Couple of Visitors from NJ

[dales529]

Originally Posted by Broad Bill

I've experienced the same. Bluefish have developed a very similar migration pattern as the big weakfish we're seeing offshore in the fall and trends for that matter in the spring / summer. Migrating further offshore could be caused by any number of things but if it's water temp related it would suggest both species are seeking warmer water in deeper depths in the fall as opposed to colder temperatures in shallower inshore waters. Fish don't have to go north in the summer to find water temps condusive to their liking as long as there's ample forage available as well.

OK but I am going to need for my feeble mind a better explanation on this?
We know that offshore Seabass wreck trips are producing bluefish and sometimes weakfish. This is COLD water fishing in the lower water column for seabass , fish come up cold, bait comes up cold and sinkers come up cold.
Are you saying weakfish and bluefish hit these baits in elevated water column temps that vary by a few degrees in Nov / Dec?
How are they searching for warmer water in deeper depths off shore in this timeframe?
Again I am naive to this but would appreciate more info,
Thanks

[Ol Pedro]

Dales529, I have been catching Bluefish on the drop over the mid shore wrecks out there. Not on the bottom. Caught them jigging for Pollack on the same wrecks earlier in September/October. I think that food is their motivation. There may be some out there year round. Never really thought about them hanging on the warm side of the thermacline. Go figure, I have caught those Yellow Eyed Devils just about everywhere from brackish back bay to the deep off the Hudson Canyons Eastern Tip. Hopefully they will show up in numbers this Summer.

[Broad Bill]

Originally Posted by dales529

OK but I am going to need for my feeble mind a better explanation on this?
We know that offshore Seabass wreck trips are producing bluefish and sometimes weakfish. This is COLD water fishing in the lower water column for seabass , fish come up cold, bait comes up cold and sinkers come up cold.
Are you saying weakfish and bluefish hit these baits in elevated water column temps that vary by a few degrees in Nov / Dec?
How are they searching for warmer water in deeper depths off shore in this timeframe?
Again I am naive to this but would appreciate more info,
Thanks

I'm not at all saying that weakfish and bluefish eat baits in the mid to higher water columns on offshore sea bass wreck trips as a majority of these fish, when encountered, are caught right on the bottom so the water temperatures must be of a level they not only can tolerate but are comfortable with. I'm saying in between seasons water temperatures inshore are affected much differently than bottom temperatures offshore.

The attached article is a good read, one of many, on the impacts winds and seasonal changes have on the ocean bottom water temperatures along our portion of the coast. Note the impacts fall currents, wind and storms have on upwelling and bottom temperatures offshore.

https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/adv...sad190/7462579

Why do blackfish move further east as water temperatures inshore drop? Why do porgies and sea bass move further east, and to a degree south, into deeper waters when water temperatures get colder inshore? For the same reason, why do fluke move east 40 to 70 miles offshore when water temperatures start cooling down in the fall and stage offshore throughout the entire winter in deeper water? Is it because the water temperature is too cold? I doubt it otherwise their migration patterns would probably change. My post was questioning whether or not the same thing is happening to bluefish and weakfish with the larger specimens of these stocks migrating further offshore in the fall which, based on articles I've read, could be due to lower bottom temperatures offshore than inshore waters which get colder faster at that time of year.

Maybe I'm wrong and it's something else but many fish which inhabit our inshore waters in the spring and summer actually migrate further offshore in the winter months to deeper waters. My post was questioning if the same is happening with bluefish and weakfish as evidenced by catches we routinely see in the fall and other summer species we don't typically associate with offshore waters which apparently have no problem acclimating to deeper water climates that time of year.

Drop a sinker in December at the Shark River Reef and I'm sure it will come up ice cold as well. Maybe the deep water temperatures in the fall and winter because of upwelling and the thermocline breaking down due to currents from Nantucket Shoals and wind and weather conditions as the article points out causes offshore temperatures to actually be warmer than inshore causing some of our traditional stocks to take a more easterly track during their fall migrations. That's all I was throwing on the table. Hope that provides a better explanation of my post. Whether it's true or not who knows, just a question based on articles I've read I was throwing out.

[Broad Bill]

A few more Florida gators caught by friends of a friend. Apparently there's a fairly decent size concentration of them in Florida waters this year, hopefully someday they make a comeback in local waters and we learn our lesson from past mistakes. Many people, I'd dare say got into fishing because of night bluefish trips years ago when it was lights out fishing. Maybe the giant bluefins off North Carolina pushed them further south this year!

[Captain Rich]

This thread developed legs !

[dales529]

Ol Pedro / BB
Thanks for your responses. No arguments here I just have always seen bluefish as opportunists so if there was / is food they would be there regardless of water temp inshore freezing or warm and /or offshore in many different temps.
Caught them 1 mile off the beach in Dec and they sure ruined many a shark drift in June / July. ( the only plus there was when they left scared mr mako would take a bait).

Just never saw them as a water temp seeking fish.

There are some interesting articles around about bait fish / Bunker, sardines, herring, anchovies and smaller fish seeking different habitats that may have more to do with everything.

[Broad Bill]

Who knows what moves fish other than many factors. The big bluefish, other than a few quick appearances, seem to have left our local waters some time ago but they're somewhere. What's driving their migration routes, who knows. What I do know is their range is from Florida to Maine if not Novia Scotia and anywhere from bays to 80 miles or more offshore and they appear to be able to tolerate a wide range of temperatures. Pretty impressive fish when thought off from that point of view. The one commonality is if there's no bait in an area, you won't find bluefish. Otherwise they appear to be a pretty versatile fish which doesn't get the respect they deserve.

[Captain Rich]

These puppies keep getting bigger, today they had Spanish Mackerel mixed in ! Very Tasty !!