Missing bluefish

[Abrasion]

It's really a shame how bluefishing is no longer a summer long fishery. No more night fishing too. If there was ever a time to reduce limits and increase min size this is it. N my opinion the party boat fleets catching 1lb bluefish that are smaller than bunker and loading the boat everyday is a shame. In a few years when the bluefish are gone and the party boat captains are complaining they'll have nobody to blame but themselves.

[Gerry Zagorski]

This is a very cyclical fishery and very seasonal as well... Lots of big bruiser blues around in the spring and like last year, difficult to find in the summer. I also think they will be thick in the fall when the bait like Sandeels show up.

I also think your are barking up the wrong tree when you say that Party Boat catches are responsible for the lack of them... The rod and reel fishery can hardly put a dent in the populations.

Time for more restrictive regulations??? I think not. According to this http://www.asmfc.org/species/bluefish the stocks are in good shape.

[bunker dunker]

like Gerry said,they cycle and we are on the down side this last few years.its been this way forever.then when we start to cycle up everyone will bit&h that they are everywhere and destroying gear.

[Abrasion]

If its cyclical, its a big downward curve.

We dont believe the governement for fluke surveys but we believe them for bluefish?

I remember as a kid, party boats gaffed every bluefish that came over the side. They used to store them in blue poly barrels until they ran out of room.

I think Capt. Ron was the first captain ive seen advocating netting blues instead of gaffing them all. Some captains would tell me that they didnt want to ruin a net on a bluefish.

Theres a massive bait surplus, and no real blues to speak of. It's not coincidence in my opinion.

I can make this same call with Porgy. 50 per person? Seriously? In a few years people will be lamenting that there are no more porgies to catch. So many photos of guys with 150qt coolers filled to the rim with porgies. Its just a shame.

[tombanjo]

Bluefish aren't here because the water temp is too high and July has traditionally been a slow month due to spawning. The LI Sound has no shortage of big fish right now and I'm sure you'd find plenty offshore somewhere. Bluefish complaints from the tuna boys should be right around the corner.

[HK1490]

Look for the birds you find blues they're still around got them last week and this week.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I would like to see the regulations as favorable as possible for us while sustaining a fishery for the future.

And if you are very conservation minded you can always throw back what the law allows. That is your personal decision and I'd rather we're given the opportunity to make that decision ourselves rather then it be forced on us.

Having said this, I personally don't keep many fish but don't begrudge the people that do, as long as they are put to good use.

To each his own.

[Flukemeister1]

Originally Posted by tombanjo

Bluefish aren't here because the water temp is too high and July has traditionally been a slow month due to spawning. The LI Sound has no shortage of big fish right now and I'm sure you'd find plenty offshore somewhere. Bluefish complaints from the tuna boys should be right around the corner.

Exactly.

From Bob Stearn's Ultimate Guide to fish temps:

Species Lower Avoidance Optimum Upper Avoidance Comments/Updates
Albacore 59 62-65 66 ¿
Amberjack 60 65-75 80+ ¿
Atlantic Bonito 60 65-75 80+ ¿
Atlantic Cod 31 44-49 59 ¿
Atlantic Mackerel 40 45-55 70 ¿
Barracuda 55 72-80 86 RDS (Florida)
Bigeye Tuna 52 62-74 80 RDS (Equador)
Blackfin Tuna 65 70-75 82 ¿
Black Marlin 68 72-82 87 RDS (Panama/C.R.)
Bluefin Tuna 50 60-72 82 RDS (Cozumel)
Bluefish 50 66-72 84 ¿
Blue Marlin 70 74-82 88 ¿
Bonefish 60 72-84 92+ RDS (Florida)
Dolphin (fish) 70 72-78 82 ¿
Fluke (Summer Flounder) 56 62-66 72 ¿
Haddock 36 42-48 52 ¿
Jack Crevalle 65 70-85 90 ¿
Kelp Bass 62 64-68 72 ¿
King Mackerel 65 68-76 88 ¿
Permit 70 75-85 92 RDS (Florida)
Pollock 33 40-50 60 ¿
Pompano 65 70-82 85+ ¿
Red Drum (Channel Bass) 52 70-90 90+ RDS (Florida)
Red Snapper 50 55-65 70+ ¿
Sailfish 68 72-82 88 ¿
Skipjack Tuna 50 58-62 70 ¿
Snook 60 70-82 90 ¿
Spotted Seatrout 48 68-78 88 ¿
Striped Bass 50 55-65 75 T. Mleczko
Striped Marlin 61 68-76 80 ¿
Swordfish 50 60-70 80 ¿
Tarpon 70 75-90 100+ Once at 62F
Tautog 45 50-60 76 Updated info from SWS reader
Weakfish 45 56-68 78 ¿
White Marlin 65 68-78 80+ ¿
White Seabass 58 64-68 74 ¿
Winter Flounder 35 48-52 64 ¿
Yellowfin Tuna 64 72-82 80 RDS (All Oceans)
Yellowtail (Pacific) 60 62-66 70

Bluefish completely disappeared for nearly 70 years at one point. No one knew where they had gone. When they finally showed up again folks didn't know what they were.
There are no responsible fishermen that want to see any species overfished. Bluefish are doing just fine.

[Super]

Bluefishing is never good in July because of the spawn. I’m a little surprised it hasn’t picked up, but this year has an odd weather cycle. Record warm water temperatures. Chub mackerel a mile off the beach instead of off-shore. Cownose Rays in early August. Bunker dying off all over.

And party boats have been loading up with bluefish for longer than I can remember, and it never made any difference. It’s not like last year the party boats doubled their keep.

I have a suspicion that we’re going to see good bluefishing when the water cools a bit and it may last until December.

[tjd24]

My buddy & I had a 1/2 mile of birds on 2-3 lb blues last Saturday off Coney Island for about 3 hours. No other boats around for the 1st hour or so. Sure they were small, but if you match the tackle to the fish, it's lotsa' fun. We lost count at 20+ fish each, but all were released.
It finally ended when 2 NY PB's began running over the schools. Each time, splitting the schools until they broke up.