Oceanic Predator Extrodinare!
If you are an angler and have never fished for Bluefish,
you are quite simply missing the boat as it were.
Simply put, Bluefish are the most vicious, voracious,
aggressive and downright mean-nasty fish God ever created.
Forget "Jaws", these
creatures are (pound for pound) the greatest sport fish out there and a school of them
will make very short work of anything that falls into their path. They are relentless
predators which send schools of baitfish into a panic each year off the eastern seaboard.
When fishing for blues, anglers will often "Chum", which simply refers to
scooping ground up fish and blood into the water...the same as you would for sharks, for
blood also drives Bluefish wild.
Basically, they are oceanic piranha! Actually, a school of Blues would destroy a school of
piranha, or a shark, or even a bather who was hapless enough to get in their way (this is
why many Northeast beaches close when the Blues run). Consider this quote;
Professor Spencer F. Baird
wrote in 1874 in the report
of the United States Commission on Fish and Fisheries:
"There is no parallel in the point of destructiveness to the bluefish among
the marine species on our coast, whatever may be the case among some
of the carnivorous fish of the South American waters. The bluefish has
been likened to an animated chopping machine, the business of which to
cut to pieces and otherwise destroy as many fish as possible in a given
space of time. All writers are unanimous in regard to the destructiveness
of bluefish. Going in large schools, in pursuit of fish not much inferior to
themselves in size, they move along like a pack of hungry wolves,
destroying everything before them. Their trail is marked by fragments of
fish and by the stain of blood in the sea as, where the fish is too large to
be swallowed entire, the hinder portion will be bitten off and the anterior
part allowed to float away or sink. It is even maintained with great
earnestness that such is the gluttony of the fish that, when the stomach
becomes full, the contents are disgorged and then again filled." |
The fight you will get from a 15lb Blue
dwarfs that of a 30lb Stripped Bass. The big ones are called "Slammers" after
the effect they will have on your pole, tackle and you when they hit. And I mean hit!
Blues do not nibble bait. They will cut right through non-wire leaders. Even with with a
wire leader there are no guarantees!
The fight ain't over once you get them onboard either. They'll pull, and snap, and spit
blood. Even when out of the water for up to an hour, they must be handled very carefully.
Get one of your digits too close to his mouth, and a pissed off Bluefish will give you a
permanant reminder of his demise. I have been out for many sportfish, but this is my
favorite. It's ease of findability, catchability, bate/lure selection (they will eat
almost anything!) and relatively low cost to fish for makes them ideal!
Bluefish avg 5 - 15 lbs., but can get much larger. The world record Bluefish, caught off
North Carolina was 31lbs! There have been unsubstantiated reports of Blues as big as
50lbs!
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Scientific
Description:
The family Pomatomidae contains only one member, the
bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix. The bluefish closely resembles the pompano family with its
two dorsal fins
and one anal fin. The ventral fins are well forward of the dorsals, located underneath the
pectorals. Blues have a broad, forked caudal fin, and the lower jaw
protrudes slightly beyond the upper jaw. The upper and lower jaws are lined with a series
of stout, conical canine teeth. Although the bluefish visually resembles the
pompano, ichthyologists believe that its skeletal characteristics relate it more closely
with the sea bass family.
The bluefish, is a migratory, pelagic species found
throughout the world in most temperate coastal regions, except the eastern
Pacific. Along the U.S. Atlantic coast, bluefish are found from Maine to Florida,
migrating northward in the spring and southward in the fall. Bluefish are
voracious predators that feed on a wide variety of fish and invertebrates. They may reach
ages of about 12 years and sizes in excess of 100 cm (39 in.)
and 14 kg (31 LB).
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Regulation:
Bag limit: 10 in state and federal waters.
Size limit: none.
No closed season.
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Identification
Pomatomus saltatrix.
Family Pomatomidae |
Torpedoe-like body, streamlined for predatory speed; large
mouth with many razor-sharp teeth; first dorsal fin small with brittle spines; second
dorsal and anal fins long and soft; Powerful Scythe tail for bursts of speed - deeply
forked. |
| Color: |
Steel blue/Blue Green to midnight blue/black above. Fades
to silver along sides. White underbelly. |
| Size: |
2 - 15 lbs avg.
N.J. State Record 24 lbs., 4 oz.
All-Tackle Record 31 lbs., 12 oz. from North Carolina |
| Classification by Size and other |
Snappers: juveniles from several inches
to roughly 1/2 lb.
Cocktail Blues: young blues up to 2 lbs.
Tailors: 2 and 5 lbs.; (named for their all to frequently exercised
ability to make mince-meat out of nets).
Slammers or Alligators: jumbos in excess of 10 lbs.
Racers: Jumbo blue returning from winter migration early in April/May
starved and fast. |
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Where
are they?:
For the inexperienced angler I highly recommend a reputable
party or "head" boat. The captains are very experienced at finding the fish and
4-6 hour trip from NJ to CT ranges $30-$40 , including rent pole, tackle and an
experienced crew. The last part is important! There are many days I have placed a good
mate on my Christmas card list for his aid in gaffing a big blue (as well as cursed an
inept fool for losing my "Pool" winner!)
Saltwaters from Maine to Florida
Small blues often found in brackish waters (never fresh).
Water temperatures: 60s to mid-70s for best results;
May 10 to December.
Spawn in July during full moons.
Prime locations in NJ: Shrewsbury Rocks, Rattlesnake, Mud Hole, Klondike Banks , Manasquan
and Barnegat Ridges , the Atlantic City Ridge, and the Sea Isle Lump
Look for feeding seagulls, which relentlessly follow these
relentless predators. they will also follow the baitfish (sand eels, mullet, butterfish,
bunker and anchovies)
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Fishing
for Bluefish:
I will limit this section to boat fishing with bait. This
is the area I have the most experience in, it is the easiest way for the novice, and there
are many many different ways to speedreel or surf fish. Too many for me to go into here.
If this is your bag, either you know how already, or you can find much information in
written form both on the Web and in book stores/tackle shops.
Tackle:
- Rods: 6 foot Rod such as Penn Long Beach (I use a Penn
"Slammer" series specifically for spinning/speed reel blues)
- Reels: Spinning or conventional reels20- or 30-lb.
monofilament line (up to 50, but that's not much fun or sporting now is it!)
- Want some real fun? Try 10lb line with a veryyy light drag.
That's a fight!
Technique:
Cast out into the water and let drift. Continually let out line for about 200 yards, then
reel in fairly rapidly. Use as little weight as possible (generally). Just enough to keep
your terminal tackle and bait off the surface about 10-30 ft down.
Drag!!!:
Remember! When you get a hit, check your drag! Too tight, and you'll snap the line. Too
light, and a 2 LB blue will take you 2 hours to get to the boat! The ability to tell how
much or little will come with experience, but my rule of thumb is initially, the lighter
the better. Better to have a slammer take out 50 yards while you adjust the drag up, than
lose a fish because it was too tight. Drag is adjusted with the "Star" wheel on
the side of conventional reels and at the top-front of a spinning reel.
If you are looking to charter a boat anywhere in the NY,
PA, DEL, NJ area, check out Bait n Bubbles NJ
Charter Fishing and Scuba.
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Recipes:
NOTE: The myth about Bluefish being bad eatin' is just
that. The problem is often in preparation, but can also be a result of a poorly kept
catch. Bluefish is only good WHEN FRESH! DO NOT let your blue fry on the boat deck in a
"Party Boat" burlap bag! Ice it ASAP!
Broiled Bluefish with gin
Put fillet(s) in an oiled baking pan, sprinkle
with the juice of one lime, about a tablespoon of dried onion flakes,
pepper and a little melted butter. Wait 30 minutes or so. Broil in
preheated broiler until nearly done. Pull out of the broiler and pour
over about 2 T. gin -- mixed with a little more butter, I think.
Return to broiler to flame.
Blackened Blues:
For 1-2 lbs. of bluefish filets (skinless). Optionally, you may
also remove most of the dark strip of meat on the outside of the
filet. Heat up your cast iron skillet (must be very hot). Coat the
outside of your filets with butter or margarine. Then sprinkle
with or roll in:
liberal amounts of paprika ( > 1.5 Tbl )
lemon pepper (.5 - 1.5 tsp.)
black pepper (.5 - 1.5 tsp.)
red pepper (as much as you think you can hack)
thyme (.5 tsp.)
Wear your gas mask (or open all your windows!). Cook both sides,
obviously; your filets will cook fast, so your fish stays moist.
Serve with lots of cold beer (especially if you put on a lot of red
pepper!)
NOTE: There is a BIG difference between *fresh* bluefish and
not-so-fresh bluefish. Best bet is to catch'm and eat'm the
same day. Also, the small ones are a bit 'sweeter' than the big
ones.
Theme from
"Jaws"
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