Captain Corey Gammill of Bill Fisher Outfitters makes a living in his 26 Regulator east of Nantucket.
On a nautical chart, they appear as roughly parallel stripes of blue and white, marking rapid rises and steep falls in the seafloor. A closer look reveals depths marked 90 feet butting up against shoals marked with 4- and 5-foot depth readings, warnings of “HEAVY BREAKERS” and “TIDE RIPS,” and, not surprisingly, a scattering of the symbols that mark shipwrecks.
The Nantucket Shoals are extraordinary, a dynamic area where steep-sided shoals swept by the tidal flows of Nantucket Sound greet the incoming swell of the open Atlantic. The swirling, nutrient-rich upwellings create the foundation of a food web that starts with hordes of sand eels and other baitfish and supports roving schools of striped bass, bluefish, false albacore, and bonito.
Captain Corey Gammill of Bill Fisher Outfitters makes his living on the shoals. Last year, from the helm of his 26-foot center console Regulator boat, he guided fishermen on over 260 trips out of Madaket Harbor, many of them to the tidal rips east of the island. Specializing in light-tackle spinning and fly fishing, he’ll position his boat out in front of the edge of the standing waves of a tidal rip, allowing clients to cast uptide and drift lures and flies back through the rip.
It’s a style of fishing that, to be done safely, requires a confident captain and a capable boat.
“I started guiding from a 26 Regulator in 2008, and the reason I still fish from a Regulator is because I feel comfortable in any waters and any conditions that I fish in,” said Captain Corey. “The hull can handle rough seas and big water, but it’s also nimble enough that I can make quick moves to stay safe when drifting among the rips.”
Captain Corey’s partner at Bill Fisher Outfitters, Captain Bill Toelstedt, loved the Regulator so much when he bought his first boat to guide in, he purchased a 23 Regulator, which is now part of the Bill Fisher fleet. Bill Fisher Outfitters now operates three Regulators out of Madaket Harbor.
“For a 23-foot boat, our Regulator has a ton of space,” said Captain Corey. “It can fish four comfortably and cover a lot of the different fisheries we have around the island.”
When he’s not fishing the eastern rips, Captain Corey will also pursue stripers inshore and in the shallows around the island, chase schools of blitzing albies and bonito, and bottom-fish for sea bass and fluke. And when the offshore fishing is too good to ignore, he’ll also head out to the tuna grounds.
“I love having the ability to go offshore when I want to, to put the outriggers on and troll baits through tuna and white marlin. The 26 Regulator is a great offshore trolling boat as well.
“Inshore or offshore, shallows or rips, my job as a captain is to provide a comfortable platform for my clients to fish from, whether the seas are flat-calm or rough,” continued Captain Corey. “I’ve run a lot of different boats, but I’ve never felt as comfortable as I do in my Regulator.”
In 1988, Regulator Marine set out to reinvent the deep-vee center console experience and engineered what is known today as the Legendary Ride. Built in North Carolina and tested against the challenging conditions of the Outer Banks, Regulator boats are seriously tough sportfishers known for their exceptional fit & finish, as well as a dry, soft, and comfortable ride. Designed for ultimate fishability, incredible comfort, and serious performance at every turn, each boat in our line delivers maximum versatility as you pursue the Offshore Life.
DID THOSE RIPS YEARS AGO AND HAD TO SAY THE ROSARYS JUST SO I COULD GET BACK IN. YOU CANT GO THERE IN A 12 FOOT ALUMINUM.
I live on Nantucket and was hooked by BFT fishing bug back around 2007. Was trying to fish reasonable WX 30-40 nm East of Island but had only one day a week to find that window as work got in the way. Decided to sell existing vessel and buy a deep draft , deep vee hull that would allow me to fish anything short of a full Gayle . Bought a new/used Regulator 26 with twin 225 Yamaha’s . Beast of a boat for her size and she allowed me to fish when I had time not when I had time and WX permitted. Put 1000 Hrs on her and ran in some pretty silly WX never a worry! Eased up on offshore fishing as much and sold 26 . Then I found a 23 Classic with no seating forward and purchased her. She was older a 2000 . I have since rewired her, upgraded all electronics to Simrad including autopilot and replaced old Yamaha with new F300 . We also repainted hull , new curtain system and cushions. Excellent medium sized battle wagon! She spends her time in the Rips Southwest of Island , South and East. She does it all beautifully and can’t fish quite the Wx the 26 could but close enough for me!
Want to fish Nantucket’s waters? Can’t beat the Bill Fisher Outfitters Team and Cap’n Corey. Do it!
Good article on releasing fish. I’m surprised you didn’t mention barbless hook. Saltwater hooks can be crushed down
and you have a better release.
Ive trout fished for over 50 years and went batbless for more than half that time and I can’t remember losing a fish.
It works if you know how to fight a fiish…
When I come to our place on island I have caught all the fish with harbless hooks and never lost a fish.
It’s how you fight them.
Next post I hope you will discuss barbless and fighting fish.
I look forward to reading your posts when on mainland.
Thank you,
Jack
Not as good striper fishing anymore. Squid boats and seals…
Corey is the best person to fish with when in Nantucket. Caught 45 pound striper fishing the rips East of the island. Great light tackle fishing.