BLUEFISH REPORT

Today I caught my biggest Blue's ever! I was using circle hooks baited with cut mullet thrown just past the breakers in the surf. The fish are called Taylor Blues and can weigh in the teens. My biggest was about 8.5 pounds and 2 more at about 5 pounds. I didn't have a bite all day until about 2 in the afternoon. That was when the schools of blue were chasing the finger mullet into the surf. When I hooked up with my first blue, I just hung on to my rod and let him wear himself down. These fish are muscular and can run with endurance. Cut Sea Mullet is what I swear by for Blues, it'll catch you something.

Bluefish in the Early Morning

Bluefish are a strong fish, being built for speed and endurance, they fight from hook-up to your feet. The prime time for Blue's are early morning-about an hour after sunrise. Bluefish are a predatory fish that feed in massive schools, cruising the beach in search of prey. Occasionally, a large school of Sea mullet, Shrimp, or Menhaden is found and the bluefish swarm them while driving them to the surface. Down South, these swarms are known as "baitballs."

An effective outfit is surf rod with a 2 hook bottom rig and circle hooks. These are best baited with Sea mullet heads or strips completely covering the point of the hook. Sea mullet can be caught in th surf with a cast net fairly easily. Clark Spoons and Johnson silver spoons with a treble hook are deadly on cruising Bluefish. The spoons need to be thrown ahead of the school and pulled in front of the lead fish. If no schools are seen, repeated casting and retrieval of the spoon over a sandbar or through a drop-off will work fine. On rare occasions, Spanish Mackerel will feed alongside the blues and can be caught with the same spoons.

Bluefish need to be cleaned within a few hours to remain fresh and must not frozen uncleaned. These fish spoil in a day only cleaning and freezing will keep them fresh.

Small Blue's caught also make excellent bait, as do jigs with cut mullet strips for a tail.

Always follow local regulations on size and bait.

Cast-net shrimping

Cast-nets are a prime tool for catching bait such as Shrimp and sea mullet. A cast-net can be bought at tackle shops and and Outdoor outfitter stores. Finding Shrimp is relatively easy. Inlet backwaters and salt marshes connected to the ocean are excellent places to find bait. Shrimp are usually hiding in submerged grass and can be drawn out with corn meal thrown into clear water. Wading in the water is not required as most of the shrimp are near the shore in the grasses. Before throwing your net, make sure you know the terrain covered in your cast. A cast-net thrown into an oyster bed or rock will tear, ruining the net and allowing the bait to escape. Throwing a net is difficult and requires practice.

Nets can also be used for catching baits in the surf. Wearing Polarized sunglasses can aid you in finding the bait in the waves. On a clear day, wade into the surf and scan the surface and tops of waves for signs of schools of sea mullet-the preferred bait for Drum and Bluefish. The mullet will ride the waves into the shallows and can be tracked easily. Timing casts can be crucial to success. The net needs to be thrown just ahead of the school in the direction of the cast. Sometimes, Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel, Red drum(puppy drum, redfish), and Flounder will be feeding on the Sea mullet and accidentally caught in the net. Whenever wading, always wear proper shoes and go with a partner for safety.