Singing The Blues

[krob8979]

My first ever trip on a party boat was with my father. Remember it was on the Gambler. Fishing was so good that we didn't dock till like 4am. Best trip of my life.

[tombanjo]

The old timers used to say that the blues were gone for like 5 years in the 70's...or was it the 80's? Being an old timer now myself it's hard to remember. Put me down for cyclical.

[bunker dunker]

it was the 70"s when they left.we have always had good and bad years with bluefish.i can't believe this is because of rec fishing.

[bulletbob]

Simple -they became commercially viable at some point.. they are for sale in white plastic trays wrapped in clear plastic up here all over.. Some even look pretty fresh... Don't see fillets, but I can buy them all day long in the round, in the 1-2 lb class.. I agree with those also that say we were too greedy years ago.. everyone taking garbage cans full of them home and dumping them in the garden.. It happened, and a lot of us need to realize that it can't happen again... bob

[Fun King]

The link posted by Mr Dakota is interesting. It shows that blues were booming in the 80's, kind of how I remember it. I used to catch so many that I stopped going on the party boats, I didn't want to deal with a hundred pounds of bluefish. Every fish was gaffed. The link also shows that in the 80's stripers were almost non-existent, also how I remember it. Strict regulations, like one fish over 36", led to the recovery of stripers.

[AndyS]

I thought the guys sharking the Glory Hole recently said "we can't get away from all these blluefish !!!"

[Billfish715]

Way back when.........there were sand eels inshore of the MudHole on the high pieces. Those inshore sand eels attracted and held bluefish for weeks or months. The inshore sand eels also held a population of sizeable yellowfin tuna. In both cases, a profitable and prolific fishery was supported by the desired baitfish. Where there are sand eels, there are gamefish. There have been huge amounts of sand eels 30-40 miles out for a few years now. They have attracted bluefins and bluefish and the rest is history.

The amount of rainfish in those same areas has been so thick that even whales are attracted to the scene. We have bunkers by the acre inshore, but no blues around. We also have a resurgence in the smaller pelagics like bonito and Spanish mackerel but they are not bunker eaters so, perhaps some of the sand eels or rainfish are moving inshore a bit. Early, in the first part of the seabass season, those fish were spitting up sandeels when they hit the deck. We were using AVA's to catch them.

These are only observations and not scientific by any stretch, but I do see a correlation.

[coltsfan61]

I remember going on the palace outta Hoboken for blues day was mostly jigging and at night we fished bait. Got 20 pounders too. Ive notice even in the hudson river we had big blues but no more just cocktails in the bay.
Even with a 10 fish limit. Maybe its because of all of the snappers being caught thats killing it

[coltsfan61]

Remember the days fishing on the palace outta Hoboken day or night jigs or bait killing them. Blues use to come in the river but only cocktails in the bay. Maybe its because of all them snappers being caught. That's killing it

[coltsfan61]

Fished the palace outta Hoboken day or night for blues.