shootout, the Linesider Elimination Tournament and the Inshore Classic. He has also been picked for the Nantucket squad that takes on Martha's Vineyard in the annual contest for the Island Cup.
He wrote a book about his own fishing, Fishing the Nantucket Night Shift, and started Island Tunes, a stage for Nantucket singer-songwriters. Do not plan on a Sunday trip. That is the day he fishes with his wife, Beth.
Who It Suits and What to Pack
Pack layers for a Nantucket shoreline: a sweatshirt, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and bug spray. Steve suggests water shoes: you will be standing at the waterline and are bound to get wet.
- Group: one booking takes up to four people
- Fitness: the listing asks for at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Health: the listing does not recommend the trip for pregnant travelers, or for anyone with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health
- Children: Steve notes that casting a surf rod may be a bit beyond a child under 12, for strength and for safety around hooks, and that families can talk it through with him
📍 Steve names the meeting spot once he has read the conditions, and sends it by text or phone. Staying at the White Elephant or The Nantucket Hotel & Resort? Ask for pickup when you book. Your ticket works on your phone.
After that the plan is simple: a rod, the tide, and whichever beach Steve picks.