![]() As with fishing for any species, it’s important to learn the spots you are fishing. Unlike striper fishing, be sure to set the hook immediately when you feel that first bump or hit. Now, when I say fast, I mean fast for a fish, not a speedboat. Bluefish tend to attack fast moving lures, so be sure to pick up the pace. I usually toss my favorite lure out near structures, sandbars, or holes and begin to retrieve fairly quickly. I’ll find my spot in the bay, creek, or where ever and start tossing. So no matter whether its spring, summer, or fall, I pretty much use the same techniques. There’s nothing like seeing a monster blue come out of the water in the midst of attacking my lure. Tins, spoons and top water plugs are number one on my list. ![]() My favorite is casting and retrieving lures and poppers. There are a number of ways to catch bluefish. Always important! You can hit a department store and pay a bit less for your equipment, but you may not get the personal service like in a tackle shop. However, along with the equipment, you will receive some experienced tips and wisdom from the staff. Remember, you may end up paying a little more for your equipment at a bait and tackle shop. Shop around at either bait and tackle shops or even a large department or sporting goods store. Chances are you’re going to be going through equipment fairly quickly. Again, bluefish will tear apart your equipment with such ease and so fast. Watch your budget, and shop around for good deals. You can even take the bobber and hook off and attach a small tin lure or popper. A light monofilament line with a wire or fluorocarbon leader, a bobber or float, and snapper hook will work. Others like to be a little more advanced with a spinning rod ranging from 5 ft up to 7 ft. Some like to use a bamboo rod, monofilament line, a snapper hook and a bobber or float. Now, if you simply would like to catch some snappers, you can go much lighter. For those of you who aren’t familiar, a leader is material that connects your fishing line to your swivel and hook. Since bluefish have sharp teeth, you might want to consider using a wire leader. I use 25 to 30 lb braided line with a 30 lb fluorocarbon leader that is about 2.5 feet long. Once their teeth hit your line, or they pull extra hard on a weak knot… goodbye! I personally like to keep an extra rod with me, but that’s up to you.įor my rod, I use the Star Rod Stellar Series 7′ graphite medium action spinning rod with a Penn Spinfisher VI 3500 reel. ![]() They are also strong fighters and will do anything to get away free. Reason being, bluefish have razor sharp teeth and will cut through equipment with ease. The most important thing is to be prepared! Make sure you have several lures, hooks, leaders, etc. Set-ups for bluefish are very similar to that of striped bass. I’ve pulled many bluefish out of the water with half a tail missing from another bluefish chomp. They also have even been known to cannibalize each other. Some of their favorite meals are bunker, spearing, shad, killies, eels, and small bass. Bluefish are less finicky then other species, so anglers tend to catch them more often. They are a fierce species that does not discriminate when they are hungry. It is known, that bluefish will try to eat just about anything. It’s not uncommon to pull some up over 30 inches. The bays, inlets, canals, and the ocean all fill with bluefish again. As fall approaches, the big boys come back into the area. They spend their days attacking schools of spearing and killies or mummichogs. Usually in September, most snappers are ranging about 8 to 10 inches. They fill the creeks and bays by the thousands in August and September. The bays and creeks start to see activity again in late July with the new schools of snappers. Some do stick around in the deep inlets and deeper bays though. However, when the summer gets real hot, bluefish tend to leave the warm waters of the bay, and head out to the deeper cooler areas of the ocean. You will find them all over the place from the creeks out to inlets and the ocean. Most of the blues in early spring are about 12” to 26” with some larger ones mixed in. They are usually in search of whatever baitfish or life that’s around. As I got older I learned how to use more sophisticated fishing set ups to target larger choppers.īluefish start to make there are way into bays, creeks, and other inter-coastal waterways typically around April and May. They are loads of fun and relatively easy to catch. ![]() Here on Long Island, snapper fishing is a staple for most young anglers, and even some adults, myself included. They usually are about 5 inches up to about 12 inches. For those of you who may not know, a snapper is a baby bluefish. ![]()
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