The Bluefish is probably the most versatile saltwater fish on the entire planet... loved by many as both a very cooperative sporting fish, pound for pound as one of the toughest inshore fish with a set of teeth to match it's muscle, and as good table fair. Yet, it is also hated by many as a trash fish and a nuisance. If you grew up along the northeast coast near any form of salt water then chances are you spent at least one afternoon trying to catch snappers, or the young of the year bluefish. Every year thousands of kids get introduced to saltwater fishing trying to catch "snapper" blues from the local docks or piers which can range in size from just a few inches up to a foot long. As a youngster I spent more time on the dock fishing for snappers while my old man worked on his boat or readied it for tomorrow's shark and tuna trip than I can readily remember. Growing up my dad introduced me to the ins and outs of ocean fishing by trolling and jigging for chopper blues and green bonito. Nowadays, while it is quite frustrating to have a big blue tear up a brand new Tuna clone intended for a Bluefin Tuna or chomp a live bait meant for a Striper, it is hard for me to pass up an opportunity to fish for blues be it off the dock for snappers or plugging the flats for choppers.
Identification
Bluefish are grayish-blue to blue-green on top fading to silvery-white on the lower sides and white on the belly. Broad forked tail. The mouth is large with single row of teeth on each jaw, uniform in size, knife-edged and VERY sharp. Distinctly yellow eyes. There are confirmed sizes to 50" and well over 30 Lbs, but most commonly under 10 Lbs.
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| "Cocktail" sized Blues |
Related/Similar Species
Bluefish are the sole species of the Pomatomidae family, and they would be difficult to confuse with any other fish here along the east coast of the US. At one time the Atlantic Scombrops, what I would call Dr. Seuss' version of a Bluefish, was classified in the same family, but it no longer is. There is talk that a certain population of Bluefish located in the waters off Africa are a subspecies, characterized by a slightly differing body structure, but such talk is hardly science at this point.
Range, Description and Habits
Blues can be found worldwide in temperate and tropical waters but are irregularly distributed into very specific populations and often completely absent from surrounding areas. Here on the east coast of the US they range from Mass, sometimes as far north as Nova Scotia, south to FL. A large portion of the population follows a regular migration north during the warmer months and back south for the winter. A smaller portion of the population are year round residents of the waters off FL and the Gulf of Mexico. Blues will tend to swim in schools of very similar size, likely because any smaller specimens would be eaten or attacked by the larger ones. They can be found in all types of habitats from well inshore bays and creeks, even brackish, to along ocean beaches and out to the shelf and beyond. Most data suggests our Bluefish populations breed offshore at various points during their northern migration where the fry become part of the zooplankton group. Soon after breeding, the young of the year "snapper" size blues will invade north and central east coast bays, estuaries, canals and salt creeks from early summer through the fall.
Bluefish typically prey on smaller baitfish, mackerel, herring, menhaden, crabs, and shrimp but will feed on any other smaller fish and are even capable of attacking prey of similar size until the prey is disabled and can be eaten. I have heard on more than one occasion someone claim to witness a big Blue grab a gull or tern, though I have never witnessed this myself I don't doubt it! Either way, Bluefish are known to be extremely aggressive, veracious predators, and known cannibals. A school of them will often form a feeding frenzy known as the Bluefish "blitz". During such feeding patterns hapless schools of smaller fish will jump from the water in an attempt to escape and may even beach themselves with hungry sea birds waiting overhead and even the blues themselves following right along with them, truly an amazing sight at times. Large Bluefish have even been reported to attack human swimmers or bathers at such times of feeding frenzy. In turn adult Bluefish are preyed upon by many larger species including sharks, tuna, billfish, dolphins, and seals, while juvenile blues are a very important food source for any number of inshore predators including summer flounder, weakfish, stripers, black seabass and various sea birds.
Commercial & Recreational Angling
Very important commercially in some parts of the world. Commercial importance here in the US has dwindled considerably from generations ago, although some demand does remain for smaller specimens either as an inexpensive seafood or fishmeal source, or to be used as bait. A famous lithograph from 1866 titled "Trolling for Blue Fish" depicts Blues being fished for commercially of Manhattan by trolling long jigs by hand-line from small sail driven skiffs.
For the recreational angler Blues can be taken just about any way you can think of... cut baits, live bait, jigs, trolling, casting, plugging, etc and are more often a nuisance than not since they will destroy rigs and live baits that took much effort to put together intended for something else. When the juvenile "snapper" blues are in they are most commonly caught using light spinning gear or even bamboo rod with a float or "bobber" a few feet above a small hook, generally a hook with a long shank or section of wire to protect against the young blue's teeth and baited with whole silversides, killifish, bait strips, or shrimp. In my neck of the woods a good run of larger specimens moves through the back bays in early to mid spring where surface plugs provide a very entertaining way of hooking up with them. Care should always be taken when handling them because of there razor sharp teeth and powerful jaws, the scars on my hands over the years can attest to this.
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| These 2 "chopper" sized blues were taken very early in the year in April, I was on my boat but just off a back bay marina where a shore bound angler could have just as easily scored when little action could be found elsewhere in the GSB |
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| Fishing off a local dock I caught a small "snapper" blue which I put back on as bait and was rewarded with a larger "cocktail" blue |
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| These fresh "snapper" blues will make for a good fish fry or primo bait for larger species of fish such as Fluke, Stripers, Weakfish and even Tuna |
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| Bluefish like this one are very easy to target in the bay and along the ocean beaches throughout spring, summer, and fall, providing an excellent way to introduce kids to saltwater fishing |
Food Quality & Other Tips
The food quality of the Bluefish is a topic of much debate! They are esteemed by some, dismissed as garbage by others. Like most things the truth is likely somewhere in-between and the true quality of the meat very much depending on the details of how it was handled and prepared. Most agree that Bluefish is oily, somewhat mushy, spoils quick, and becomes less palatable with the size of the fish. Still, many will also say that they can be worth eating. In fact, juvenile and cocktail sized blues can be particularly good when fresh. Larger specimens caught here very early in the season can still be of good quality if bled and iced properly, then marinated and grilled. I find that any bluefish intended for the dinner table should be bled immediately after being caught, quickly iced, and prepared that same day. However, the largest of specimens that have likely been feeding mainly on menhaden, especially those making a living eating shark chum, are the very least desirable. When fileting all but the smallest of blues it is best to remove the dark red meat down the center of the filet as this is the strongest tasting meat and likely to contain the most oils and toxins.
When saving small whole Blues for use as bait one may find it difficult to keep them from dying without their mouth and gills flared. This occurs when the fish dies from suffocation. To prevent this you may want to use a good saltwater ice slurry which will freeze them quickly, killing them before suffocating, or you may want to become familiar with the "ike jime" method of preserving live fish.
