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Bluefish
by George Baldwin Bluefish are powerfully muscled, yet streamlined, with a deeply forked tail and powerful jaws filled with sharp teeth. They are bluish/green on their dorsal surface, and light underneath. Blues are largely pelagic in nature, but often feed in nearshore regions. They are fierce and aggressive predators, and are built for speed. Unlike bass, they are in constant motion. Many surfcasters who are targeting bass curse them for chopping their eels or cutting off plugs, but they provide an exciting battle when you hook up. Unlike bass, bluefish readily jump, and are always relunctant to come in for landing. They are fierce and aggressive predators, and their fighting ability make them one of the top two quarries for east coast surfcasters. The world’s record bluefish was 31 lbs. 12 oz., caught by James Hussey in a boat off Cape Hatteras, N.C. on January 30, 1972. 15 lbs. is a pretty large bluefish, and 18 lbs. is a real trophy, but any bluefish 8 lbs. or over provides good sport on a surf rod. Snappers, juvenile bluefish, are often an introduction to the sport for young fishermen, and make a nice breakfast. They feed on spearing or baby bunker in September and October, and may be caught on small Kastmasters, which are sometimes rigged behind small poppers to attract attention. Blues start showing up in local waters in May, but fishing really picks up with the fall blitzes which run from later September through October. They usually head south in November, when the water temperature approaches 50 degrees. Though blues may make feeding forays into rivers, they prefer the open coasts. They like strong rips close to deep water. They do not share the stripers’ tolerance for low salinity. Bluefish also feed readily in daylight, with dawn or dusk being prime hours. They like fast retrieves with flashy lures or noisy poppers. Gaudy tins are a good choice over sandy bottoms or deeper water, where getting hung up on structure isn’t a great risk. Pencil poppers, large metal-lipped swimmers, and long-range casters such as Gibbs’ Polaris poppers or Nantucket rabbits are good choices. Chunks of oily fish such as bunker, herring, or mackerel are good baits. Wire leaders will prevent cutoffs. Blues will take live eels, but since they feed on larger prey by biting off pieces, this tends to be very expensive, with hookups being hard to accomplish. Blues are also taken at night, but they then favor a more subtle approach, feeding more like stripers. Poppers may work at night for bluefish, while stripers usually shun them. Local hotspots include the mouths of the Connecticut and Housatonic rivers, the West Haven Sand Bar, Meig’s Point at Hammonassett State Beach, and Gulf Beach in Milford. Fishing piers are popular spots for beginners tossing chunks. Bluefish provide a worthy adversary for the surfcaster, with their aggressive feeding and tenacious, never-give-up fighting style. Help preserve this valuable gamefish by practicing catch and release, and never take more than you will use. |