Fishing

April 6, 2009

Surf Fishing: Bluefish can’t be beat

By JOE MALAT

At first glance they appear to be more green than blue with a sleek, streamlined body and a strong, deeply forked tail. They are fast swimmers. Their sharp teeth will instantly make mincemeat of a helpless baitfish or a carelessly placed finger.

Some folks love them, others hate them. But I’ve never met a bluefish I didn’t like. They are a splendid fish to catch in the surf, from piers and boats and their determined fight is often spiced with strong runs and acrobatic jumps.

When I was a surf fishing guide, bluefish were my bread and butter. Most of the time they were dependable and on several occasions were the only species of fish I had in the box at the end of the day.

Bluefish have endured ups and downs, and their abundance or scarcity seems to go in cycles. Last year was a good one. From the spring through early summer, a good class of fish from one to three pounds pleased inshore anglers. Some of the fish topped the five-pound mark.

During December of 2007, and in January and March of 2008, big bluefish appeared at several locations along the Outer Banks. They chased speckled trout up on the beach near Oregon Inlet and 12- to 15-pound blues were mixed in with the trophy-sized stripers being caught in the ocean.

Bluefish are always on the move, searching for food. Boaters, trolling small spoons, nylons or bucktails, have the chance of scoring big with blues. But it’s not always about the numbers.

When I fish for bluefish from my boat, I’m not interested in filling the cooler, so I’ll give trolling a pass. I’ll just have some fun and maybe take home a couple fish for dinner, so my method of fishing for them is more relaxed. I prefer to find feeding fish and cast lures to them
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A school of fish will seldom come to the surface in the middle of a dozen trolling boats, but if you move away from the crowd, your chances of finding cooperative fish on the surface will increase considerably. That's the time to break out the light spinning rods, and cast to the fish.

Medium- to light-action rods in the 7- to 8-foot range are perfect for this type of fishing. I like a 7-foot rod, and medium spinning reel loaded with 10-pound test monofilament line. When casting distance is a factor, I opt for the 8-footer and a reel filled with 8-pound test line.

Feeding bluefish will rarely refuse a small Hopkins, Stingsilver, or Kastmaster lure. Sizes from 1 1/2 to 3 inches long, weighing from 1/2 to 1 1/2 ounces work best for blues that weigh up to a couple of pounds. Most of the summer fish will be in that range. The early fall fish might be a bit larger.

At the terminal end, I like an 18-inch piece of 25-pound test monofilament leader, connected to my running line with a small black swivel. Again, this is not the way to fish if you want to limit out in a hurry, but it can't be topped for the fun of enjoying bluefish.

Surfcasters looking for bluefish from May though the summer should be on the beach early. Bluefish will often feed actively early and late in the day, and move out of the surf zone when the sun is full in the sky.

Pieces of fresh mullet, fished on two-hook fireball rigs, will take blues in the surf. Be sure to check and change your bait frequently. You will get more bites on fresh bait. If you see a school of feeding bluefish in the surf, use the same lures I mentioned above.

Even small bluefish can inflict a serious bite, and blues of all sizes require some care when being handled. Some folks learn that lesson the hard way, as was the case with one of my surf fishing charter clients many years ago.

The family of three was from far inland, but the father was an experienced largemouth bass fisherman. He had never fished in saltwater before, but he was instantly comfortable in the surf. He was easily able to cast the 9-foot surf rod, so while we were fishing I left Dad standing in the water, rod in hand, while I walked up to my truck for some fresh bait.

Just as I got to the truck, the dad hollered, the rod bent over, and he was hooked up. Seconds later, a two-pound bluefish was flopping on the beach, and what happened next is forever implanted in my brain.

Dad had been catching bass all his life, and had no problem handling this bluefish, except for one small detail. Bass anglers frequently put their thumb in the mouth of the fish and hold it by the bottom jaw.

I was at the truck, about 25 yards away. I could see the scene about to play out, but couldn't keep it from happening. Dad couldn't hear me above the breaking waves. I was running toward him, but I felt like I was in a dream, moving in slow motion.

Just as I yelled, "N-o-o-o-o-o, n-o-o-o-o-o," his thumb went into the blue's open mouth. The fish chomped down on the poor guy's digit, and the dad's eyes got as big as the bottom of my five gallon bucket.

It was over in a heartbeat. Amazingly, the fish chomped down, then opened his mouth, and the angler shook the fish off.

“Dang fish bit me," he said in painful disbelief. It wasn't a bad bite, just a little bit of blood and the end of his thumb stayed where it belonged. Just about then he started laughing, and sheepishly said, "I don't think I'll ever do that again."

Handle bluefish carefully, they will bite you. But I still like them.

(Joe Malat lives in Nags Head and is a professional outdoor writer and book author, and he operates the Outer Banks Surf Fishing Schools. He writes about saltwater fishing along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and is published regularly in national and regional magazines. To order his books, or request information about the Outer Banks Surf Fishing Schools, visit Joe’s web site at: www.joemalat.com.)