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Where Are the Adult Bluefish?

Pomatomus saltatrix (bluefish) is generally considered a fast growing fish. But is it a fast enough grower to keep up with the harvest of them, whether controlled or otherwise? A two year-old, 13-inch bluefish weighs about two pounds, while one that is six years old and 28 inches weighs around 10 pounds.

Extracted from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission/Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program database, a report was generated that stated that between 2013 and 2017, a total of 175,037,533 individual fish were harvested from an area encompassing the North Atlantic to the mid-Atlantic. That number was drilled down to 37,199,049 fish when only counting Connecticut and New York. The total overall harvest, though, was said to be a shocking 230,749,986. Since the market for commercial bluefish is minimal, it has been estimated that the recreational catch was between 80- to 90 percent of the harvest. In 1985, bluefish recreational landings were estimated at 43,000 metric tons. Today, they are less than 8,0000 metric tons!

So what does all this mean to the fisher? Years back, snapper blues from six- to nine inches were caught by the pail full. Few were ever wasted since these tasty morsels were caught mostly for food. We coated cleaned fish with seasoned flour or cornmeal, plus salt and pepper, and cooked in hot peanut oil until brown, then served with lemon. Today, only 10 bluefish (regardless of size) can be taken daily.

Adult bluefish are an absolute rush to catch. Pound for pound, their fight is unparalleled. An albie or bonito will strip you out with their burst of speed and keep going practically unchecked. A big blue will task every muscle in your body from bottom to top and then broadside to the current—and that’s only the beginning.

Are the numbers off this year? Were there other factors in the Sound keeping the bluefish away for a good part of the summer? Tuna eat them. Certainly, our seals enjoy them. Sandbar sharks are one of the Sound’s natural predators—they eat them, too. Unless you plan on eating the bluefish, it is a good idea to either bend the barbs down on the hook or go with inline circle hooks. Doing that will enhance the survival rate and do a small part in keeping their biomass healthy.

On the Water

Recently, central Long Island Sound’s surface water temperature has been around 76 degrees with slight fluctuations. Inshore temps, especially the tidal rivers, have risen into the 80s. Although some mornings were fogged in and there were occasional stiff seas, overall fishing conditions have been on par considering the dog days of August were upon us.

We have seen more schools of peanut bunker and harbor blues, but not much in the way of bluefish more than two years old, other than the double-digit ones caught at The Race and Greenwich area. Although action is picking up, the real choppers are taking their time to fully infiltrate the Sound. If you are looking for the birds or bunker schools, the best shot at local action would be Six Mile, Long Sand Shoal, and Faulkner’s. With the southwesterly winds, keep any eye open for activity in and around the near shore rips.

Striped bass have been looking at live eels more aggressively as of late. The night bite has improved, as has the pre-dawn one since the break from the heat spell. Schoolie linesiders also had an uptick, yet were mostly confined to near shore areas. Sea worms, small jigs, and surface lures are back on track.

Fishers are trying to get a jump on the bonito and albie season in the Sound, but we will have to wait a little while longer for it to develop. Will it happen like last year? Time will tell. If it does, we will all be in for a treat. For now, most fishers are drifting for fluke in about 80 feet with squid, spearing, or gulp for seven- to nine-pound fish. Others are drifting in 100-foot depths for four-pound-plus black sea bass. There are plenty of small ones in shallower water, but most are too small to keep.

Bluefish Tourney

Captain Morgan’s opted out of this year’s WICC Bluefish Tournament, because it did not change with the times and no longer benefited the fishery, fisher, or shops involved. Among other things, there were just too many fish caught and wasted. Perhaps it will change and the Connecticut weigh stations (more than half) that opted out may reconsider. However, for those interested, here is a brief recap of the tourney.

Last year, all the spots on the WICC leaderboard were filled by 9 a.m. of the first day. This year, after 10 hours of fishing time, not a single fish was logged. As expected, early high and low entries came from the extreme east (13.74 pounds) and west (7.02) ends of the Sound. After 13 hours of fishing, only eight fish made the leaderboard, most of which were seven pounders. After 15 hours, a 3.08-pounder was logged! The board did change and day one concluded with the heaviest blue being 16.90 pounds, the lightest blue at 10.26 pounds, and a halftime score of Connecticut 16, New York 4. The two-day event ended with Connecticut topping New York, 17 to 3.

Here are unofficial standings from the tournament: First place went to Joe Mancarella of Connecticut at 16.90 pounds, James Katsaros of New York took second place with a catch of 16.50 pounds, and Connecticut’s Tom Miner finished in third place at 16.21 pounds. The 20th spot weighed 12.83 pounds. How many bluefish caught made it to the table in order to yield these results? Practically none!

Note: Email us pics of your catches to share with our USA and international fishing friends who keep up with the latest fishing news and frequent social media.

For all things fishy including reel repairs, swing by the shop (203-245-8665) open seven days located at 21 Boston Post Road, Madison. Until next time from your Connecticut shoreline’s full-service fishing outfitter, where we don’t make the fisherman, we make the fisherman better...

Tight Lines,

Captain Morgan

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