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We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More \u203a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Bluefish are odd oddities. Misfits, if you will, in the pantheon of saltwater fish. They exist in every temperate and tropical ocean, bay, and estuary on the planet, yet they create little fanfare outside of the United States. They are the only member of the Pomatomidae<\/em> family, so they have no relatives. In Australia and New Zealand, they\u2019re called \u201ctailors.\u201d In Africa they\u2019re known as \u201cshad\u201d or \u201celves.\u201d In every corner of the globe where bluefish roam, you\u2019ll find them in fish markets. In fact, they\u2019re more coveted on the table in regions like the the Mediterranean and South Africa where consumers gravitate toward \u201cfishy\u201d fish. But commercial value aside, nobody puts more emphasis on targeting bluefish recreationally than American anglers, particularly those living on the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida. However, even here they\u2019re overshadowed by more glamorous targets like striped bass, redfish, and snook.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s a shame, because the real benefit of chasing blues is that they don\u2019t require nearly the skill and arsenal of lures you often need to fool the A-listers. Bluefish are unique in that they\u2019re available to everyone regardless of budget. You can catch them as successfully from a back-bay dock as you can 40 miles offshore.\u00a0<\/p>\n So, let\u2019s breakdown everything you need to know about how to catch bluefish. Along the way, we\u2019ll bust and confirm a few myths, and even help you get over the widespread notion that bluefish aren\u2019t fit for dinner.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bluefish are considered pelagic fish, meaning they thrive in the open ocean far from land. However, unlike pelagic species such as tuna and marlin, bluefish spend a lot of their time close to shore, which allows them to be classified as inshore fish as well. Bluefish spawn in bays and estuaries, and they\u2019ll often stick around or hang out just off the oceanfront beaches if the food supply is good. Bluefish also migrate seasonally, with many areas of the northern Atlantic Coast experiencing a spring and fall run, though bluefish can be found throughout the summer in these areas as well. The Mid-Atlantic and Florida, conversely, see a spike in large bluefish during the winter months. In every stage of development, bluefish are prime targets. Here\u2019s where to find them.\u00a0<\/p>\n Juvenile bluefish are great targets for kids and adults alike when chased with light stream-trout-caliber tackle. Throughout much of their range, fish from the spring spawn reach a \u201ccatchable\u201d size by mid- to late-summer. You can find them feeding in bays around docks, bulkheads, piers, and sod banks until the fall cool-down sends them out the closest inlet to the open ocean.\u00a0<\/p>\n Taylor bluefish generally measure between 13 and 20 inches making them great light-tackle sportfish. Like snappers, Taylors spend a lot of time in back bays during the summer months, as well as along oceanfront beaches, inlets, and jetties.<\/p>\n Chopper bluefish require a stepping up of tackle to medium-heavy gear, as they are significantly stronger than their younger relatives. The cooler months of spring and fall will bring these fish into sheltered waters to spawn and feed, though they spend most of their time a few miles offshore.<\/p>\n The most likely time to encounter slammer blues with your feet on dry land is during the spring and fall migrations in the Northeast, and during the winter months in the Mid-Atlantic and South. During the summer months, fish in this size class gravitate to reefs and wrecks offshore. Regardless of where you find them, a stout rod and reel with a solid drag are required.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sadly, true gators are getting harder to come by throughout much of the bluefish\u2019s range because of altered migration patterns, environmental shifts, and overfishing. However, they do still exist, and while it\u2019s possible to hook one in the surf or bay, the odds are significantly better offshore.\u00a0<\/p>\n Regardless of size, bluefish fight very hard. They\u2019re tenacious and don\u2019t give up, so even if you\u2019re targeting small ones, make sure your reel has a reliable drag. There are, however, more pieces of kit that apply across the entire size range of these extremely toothy fish. Here\u2019s what you need to catch bluefish.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re fishing a minnow under a bobber for snappers or drifting a fat chunk of mackerel offshore, long shank hooks are beneficial. Smaller blues have smaller mouths, so with fish weighing less than approximately 3 pounds, the long shank of your hook often suffices as protection from their razor-sharp teeth when employing natural bait.<\/p>\n Once you start getting into bluefish weighing north of 5 pounds, steel leader becomes necessary when using baits or lures small enough for the fish to completely swallow. You can add steel leader to the end of your line by learning the haywire twist<\/a>, or purchase pre-made steel leaders<\/a> that come with a swivel at one end and a clip at the other.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read Next: Best Saltwater Rods<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Make no mistake, bluefish will hit just about any kind of lure ever made. The problem is that if you\u2019re firing a soft-plastic or bucktail, you\u2019re going to get one fish per lure because their teeth will shred those materials in a split second. For this reason, metal lures like the KastMaster<\/a>, Diamond Jig<\/a>, and Deadly Dick<\/a> are indispensable if blues are around. You can find tiny models for snappers or giant versions for gators. They work from the beach, or a boat, and those nasty teeth can\u2019t do very much damage to them.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lures like plastic plugs<\/a> and poppers<\/a> are top choices for bluefish, and most of them can withstand their teeth and jaw pressure. However, the majority of them also come equipped with one or more treble hooks. They do a heck of job sticking the fish, but they can be a nightmare after you land your catch. Bluefish are notorious thrashers. Their gums also excrete an anticoagulant, so if you do get bitten, you\u2019re going to bleed. Even if you avoid the teeth, another bad scenario is having a writhing blue put a treble hook in your hand while it\u2019s still connected to its face. To avoid these grizzly encounters, many anglers swap treble hooks for inline single hooks when targeting bluefish. It makes unhooking them easier and reduces the odds of needing stitches.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read Next: Best Saltwater Reels<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nHow to Find Bluefish<\/h2>\n
Snapper Blues: 0 to \u00bd-pound<\/h3>\n
Taylor Blues: 1 to 5 pounds<\/h3>\n
Chopper Blues: 6 to 10 pounds<\/h3>\n
Slammer Blues: 11 to 15 pounds<\/h3>\n
Gator Blues: Greater than 15 pounds<\/h3>\n
Gearing Up for Bluefish<\/h2>\n
Long Shank Hooks<\/a><\/h3>\n
Steel Leader<\/a><\/h3>\n
Metal Lures<\/a><\/h3>\n
Inline Single Hooks<\/a><\/h3>\n
How Bluefish Feed<\/h2>\n