Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

How bad is the bluefishing? The big Jamaica was fishing inside Raritan Bay and then steamed out toward the end of Ambrose. At first, I thought it was a trial run for the fireworks. It's a good thing that boat is fast. There couldn't be much time for fishing however.

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

Bluefish??? What's a bluefish??? More whiting being caught then bluefish!!! It's nuts what's going on this year...

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

It's all the jackwagons keeping those big breeder bluefish. Sheeesh...

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

Had high hopes for some action today after one of the PB's lucked into a bunch of big stripers on Friday but wasn't to be. Bird life was there but even the pee wee blues were tough to catch. Some year so far. Albies can't get here too soon.

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

repeat of 1947?????????????

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

We had all the gators you want and then some at the monster ledge going for shark, huge ones... And all the blue dogs ya want ...

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

1962 from an oldtimer said took 1.5 years to come back

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

Slow year for blues... Lets look at that from a glass half full perspective... Those things are murderous on young of the year weaks... Without marauding hordes of blues of all sizes eating everything in sight, maybe we'll have really good survival of young weaks, and we;ll see them in big numbers again next year... Perhaps we'll see good size Porgies in the bays and rivers this year, along with lots of good eating critters such as kings, blowfish, croakers, spots, and even eels if you want to fish at night.. Used to catch eels by the millions years ago, years when the rivers weren't stiff with blues.. they tell me its not like that anymore.. Boy were they great to eat!!

The blues may come on strong later on this summer, but if not, I bet something else fills the void they leave.. Remember, nature abhors a vacuum... bob

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

I like to see if that really is true, sounds about right for sure. I would give up five years of them if it really would bring back other life's

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

I recall as a young kid, we would fish the jetties, and get buckets and buckets of blowfish when the blues weren't around... I like blues I really do, I like to catch them, and the smaller ones cook up nice... but those damn things just tear the crap out of other fish of any kind... Its only a theory, but it seems to makes sense that schools of other types of smaller fish may remain in greater numbers if not being constantly shredded by bluefish... The blues will be back.. I recall years ago when you saw very few blues some years... we always caught other fish, and the blues always came back with a vengeance before long... bob

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

I remember either '61 or '62 , no blues except peewees at very end of season. I was on the deck back then and we actually had mackerel most of the summer and of course all the porgies you wanted. then they came back the following year. but we used to catch lots of 3 - 5 lb fish all lifters, the last few years its been mostly all 8lb and bigger.

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

every fishery is cyclical

croakers in sandy hook bay and the shrewsbury river

blowfish population (pardon the pun) blowing up

weakfish predictably making a little comeback

....All of these speak to the cyclical nature of our fisheries. There have been several years at a time where bluefish were no-show's, especially in the early 1900's and late 1800's.

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

I'm sure the government will now put a strict limit on Bluefish now that they didn't show up for a year since that's the way they work :eek:

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

Bet the farm on it....

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

In my opinion bluefish get a bad reputation as "marauders" and will "eat anything".
I have NEVER had a Bluefish in my tanks eat until full and then purge it's stomach to eat more!!! yet it's a common belief
They only do that when stressed-and getting yanked out out of the water tends to do that!

Dangle something on a hook and it's easy prey. If you put a steak on a hook I'd eat it too!
It doesn't happen that way every day with us not watching...just sayin'

oh and they're probably spawning. But that doesn't account for every size. It's yet another "strange" year...


I am sorry if I offended anyone with my short rant and capital letters...

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

Got a long time for Albies Steve if they show up. So far 0 for 2 with bass and blues.. Where's all the rain fish and sand eels? No killies around... Wonder if this is because of sandy?

Re: Big Jamaica in Raritan Bay
 

PUFFER POPULATION BLOWING UP ! lol !! great work