After a long absence, big bluefish return to the U.S. East Coast
By
Ric Burnley
Updated: October 4, 2011
Ric Burnley
Perfect for Light Tackle
A light spinning rod makes tangling with chopper bluefish a challenge — and a lot of fun.Ric Burnley
Follow the Bait
Look for schools of bluefish around the numerous schools of squid, menhaden or sand eels.Ric Burnley
The live-bait setup uses the same tackle and line configuration as the jigging rig but is rigged with a fish-finder slide and an arm’s length of 80-pound mono leader. The fish-finder slide goes over the main line, and an 8/0 hook is snelled to the leader. Between the leader and the main line, a 200-pound-test swivel holds everything together. To encourage a live croaker to swim into the dark depths of certain doom, clip a 6- to 8-ounce in-line sinker to the fish-finder slide.
