Thread: Big Bluefish -

I have some pictures, somewhere, of HUGE bluefish that I caught off the old state pier. Does any remember a run of 6-10 pound bluefish about 30 years ago or so? Or maybe more recently, since the phenomenon may be cyclical?

I think I remember John G talking about it but can't remember the year.

Originally Posted by Robert(Tato)Piteo

I think I remember John G talking about it but can't remember the year.

I'm thinking mid-1980s, but again, there may have been a more recent run.

I can remember a few good sized one taking baits off trolley lines in the 90's , but I didn't start fishing the pier till mid to early 90's .

I remember Doc caught one about 15 lbs either late 80's early 90's. There were several big ones caught that year.

A 6-10 lb Bluefish is a baby 30 years ago on the coast of Nortn Carolina at Cape Hatteras we caught 18-22 pounders as fast as you could throw your bait in Ive seen those schools run 5-6 pound speckle trout and flounder right up on the beach where you could just pick them up My how times have changed As with most every resource those fish are gone destroyed by man who got too greedy

My understanding is large bluefish can't tolerate higher water temps, so maybe it was a cooler than normal summer water temps or an upwelling that moved them in. Warming waters might explain why they are less common now along the Carolinas. I know up on the northeast where a buddy of mine surf fishes, 10-20# fish in the surf is still a norm.

Yeah, it was ONE summer early 1980s.
The state record was broken several times that summer with fish over, then WELL OVER ten pounds into the mid teens.
Several that size were caught from the GSPPier, mostly on free-lined live LYs and some on trollies.
My biggest was 8 1/4 pounds caught on a large MirrOlure cast into a school I saw coming down the sandbar.
It jumped clear of the water several times.
We caught some more HUGE ones under the Perdido Pass bridge that late summer/ early fall.

We were hoping for a repeat the next year, but it was not to be (just the 'standard' gulf coast 1-2#rs).
But they are out there!
The current AL state record (17# 4 oz) was caught in June 2004.

This could (perhaps) be a phenomenon linked to moderate to strong el Nino?
El Nio and La Nia Years and Intensities

But on the bright side, the smaller ones are better eats!

It happened in the mid 80's. I caught one that weighed 13 pounds and several other unusually large fish. I saw lots of tackle broken during the week I was down. The story I heard was that a large school coming out of the Carib that normally goes up the east coast turned too quick and came up the west coast of Fla. the talk was that it was happening all the way up theFla west coast. I have fished Gulf Shores since the early 50's and that was the only year I ever saw blues that large. If I recall correctly my trip was in mid to late May that year.