Bluefish....The New NJ State Gamefish?

[cowherder]

What would you think if there were no stripers and we could only fish for bluefish?

[storminsteve]

Indescribable, this monster blue. It's a good thing not many bathers are down there, this blue could have eaten the head off a baby!
Let's hear some big bluefish stories. What was the meanest one you ever got, or that almost got you?

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/s...fa02c1cfe.html

Shep on Fishing: Falling into place: Bluefish blitz hits Island Beach State Park

By MIKE SHEPHERD, For The Press | Posted: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 | 0 comments
Try for weakfish, bluefish, croaker, sea bass, porgy, spot and whit perch inside No. 1 buoy off the Maurice River cove in Delaware Bay. Use shedder crab when available, with clam, squid and spot next-best.


Many anglers, most notably those who fish from the beach, look for signs of fall fishing as fall arrives. Island Beach State Park is just north of Barnegat Inlet, and surfcasters there experienced a big-time bluefish blitz Monday that offered a promise of things to come.
Spencer Brockwell reported from Betty and Nick's Bait and Tackle that blues going up to 20 pounds had bunker pinned up against the beach in the pocket inside the jetty on the Island Beach side of Barnegat Inlet and at Seaside Park, where Betty and Nick's is located.
Everyone on the scene had bluefish laying on the beach, Brockwell said. Surfcasters chased the blues down the beach with mullet and bunker as bait and with poppers cast out into the schools. The panicked bunker jumped right out of the water onto the beach to get away from the monster blues.
It started at 8 a.m., according to Brockwell, and continued to mid-afternoon when it slowed down because the blues were swiftly moving south, which gives hope to surfcasters on Long Beach Island and Brigantine that they might show up on their beaches.
Brockwell got a call at 10:45 a.m. and got to the beach by noon. He caught a blue that weighed between 15 and 16 pounds, returned it to the water and had to leave to get to work by 3 p.m. He said he got that one at Area 17 at Island Beach State Park.
The heaviest blue weighed Monday at Betty and Nick's went 20 pounds, 7 ounces and was caught by Joe Dolobacs, according to the store's Web site. Dolobacs is from Seaside Park.
There were a lot of 13-14-pound blues, according to Brockwell. Some of the surfcasters had at least 10 blues in their coolers.
You don't see too many 20-pound blues in the surf, but when they are there and feeding, it can be a real exciting happening.
Brockwell said the surf on Island Beach was crystal-clear water. Three straight days of beautiful almost fall-like weather is also something to celebrate.

[paco33]

The video---



My biggest one was last year. I was fishing a harbor area near dusk, using big 9" peanut bunker on the bottom. The bluefish had been coming in every night, and we were used to getting 10 pounders.
That night, it was almost dark, the water was calm, no sign of life anywhere. Good thing I was holding my pole. All of a sudden the baitrunner started screaming, I set the hook hard, the thing ran and I had trouble getting line in as there was some evil current coming out of the harbor area.
I thought I had the fish easy. He was deep, so I was hoping for a bass. As I started to gain line, the fish moved a bit so he was near some pilings. I thought it was all over, but he finally managed to tire out, and I brought him in. 16 lbs on the boga. As I said I thought he was a bass because bass usually stay deeper. I was still happy, he gave me one of the best fights I had from land.

[bababooey]

Great catch! That thing is a killing machine, if there were any kids swimming in the water I think it could have taken an arm or leg.
I got one about 17 pounds 3 years ago. We were fishing for bass with metal jigs, just drifting and jigging in the fall off of Manasquan. Most of the fish were in the 8-10 pound class, barely legal bass and smaller bluefish. Then my rod bent in half, and I too thought I had a nice bass because he wouldn't come to the top. When I got him up he tried to snap at my feet in the cabin of the boat. We had to use the ole billy club to put him out of his misery.

[jigfreak]

That is one fat bellyed fish. It looks like he just spend the last 2 hours constantly feeding.

Nice going!

[SharkHart]

The thing about blues is people always think they are getting heavier ones then they actually are. I usually use a boga for teeth purpose but you also see the weight. people always say they got 15 pound blues but to crack 15 or even 13-14 is tough. here is one that was like 14.5

[DarkSkies]

. people always say they got 15 pound blues but to crack 15 or even 13-14 is tough. here is one that was like 14.5

Shark has a point. Lots of times they look bigger than they are. A boga helps the honest fisherman, even if it's going back. I probably caught thousands of bluefish in my lifetime. I think my biggest is a little over 15, and that one broke an ugly stik as I fought it in current.

There is also a substantial difference between a 15 and 20# bluefish.

Anyway, I think a 20+ bluefish is a great catch. I would rather catch bluefish in the 12-15# class than 26" bass any day. But that's just me, to each his own.

[cowherder]

Wow that thing is a freak of nature!

[wish4fish]

The video---

i hate that dude from betty and nicks he is such a spot burning poser, lol. my biggest blue is 14#, a big ups to dolobacs.

[DarkSkies]

Those who know me understand some of my sarcasm. This is one of those threads that will be part serious, part in jest...but for a reason.....

I have no problem fishing for bluefish....to me any bluefish in the 10# class or above is a worthy opponent in battle, and they fight like Satan himself.....

If there were no bass left, I would fish for them....
As they mainly targeted blues during the Striped Bass Moratorium in the early 1980's....

[DarkSkies]

1.Just wondering if you folks out there would still fish...if there was a Striped Bass Moratorium...?
2. Would you fish for bluefish and be happy with that?
3. What do you think are the chances of that happening?

Thanks for your opinions.....

[Monty]

1. If you folks out there would still fish...if there was a Striped Bass Moratorium...? Hell Yes
2. Would you fish for bluefish and be happy with that? Hell Yes
3. What do you think are the chances of that happening? Very good chance

I enjoy fishing, so I am happy being out there fishing. But I would and am disgusted with how the Striped Bass population is managed and also how selfish and short sighted so many other fisherman are.

Gators are great, some of my favorite catches are big Gators caught bay side in the quiet night. The calm water torn up, the quiet replaced by the sound of the reel drag and the splashes of the raging Gator. I'll take that over a short bass most times (not all, but most).

[jonthepain]

fishing for blues during a moratorium?

been there, done that

love burning a striper swiper thru a bunch of choppers. the misses make that big hit even more of a blast.

[surfwalker]

1.Just wondering if you folks out there would still fish...if there was a Striped Bass Moratorium...?
2. Would you fish for bluefish and be happy with that?
3. What do you think are the chances of that happening?


1. Yes, I’d still plug. I hardly catch any Bass lately anyways. I would still enjoy the attempt, the personal satisfaction of just being there. I have found it to be good therapy for the mind, soul and general attitude, yes, I would still fish.

2. I’d plug for downtown blues, mostly on top. Their explosions make me smile outwardly. I’d be semi happy as opposed to overwelmingly happy. Smaller blues would bring out the hookless Atom poppers and old metals, the excitement, for me, would be less.

3. Striped Bass Moratorium – I see the pressure on this fish growing more and more with each passing year. More and more keepers being walked off the beach. The pressure from the comms/fish markets/resturants will only increase in the future, they want a share, for money’s sake. Depends on who represents them, (in the political sector) in order to override game fish status, if possible. Just my thoughts/opinions, right/wrong, who knows.

[wish4fish]

dude i will fish for bluefish any day or night they rock! and if they tell us we cant fish i will tell them to go eff themselves!

[lostatsea]

1.Just wondering if you folks out there would still fish...if there was a Striped Bass Moratorium...?
2. Would you fish for bluefish and be happy with that?
3. What do you think are the chances of that happening?


1. Yes, I’d still plug. I hardly catch any Bass lately anyways. I would still enjoy the attempt, the personal satisfaction of just being there. I have found it to be good therapy for the mind, soul and general attitude, yes, I would still fish.

2. I’d plug for downtown blues, mostly on top. Their explosions make me smile outwardly. I’d be semi happy as opposed to overwelmingly happy. Smaller blues would bring out the hookless Atom poppers and old metals, the excitement, for me, would be less.

3. Striped Bass Moratorium – I see the pressure on this fish growing more and more with each passing year. More and more keepers being walked off the beach. The pressure from the comms/fish markets/resturants will only increase in the future, they want a share, for money’s sake. Depends on who represents them, (in the political sector) in order to override game fish status, if possible. Just my thoughts/opinions, right/wrong, who knows.

surfwalker:
1. I would still fish. Honestly if there were not a lot of stripers I might give up.
2. The blues if they were there could fill the void.
3. I don't know what the chances of that happening because I have not seen the moratorium to compare it to. what do you think?

btw, is anyone seeing big blues lately? been reading a lot of reports of small blues and the bigger ones in the deeper waters of the bay. Did the monsters skip NJ entirely this year?

[ledhead36]

btw, is anyone seeing big blues lately? been reading a lot of reports of small blues and the bigger ones in the deeper waters of the bay. Did the monsters skip NJ entirely this year?

lostatsea, it has been hit and miss. Last nite it was hit. Big blues all on meat, chunks. Bayshore area. The bunker came in and the blues after them. Only fished one rod cause if you fished more than that you would of lost it. Big gators, 10 lbs and up. Holy crap I went through so many rigs I had to take a break and tie some more.

[Mike O]

Love to fish, and just love to be out there. Back in the 80's that's all there was. The only problem is that I'm not crazy about eating them. If I was I would still be eating bluefish from the 80's!

[clamchucker]

Love to fish, and just love to be out there. Back in the 80's that's all there was. The only problem is that I'm not crazy about eating them. If I was I would still be eating bluefish from the 80's!

It is good to hear from someone who remembers what fishing was like back in the 80s MikeO. I love fishing for bluefish as well. The grandkids do too.

[vpass]

1.Just wondering if you folks out there would still fish...if there was a Striped Bass Moratorium...?
Yes, I'm Happy just getting out by the surf, catching fish is a Plus.


2. Would you fish for bluefish and be happy with that?
Yes,I love Bluefish that was ths fish that got me hooked on fishing in the early 80's. I would still fish for Weakies, Fluke, Blackfish, and even Porgys that What I did as a kid in the 80's. Stripers have a special place in my heart. I'm Pissed that the Regulations made the situation we are in.


3. What do you think are the chances of that happening?
It sad to think about it, but I believe Striped Bass Moratorium will eventually happen. The stripers been in decline for a good while, and the pressure on them is still growing.