Bluefish Fishing Tips

Do you want to catch more bluefish? Are you looking for bluefish fishing tips to be a better bluefish angler? Bluefish are found everywhere in the world. They are good gamefish as they have a healthy appetite and will strike at any object. In this article, we share bluefish fishing tips to help you learn how to catch more bluefish and improve as an angler.

How To Catch Bluefish

1. Trolling

Trolling is a fishing method that can be used to catch bluefish. Trolling involves moving your boat slowly, at 1 to 4 knots, and having your line with bait attached to the back of the boat. This is referred to as slow trolling. The fishing rod can be placed in the holder. When you get a strike, quickly reel in the fish.

2. Casting

Casting from a boat, a pier, or a dock can also be used to catch bluefish. Many anglers use artificial lures when casting but live bait can also be used when casting for bluefish. Bluefish has very sharp teeth and most anglers use wire leaders when fishing for bluefish to prevent them from slicing through their lines.

3. Chumming

Chumming is another fishing technique that is used by anglers when fishing for bluefish. Chumming involves dropping cut bait into the water to attract the attention of fish and get them closer to where you are fishing. When they pick up the scent of the cut bait and get it, they will come for more. This is when you drop your line and hook them in. When chumming, you should drop little pieces of cut bait. The aim is not to fill up the fish.

4. Jigging

Jigging is another fishing method that is used by anglers to catch bluefish. When jigging, you drop your line and let in hit the bottom. After you get the feeling that it hit the bottom, wait a few seconds and then jerk it upward and let it drop back down to the bottom. This upward and downward motion will attract the attention of fish which will think the movement is that of prey and they will usually strike at it. Jigging can be vertical, that is, up and down, or it can be side to side.

Bluefish Tackle Setup

A 7-foot medium-spinning fishing rod with a “fast” action 3000 – 4000 spinning reel that is spooled with a 20-pound braided line will work for catching bluefish.

Bluefish Fishing Tips

1. Bluefish feed on butterfish, menhaden, herring, sand lances, silversides, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, weakfish, spotted seatrout, croaker, spot, and squid.

2. Trolling or casting artificial lures is one way to catch bluefish.

3. Cut baits are good for catching bluefish. Experiment with chunks of small baits. You can also use whole dead baits like minnows that are properly placed on the hook to make them look as natural as you possibly can.

4. Bluefish have strong and sharp teeth and they will strike at anything. Use wire leaders to prevent them from breaking your lines.

5. Fishing methods that are used to catch bluefish include casting, jiggling, trolling, chumming, and live and dead bait fishing from boats, shores, or piers. Live baits are best; however, plugs, lures, or feathers are also used.

6. To understand bluefish movements and know where to catch them during different periods of the year, you have to understand their migratory patterns. They prefer warmer climates and migrate northward in the spring and summer and southward in the fall and winter.

7. Dawn and dusk are the best times during low light conditions or overcast days to catch bluefish. Notwithstanding, bluefish can be caught at any time during the year.

8. When you are out fishing for bluefish, if you see an area where sea birds are diving into the water, that could be a sign that there is a school of bluefish in that area.

9. Use fishing maps and charts, a fish finder, or other anglers about the area you want to fish for bluefish before going out to fish for bluefish.

10. Pay attention to the tide. Bluefish use the first hours of a falling tide as great feeding opportunities.

11. Use a 7-foot rod if you will fish for bluefish from a boat. Go with a longer rod if you are surf fishing. Use a single fireball rig if you are fishing for larger bluefish. Use a double fireball rig for smaller bluefish.

12. Remember to always keep your hands away from the bluefish’s mouth to prevent injury from its bites.

13. Use metal spoons that are at least 4 inches long to prevent bites.

14. Using ground menhaden for chumming can be very effective when fishing for bluefish. Use wire leaders to ensure the bluefish don’t bite off your hook.

15. If you can find out the salinity levels as well as the water temperature of a body of water you want to fish for bluefish, that will give you a good indication if bluefish is in there. Bodies of water with higher levels of salinity have a higher chance of having bluefish.

16. If you want the big guns, i.e. the very big bluefish, then you want to fish from the ocean. Very large bluefish can be caught at inshore lumps and wreck or reef sites.

17. When fishing for bluefish, anticipate where they are going to be and cast in front of them. Then bring the lure right across their noses.

18. The popper is the lure that bluefish can’t resist. A noisy popper seems to anger a bluefish to the point that it wants to punish the lure. Poppers succeed in getting the attention of bluefish.

19. Bluefish will fall for fast-moving lures with flash and vibration. They are aggressive in nature and will go for an artificial lure such as spoons, plugs, and jigs.

20. You can implement the technique referred to as drifting the deep grass flats. Drift over the submerged grass with the wind and tide while casting out lures in search of bluefish. You might be surprised to see trout, mackerel, jacks, pompano, and bluefish.

21. You can use the jig and grub combo which is a great all-around saltwater bait to fish for bluefish. It can also be used to target inshore species.

22. When taking color into consideration for your baits, it is good to match the clarity of the water with the color of the bait. Light-colored baits are best for clear water and dark-colored baits for water whose visibility is tainted.

23. When you implement the technique called drifting with lures, live bait, or cut bait, it results in a lot of bluefish. Similarly, when you use drifting in deeper water with swift currents, heavy jigs, and jigging spoons also work well.

24. Trolling allows anglers to cover a lot of water in a short period of time. Trolling is used by anglers to locate bluefish. Spoons and plugs are some of the top trolling lures. Jigs also work but at slower speeds.

25. Some anglers implement a two-pronged approach to finding bluefish. They use both cut bait and artificial lures. They will put out a chunk or strip of cut bait on a heavy rod using a “fish finder” rig. This causes the bait to float naturally. The angler will then cast lures looking for a feed fish.

26. Instead of using bucktail and synthetic care jigs, use the jig and grub combo. This is a better option because bluefish will destroy an expensive bucktail jig going after fish. But the jig and grub combo is not expensive and can easily be replaced.

27. Plugs are effective artificial lures for catching bluefish that are working on the surface.

28. A spoon is a simple lure that catches a lot of bluefish. On days when the bluefish are breaking and moving around a lot, a spoon can be used to catch bluefish.

29. When bluefish are active and in a feeding frenzy, no matter what you send their way, as long as the lure resembles the size and shape of the bait fish they are devouring, they will strike your lure.

30. Other areas to target bluefish are passes and inlets. They connect the inshore bays to the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. Rocky jetties and peers in these inlets and passes are prime areas to target bluefish. Anglers drift the passes by casting lures and drifting live baits. Most of the time, the bluefish will be situated right in the middle.

31. Bluefish spawn multiple times in spring and summer.

How To Catch Bluefish From Shore

Bluefish eat almost anything and anglers use this to their advantage when fishing for bluefish. Live bait and lures are used when fishing for bluefish. When fishing from the shore, look for structures like jetties, piers, docks, poles, and other structures that bluefish may be close to. Casting and chunking are some of the fishing methods that are often used when fishing for bluefish.

How To Catch Bluefish From Pier

When fishing for bluefish from the pier, you can use live bait or lures like spoons and plugs. Casting is the go-to fishing method when fishing for bluefish. You can also use chumming to bring them closer to you on the pier. Still fishing is another fishing method that can be used to catch bluefish.

Bluefish Fishing Gear

1. Rods

2. Reels

3. Line

4. Hooks

5. Leaders

6. Rigs

7. Pliers

8. Knife

9. Fish Grip

10. Cooler

Best Baits For Bluefish

1. Menhaden

Menhaden is a good bait for bluefish, striped bass, redfish, RedDrum, Tuna, Cobia, Mackerel, and Weakfish.

2. Mackerel

Mackerel, like Menhaden, is great for bottom fish like Bluegill. One of the best bluegill fishing tips to remember is that as a bottom fish, menhaden and mackerel work great as fresh bait.

3. Eels

Eels, like other oily fish such as sardines, are a good bait that works to attract Bluegill. If you fish for Bluegill often, this is one of the best Bluegill fishing tips to remember.

4. Mullet

Mullet is another good bait used to attract and catch Bluegill.

5. Shrimp

Shrimp is one of the best baits for Bluegill.

6. Squid

Squid works well as bait for many fish and this is one of the best bluegill fishing tips to remember.

7. Croaker

Croaker also works well as bait for Bluegill.

8. Herring

Herring is a great bait for Bluegill and a variety of fish.

9. Sardines

Sardines are one of the best baits that anglers use when fishing. It also works for Bluegill. Oily fish like eels and sardines work very well as bait for Bluegill.

Best Lures For Bluefish

1. Soft Plastics

Soft plastics work well as bait as Bluegill love to chew them.

2. Jigs

Jigs are versatile and allow anglers many options for using them. They work well for Bluegill.

3. Spoons

Silver spoons are one of the best lures for catching Bluegill. If you will use lures regularly, this is one of the best bluegill fishing tips to remember.

4. Plugs

Bluegill will easily go after plugs as they are not picky.

5. Poppers

Poppers, especially pencil pooers, are a good lure for Bluegill.

6. Topwaters

Topwater lures work well to attract Bluegill.

The Bottom Line

Bluefish are found all over the world. They have a voracious appetite and will strike at anything. This makes them prime targets for anglers. In this article, we share some bluefish fishing tips to help you learn how to catch more bluefish whether you are a beginner or an experienced angler.

If you catch redfish, then this article on redfish fishing tips will help you catch more redfish. You can also benefit from this article on bluefish fishing tips if you fish for bluefish.