Experience the unparalleled power of bluefish – a fishing adventure like no other!
Setting Sail: The Genesis of an Extraordinary Fishing Excursion
The journey began on the Nan II, a swift 23-foot cruiser captained by Paul Hiller, our experienced host. Our mission: to locate and entice a school of fish. Paul's instructions were clear: free-spool the rig to the bottom, then retrieve it slowly, constantly jigging. Rick Wills, a former heavyweight boxer turned police lieutenant from Madison, Connecticut, followed these directions, albeit with a hint of skepticism. His reaction was not uncommon; many first-time users of this particular rig share his initial doubts.
The Peculiar Allure of the Bluefish Rig
The fishing apparatus itself was quite unconventional. A shiny four-ounce diamond jig served as the anchor, above which was a 40-pound-test monofilament leader. Attached to this leader were four three-inch streamer flies in vibrant blue, yellow, and white, spaced approximately ten inches apart. These streamers were secured with two-inch lengths of 60-pound-test monofilament. Despite its unusual appearance, this rig promised remarkable results.
Navigating the Waters: A Promising Start
The Nan II drifted steadily towards Paul's chosen marker, a cluster of trees on Crane's Neck, a picturesque island community on the New York side of Long Island Sound. The tide was nearing its peak, with water depths ranging from 10 to 15 feet. Although I had previously fished these waters with Paul, this August trip marked Rick's inaugural outing from Norwalk, Connecticut, the Nan II's home port.
The Unforeseen Onslaught: Double and Triple Hook-Ups
Mere minutes into our drift, Rick's startled shout filled the air: "Something nearly ripped the rod from my grasp!" He grappled with his medium-weight two-handed spinning outfit, struggling to regain control. Just as he managed to stabilize his rod, a second fish violently struck one of his free streamers, plunging his rod tip beneath the surface. Paul, witnessing the spectacle, chuckled and exclaimed, "Just a doubleheader of bluefish! Hold on tight." Before he could finish, Paul's own rod bent sharply, and then mine, leading to a chaotic scene of multiple strikes and intense battles.
The Ferocity of Bluefish: A True Test of Skill
Engaging even a single sizable bluefish on a flexible eight-foot spinning rod is an exhilarating experience; hooking two simultaneously elevates the excitement to a frenzied level. Bluefish are renowned for their strength, speed, and endurance, making them formidable opponents. Their erratic movements, with one fish darting left while the other pulls right, or one plunging downwards while its partner heads for the surface, exert immense strain on the fishing gear. My equipment, from hooks to rod butt, withstood the challenge, and after a prolonged struggle, the exhausted bluefish were brought alongside the boat. These magnificent specimens, weighing between five and six pounds each, were carefully hauled aboard.
Handling the Catch: Caution with Toothed Predators
Unhooking bluefish demands extreme caution due to their mouths, which are armed with razor-sharp teeth. Unlike many other fish, bluefish continue to snap even after being removed from the water, their final bite often coinciding with their last heartbeat. On that calm day, the process was relatively straightforward. I secured one fish with my foot, firmly gripped the other's head, and carefully removed the long-shanked hooks. The task becomes significantly more challenging in choppy waters.
An Ancient Technique: The Scottish Streamer Rig
As Rick and Paul marveled at the effectiveness of the rig, Paul revealed its origins: "It started in Scotland. Commercial fishermen there use similar streamers for mackerel, often with as many as thirty-five streamers on a single rig." I confirmed its efficacy, recalling a successful mackerel trip off Rhode Island, and noted its effectiveness for cod and pollock as well. Paul and his friend, Pete Klinkowski, refined this streamer rig, and it has since become their preferred method for nearly 75 percent of their saltwater fishing.
The Thrill of the Surface Blitz: Chaos and Abundance
Suddenly, Paul exclaimed, "Look at those gulls!" About 150 yards away, a frenzy of screaming gulls wheeled and dived, indicating a feeding frenzy below. As we approached, swirls on the water's surface confirmed Paul's excited cry: "The blues are on top!" The air filled with the distinctive smell of partly digested plankton, a telltale sign of a bluefish blitz. Casting into this chaos proved even more thrilling than jigging. Even my inaccurate cast, falling seven feet off target, was quickly met with a strike. Rick and Paul also experienced immediate success, highlighting the sheer abundance of fish during this surface feeding spree.
The Unpredictability of a Bluefish Blitz
During a bluefish blitz, if the lures didn't find the fish, the fish certainly found the lures. This particular blitz was unusually long, attracting over a dozen other boats. While others caught one fish at a time, our party consistently landed double and triple hook-ups, much to the amazement of onlookers. The school submerged and resurfaced three times, each time followed by Paul's expert boat maneuvering. We quickly filled one 50-gallon container and were well on our way to filling another when the school vanished as abruptly as it appeared.
The Enduring Allure of Bluefishing
Despite the physical exertion, as Rick noted, "My hands and wrists are sore, but I'm not complaining." After four decades of saltwater fishing, I've yet to encounter an angler who isn't captivated by the challenge of bluefish. Their fighting spirit, whether six-inch snapper blues or 15-pound jumbos, is truly captivating. I've employed various methods to catch them, from handlines with heavy jigs to light fly and spinning outfits, and my excitement for bluefish remains undiminished.
Strategic Bluefishing: Locating the Elusive Predators
While not inherently difficult to catch, bluefish can be selective about lures and presentation, especially during their early summer arrival in New Jersey, New York, and New England waters. The key to successful bluefishing lies in locating the fish and identifying their feeding depths. Gulls and terns are excellent indicators of bluefish concentrations. Regular visits to known fishing grounds and studying geodetic maps, which reveal reefs and rips, are invaluable for discovering hotspots, sometimes even those unknown to local anglers.
The Nomadic Nature of Bluefish
Bluefish schools are constantly on the move, relentlessly searching for baitfish such as mackerel, menhaden, herring, butterfish, and even their own young. Their extensive migratory range, from Argentina to Nova Scotia in the Atlantic and from Texas to Florida's west coast in the Gulf of Mexico, underscores their restless nature. Significant populations of large bluefish are also found in the Mediterranean, African seas, Australia, the Cape of Good Hope, the Malay Archipelago, Natal, and the Near Eastern coasts. The largest bluefish recorded by the International Game Fish Association weighed 24 pounds, three ounces, caught in the Azores in 1953, though larger specimens have been observed in New England waters.
Unveiling the Mysteries of Bluefish Migration
Despite their commercial and recreational importance, bluefish remain under-researched. Their annual travel distances and wintering grounds in the North Atlantic are largely unknown, though many, including myself, suspect their migratory patterns are astonishing. A bluefish tagged in New York in 1936 was recaptured two years later off Mantanzas, Cuba, having grown from one to nine pounds. Another, tagged off Rhode Island in 1964, was found less than six months later off Boca Raton, Florida, highlighting their remarkable journeys.
Memorable Seasons and Dedicated Companions
The summers and autumns of 1966 offered some of my most memorable bluefishing experiences. Seven of my nine weekend trips with Paul Hiller, a design engineer, resulted in excellent catches. The others were only thwarted by inclement weather. My fishing companions on the Nan II included Rick Wills, Pete Klinkowski, a machine-shop foreman, and John Zullo, a building contractor. Most of our catches were made near Port Jefferson, New York, with a few successful outings near Rowayton, Connecticut. While jigging on or near the bottom accounted for most fish, we also enjoyed two thrilling surface blitzes.
Versatile Techniques for Bluefish Angling
Bluefish can be caught using a variety of methods. While natural baits like chunks of menhaden or herring are effective, artificial lures often work just as well, eliminating the mess. However, in certain conditions, chumming with natural bait can attract bluefish to the surface, making them more accessible to artificial lures. This was vividly demonstrated during a trip with Lamont Williams, a jewelry salesman, on his 27-foot cruiser, the Happy Hattie.
Chumming for Success: A Lively Encounter
On a day when fish were scarce, and gulls inactive, initial attempts with trolling lures yielded nothing. We then switched to bottom jigging, and after 15 minutes, hooked a pair of eight-pound blues at 75 feet. Monty, finding bottom-jigging more laborious than sporting, decided to chum the fish to the surface. He mixed ground menhaden with seawater, ladling the potent concoction over the side. The conditions were perfect, and the tide carried the mixture along with our drift, soon attracting a massive school of bluefish, along with hordes of baitfish.
The Frenzy of Popping Plugs: An Unforgettable Experience
Monty and I quickly switched to plugcasting rods, flipping red-and-yellow popping plugs into the maelstrom. My first cast resulted in a leaping bluefish, eager to snatch the lure, and Monty also hooked one almost immediately. For the next 45 minutes, the action was relentless, with countless gulls swirling above, almost obscuring the sun. It was a chaotic but exhilarating experience, with bluefish aggressively attacking our plugs. During one intense moment, a pack of bluefish severed Monty's leader, but not before another fish impaled itself on the freed plug.
The Abrupt End to a Thrilling Day
As quickly as it began, the bluefish blitz ended. One moment, the water frothed with attacking fish; the next, the sea was calm, leaving only remnants of baitfish and bloody slicks. Excluding our initial jigging catches, we landed 17 blues, each weighing around eight pounds. Monty remarked, "Not a huge haul, but I'd rather have forty-five minutes of this than a whole day of bottom-jigging." I wholeheartedly agreed, reiterating my simple love for fishing, regardless of the specific conditions, emphasizing the unique appeal of these "slash-jawed" bluefish, known for their incredible "gimp," or fighting spirit, as an old commercial fisherman once told me.
An Offshore Adventure: Bigger Bluefish and Lasting Memories
Another memorable day found Rick Wills and me, along with friends Les Ferris, Harold White, George DeVeau, Frank Dutton, and Joe McClinton, embarking on an offshore trip from Snug Harbor, Rhode Island. We chartered the Mako II, a 45-foot cruiser captained by Bob Linton. As Bob skillfully maneuvered the boat near Block Island, the waters erupted with massive bluefish, some weighing up to 16 pounds, striking our nylon-feather jigs. The battle was intense, with anglers fighting fish both standing and from fighting chairs. After a half-hour blitz, we had landed 37 jumbo blues, a testament to the thrilling power of these magnificent creatures. This story, originally published in September 1963, perfectly encapsulates the enduring appeal of bluefishing.