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BEATING THE SPRINGTIME BLUES

By Phil Metz

Well the days are getting longer and the sun’s rays getting warmer. Stripers have been mulling around coastal bays, river and ocean for over a month. As April gives way to May a new foe arrives in town and is ready to chomp on almost any lure or fly that crosses its path. Time to take out the wire tippet cause the bluefish are here and ready to test our skills and our drags.

The bluefish is a species unique to its own. It is the only fish under the family pomatomidae and can be found in all oceans and coastal waters except the Eastern Pacific. It has been captured in waters that barely cover its dorsal fin to waters as deep as six hundred and fifty feet. It has excellent eyesight both in and out of the water and is noted for its nasty set of razor-sharp teeth. While known for their aggressive nature, bluefish can occasionally be skittish and carefully inspect an anglers offering, turning away at the last second and leaving the angler with nothing more than a brief glimpse of its shimmering blue body. Thus, it is important to identify the fishes behavior and match your tackle and techniques accordingly.

Bluefish normally enter our coastal waters during the latter part of April into the month of May. A two prong migration occurs, with fish arriving from the southern coast of the United States along with a second migration from the Continental Shelf. As these fish enter our waters, they seek out forage species, such as spearing, mackerel, herring and menhaden. The majority of these forage species will be in the process of spawning or seeking out warm water areas such as those present in coastal rivers and back bays. Bluefish will intercept or corral these baitfish and feed vigorously when the opportunity presents itself. This can be some of the best shallow water fishing of the year as it is not uncommon to see water begin to boil with fish activity. The prime month to target shallow water bluefish is May. The fish are aggressive, hungry and opportunistic. Now is the time to be on the water.

It’s late April and some bluefish have started to show. So what do you bring with you? As the bluefishing season begins, and BEFORE large schools of herring and menhaden begin to show, here is some of the normal gear you should carry:

-Rods and Reels: 9 foot, 8wt to 9wt fly rod matched with 8 wt or 9 wt reel

In the early season, the flycaster will be throwing smaller flies to mimic small spearing and sandeels. An 8 wt to 9 wt outfit will throw these flies efficiently while not tiring one’s arm.

-Fly Line: 8 wt to 9 wt Intermediate or Sinking fly line

The general rule for the early season is low and slow. The angler will want to stay close to the bottom of the water column, most often in relatively shallow water. Choose a line that will allow the fly to stay close to the bottom without dragging or snagging the bottom.

-Leaders: 5 to 8 foot, monofilament, 50 lb test tapered down to 20 lb test

I find that especially in the early season, the shorter the leader the better. A short leader allows the fly line to bring the offering down to the bottom of the water column quickly.

 -Tippet: 6 to 9 inches of 15 lb to 30 lb nylon coated wire

This matter can be debated, as some people prefer to use a stiff section of 50 lb monofilament or fluorocarbon leader material but if its bluefish you’re after, nylon coated wire flexes nicely, is resistant to kinking and is more abrasion resistant to the sharp teeth of the bluefish than monofilament.

-Flies: Size 2 to 2/0 Clousers, Ray’s Fly, Surf Candies, Half and Half, etc.

Before large schools of herring and bunker arrive in our waters, stick with smaller flies that mimic spearing and sandeels. A small white fly with a bit of flash is a killer.

-Miscellaneous: Stripping Basket, wire snips, pliers

As May arrives and schools of spawning herring and menhaden arrive, your tackle can be adapted to include the following:

-Rods and Reels: 9 foot, 10 wt rod and matching 10 wt reel

When casting larger herring and menhaden flies, the 10 wt has the power to cast them to your waiting quarry.

-Fly Line: 10 wt Intermediate, Sinking and Floating fly line

Your most popular choice will be the Intermediate line but the sinking is necessary for faster currents and rips and the floating is matched with topwater flies for exciting visual action.

-Leaders: 6 to 10 foot, monofilament, 50 lb test tapered down to 20 lb test.

Normally, I use an 8 foot leader, reducing its length when I need to get down quickly as with faster rips and currents and possibly increasing to a 10 foot leader for topwater or skittish fish.

-Tippet: Same as above, although with larger striped bass around and chasing the

same herring and menhaden as the bluefish, I often opt for the monofilament or fluorocarbon leader to reduce spooking. However, when thick into bluefish schools, the nylon coated wire works exceptionally well.

-Flies: Size 3/0 to 8/0 Herring and Bunker Imitations, Poppers

With all the large baitfish around and aggressive fish on their tails, now is the time to cast large doll-eyed imitations and poppers. Some very large fish can be caught at this time

Well it’s the month of May, the fly rod is properly rigged and we’re all ready to go for those bluefish. What areas should we concentrate on? The deduction process should really be considered two fold: First, bluefish will be found where the baitfish are located. They can be found in coastal bays, rivers and in the ocean. Secondly, the baitfish are seeking out suitable spawning habitat and warmer water areas. Here are some likely areas to start your quest for spring bluefish:

-Coastal Rivers: Coastal rivers provide spawning habitat for herring and menhaden and tend to warm quicker in the spring than bays and the ocean. Currents and channels tend to congregate baitfish making them easy targets for bluefish and other gamefish.

-Inlets: Inlets are the entrance ways to coastal rivers and bays. Inlets can be large, such as famed Barnegat Inlet or might be the smallest entrance of a coastal creek. Within a tide cycle, inlets receive colder, incoming water, that tends to warm within the river or bay, and then will flush out the warmer water along with its nutrients. Inlets also confine baitfish and make them vulnerable to predation.

-Dark Bottom Bays/Lagoons: Dark bottom bays with decaying organic material absorb the sun’s rays and warm quickly during the spring. The warmer temperature and organic materials attract baitfish and subsequently attract bluefish.

-Flats: While associated with bays and lagoons, flats are not confined by definite boundaries and could span for miles. Flats are shallow water areas that warm quickly during the spring, attracting feeding baitfish and gamefish. Flats that consist of dark bottom and vegetation tend to outproduce sandy bottom flats.

As you can see, a pattern starts to develop in reference to spring-time bluefishing. Bluefish seek out baitfish, baitfish seek out spawning habitat and food sources, food sources are produced in warm water areas. Thus the simplified equation looks something like this(à means "yields"): Dark water bays, coastal rivers, inlets and flatsà warm waterà microscopic organisms/spawning habitatà baitfish(spearing, herring, menhaden)à bluefish/gamefish. Seek out these areas and you will increase your odds in locating and catching bluefish during the spring season. Once you have located schools of bluefish, technique is fairly simple. Get your fly out in front of the fish and strip in an erratic fashion. Start off making your casts toward the outer limits of the school, slowly working your way into the center until you hook up. If the fish are up high, increase the speed of your retrieve. If the fish drop down deeper, allow your fly to sink before retrieving or slow down the rate of retrieve.

As I prepare this article, I can’t help but think about the past springtime bluefish excursions I have had. Currently, the bays are cold, winter is begrudgingly hanging on and the bluefish are a few months away. However, it won’t be long until we will be out on the river or in the bay casting to busting schools of bluefish. So pull out the charts, start tying and prepare your gear…cause it won’t be long until we’re beating the springtime blues.

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