Spring Bluefin
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
Joined
·
13,099 Posts
FishersIsland, I assume you mean Tred Barta, I have not seen the article as I am a little behind on my reading, so I can't comment on any of his methods.
For the early Bluefin, I usually begin looking for them while on shark trips. Come around the middle of June you can often find them pushing water on the anual migration to the eastern and northern feeding grounds.
They are a bit finicky at this time as they are on a mission, but I have found that by trolling the outside edges of the schools you can often times pick away at them. Small Jet heads and feathers are often the ticket and you will need to work the schools well. Try and avoid doing anything, like running through the middle of the school, that might make them sound. You want to keep them on top.
I think there is a direct relationship between the size of the school and success. The larger the school, the better your chances. As I mentioned before, these fish are generally not feeding, they are on a mission, and what you want to do is try and trigger the natural instinct of a fish or two and take a shot at your lure. Your chances increase simply by the number of fish in the school.
Years ago, the schools were so big that when you went after them, even the early spring fish, you were almost assured of getting some. Today you very rarely see the bigs schools anymore, and thus you have to really work for your fish.
MakoMatt
(This post edited by MakoMatt on 03/01/2003)
For the early Bluefin, I usually begin looking for them while on shark trips. Come around the middle of June you can often find them pushing water on the anual migration to the eastern and northern feeding grounds.
They are a bit finicky at this time as they are on a mission, but I have found that by trolling the outside edges of the schools you can often times pick away at them. Small Jet heads and feathers are often the ticket and you will need to work the schools well. Try and avoid doing anything, like running through the middle of the school, that might make them sound. You want to keep them on top.
I think there is a direct relationship between the size of the school and success. The larger the school, the better your chances. As I mentioned before, these fish are generally not feeding, they are on a mission, and what you want to do is try and trigger the natural instinct of a fish or two and take a shot at your lure. Your chances increase simply by the number of fish in the school.
Years ago, the schools were so big that when you went after them, even the early spring fish, you were almost assured of getting some. Today you very rarely see the bigs schools anymore, and thus you have to really work for your fish.
MakoMatt
(This post edited by MakoMatt on 03/01/2003)
Makomatt,
what about early canyon runs? Have you ever been out in early june? I've always wondered if they travel up the edge.According to Tred they do.
XXX- I've never done well when the fish are busting hard on the surface. We did ok in the dump last year during that bite, but the fish seemed to be spread out. Small feathers and jets worked best. Early they would eat off the transom, later it was the shotgun position that took fish
what about early canyon runs? Have you ever been out in early june? I've always wondered if they travel up the edge.According to Tred they do.
XXX- I've never done well when the fish are busting hard on the surface. We did ok in the dump last year during that bite, but the fish seemed to be spread out. Small feathers and jets worked best. Early they would eat off the transom, later it was the shotgun position that took fish
Joined
·
13,099 Posts
Capt.XXX, I assume you are refering to those fish that were in our area from about the 3 rd. week in November right through until the season shutdown? If you are, for the benifit of those who do not know, to the West, meaning the Jones Inlet area, we had some nice fish, 100lb. class, in less then 50' of water, some reports put them in as little as 20'. I think the season as a whole was pretty bad last year for the inshore Bluefin bite, other then the reports above which not many were able to take advantage of, some nice fish caught early just South of Shinni****, and some fish caught South of the HA for a few days, I didn't hear of much else happening. In fact, I'm sure others were caught, but I am the only person I know that caught a Bluefin inshore last year, it was not a good season for them.
Between vacation plans and the weather I was not able to try and cash in on any of that action, I did however hear scattered reports of some fish being taken. That's a tough fishery. I think we were dealing with migrating fish that stopped to feed. The problem I think was that they were over such a wide area, East of the Needle down to Atlantic Beach, from 20' to 60', with no 1 real piece of structure you could pin point that was holding them. They were here, there, and everywhere. These fish commonly move 40 miles or more in a day in serch of food. I think something was holding them there but you could not employ some of the more traditional chunk methods we use when there are fish at the Mudhole or Barcardi. I would not be surprised if you opened up one of these fish and found Stripe Bass in their stomachs.
FishersLand, I still have not had a chance to read Tred's articile, is this the last page thing he does in Sport Fishing, or is it something else. I enjoy reading Tred.
Again, not have seen that articile, but in trying to answer your question, no, I do not and would no travel to the deep in search of Bluefins early in the season. I think it is too far of a trip to go out looking for them. If I am picking this up correctly, I assume Tred was talking about catching Bluefin out there early in the season. The Bluefin do migrate out in the deep, and they migrate in much shallower water too. I think they travel many different "highways". To me it is too much of a hit and miss thing to try and target these fish. If I see them, I give it a shot. To tell you the truth, for me, it is just pure luck that I stumble upon them for the Spring fish. I have a lot of respect for Tred, maybe he knows something, I don't.
MakoMatt
(This post edited by MakoMatt on 03/02/2003)
Between vacation plans and the weather I was not able to try and cash in on any of that action, I did however hear scattered reports of some fish being taken. That's a tough fishery. I think we were dealing with migrating fish that stopped to feed. The problem I think was that they were over such a wide area, East of the Needle down to Atlantic Beach, from 20' to 60', with no 1 real piece of structure you could pin point that was holding them. They were here, there, and everywhere. These fish commonly move 40 miles or more in a day in serch of food. I think something was holding them there but you could not employ some of the more traditional chunk methods we use when there are fish at the Mudhole or Barcardi. I would not be surprised if you opened up one of these fish and found Stripe Bass in their stomachs.
FishersLand, I still have not had a chance to read Tred's articile, is this the last page thing he does in Sport Fishing, or is it something else. I enjoy reading Tred.
Again, not have seen that articile, but in trying to answer your question, no, I do not and would no travel to the deep in search of Bluefins early in the season. I think it is too far of a trip to go out looking for them. If I am picking this up correctly, I assume Tred was talking about catching Bluefin out there early in the season. The Bluefin do migrate out in the deep, and they migrate in much shallower water too. I think they travel many different "highways". To me it is too much of a hit and miss thing to try and target these fish. If I see them, I give it a shot. To tell you the truth, for me, it is just pure luck that I stumble upon them for the Spring fish. I have a lot of respect for Tred, maybe he knows something, I don't.
MakoMatt
(This post edited by MakoMatt on 03/02/2003)
Joined
·
13,099 Posts
Something else to keep in mind is that although most of these Springtime fish we see here to the West will summer to the North and East of us, we do have our own resident population of Bluefin here for the summer too. Again, these fish might not be here in the numbers they were years ago, but they are around.
One of my favorite things to do when the shark fishing slows down, say from the middle of July until sometime in September, is to just make a day of it on the troll. This is when I will head out early enough to drop the lines in around the 20 Fathom curve when the sun is just rising. If you don't have recent reports of fish being taken, just get yourself on some sort of a south heading. you want to work yourself into some nice deep clean Blue water, water with structure under it, look for debris, and weed in the water for Mahi Mahi, look for life, birds, esp. Shearwater, bait, "funny" water, etc. You can have a GREAT day doing this and get a nice mixed bag that would/could include, Bluefin, Mahi Mahi, Slippies, Green Bonita, small Makos, and if your real lucky, maybe White Marlin, Yellowfin, or even a Wahoo. Look in the post started by Capthookem about offshore pictures, I think there is a picture of a 61 lb. Wahoo caught at 500/500. That is a NICE fish.
MakoMatt
(This post edited by MakoMatt on 03/02/2003)
One of my favorite things to do when the shark fishing slows down, say from the middle of July until sometime in September, is to just make a day of it on the troll. This is when I will head out early enough to drop the lines in around the 20 Fathom curve when the sun is just rising. If you don't have recent reports of fish being taken, just get yourself on some sort of a south heading. you want to work yourself into some nice deep clean Blue water, water with structure under it, look for debris, and weed in the water for Mahi Mahi, look for life, birds, esp. Shearwater, bait, "funny" water, etc. You can have a GREAT day doing this and get a nice mixed bag that would/could include, Bluefin, Mahi Mahi, Slippies, Green Bonita, small Makos, and if your real lucky, maybe White Marlin, Yellowfin, or even a Wahoo. Look in the post started by Capthookem about offshore pictures, I think there is a picture of a 61 lb. Wahoo caught at 500/500. That is a NICE fish.
MakoMatt
(This post edited by MakoMatt on 03/02/2003)
Joined
·
67,033 Posts
Guys,
FWIW, I read the Tred article thats being referred to and I agree with him. Most of the fish take either the inshore route or the offshore route, no one seems to know why they choose one or the other, some years its one some years the other. Both routes seem to come together just east of Block Island.
FWIW, I read the Tred article thats being referred to and I agree with him. Most of the fish take either the inshore route or the offshore route, no one seems to know why they choose one or the other, some years its one some years the other. Both routes seem to come together just east of Block Island.
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
