12 years.
Bluefish live up to 12 years. They grow fast, up to 31 pounds and 39 inches. They are able to reproduce at age 2, when they’re 15 to 20 inches in length. Depending on their size, females can have between 400,000 and 2 million eggs.
What does a blue fish eat?
Bluefish are pelagic, schooling fish, staying mainly within the water column. They are voracious predators and can be seen feeding at the surface on schools of bait fish. Bluefish eat plankton when they are young, but transition to a piscivorous diet as they get older.
Is Blue fish rare?
Interestingly, although bluefish are found all over the world, they are rare or absent in the Caribbean Sea. They spend a lot of their time in oceanic waters but they move inshore to coastal areas, mainly to feed on schools of mack- erel, and possibly to avoid larger predatory species (tunas, sharks and billfishes).
Can bluefish bite you?
Bluefish can cause severe bites from their rows of serrated razor-sharp teeth. Bluefish are particularly aggressive in nature and have been known to bite through fishing lines and also bite unsuspecting swimmers.
What kind of fish is a bluefish?
The bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) is the only extant species of the family Pomatomidae. It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean. Bluefish are known as tailor in Australia and New Zealand, elf and shad in South Africa.
Do bluefish have teeth?
Bluefish have razor-sharp teeth and shearing jaws that allow them to ingest large parts, increasing the maximum size of the prey they can eat. They eat squid and fish, particularly menhaden and smaller fish such as silversides.
Where do blue fish go in winter?
During the summer, bluefish are concentrated from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and during the winter, most tend to be offshore and south between Cape Hatteras and Florida.
Is eating bluefish healthy?
Bluefish are an excellent source of selenium, niacin, vitamin B12, and omega-3s, and a good source of magnesium and potassium. There is a consumption advisory for bluefish due to contamination from mercury, PCBs, dioxin, and other chemicals.
Do bluefish taste good?
” Treated properly, the bluefish is excellent eating, with mild, flaky meat, although larger specimens (those over 10 pounds) tend to have a stronger flavor than their smaller brethren.
Can you eat bluefish raw?
In the past few years I have started eating bluefish raw (it’s amazing!); all you need is some good olive oil and a little bit of salt. You also can fry the skin and serve it like potato chips, which goes well with mayonnaise, or keep it simple and roast the fish whole.
Do bluefish fight hard?
Bluefish are serious fighters and though smaller in stature, are one of the hardest nearshore fighters. They are the “bulldogs” of nearshore angling.
What is the best bait for blue fish?
Best Bait for Bluefish
Good options include oily fish like eels. But really almost any form of baitfish can be used. Another option when learning how to catch bluefish is to use cut bait. Try chunks in the shape of small baits.
How do you get a bluefish off the hook?
Bring the bluefish next to the boat as fast as possible. If you can, leave it in the water while you remove the hook. If you must lift it out of the water, wet your gloves, then lift the fish out with both hands supporting the head and base of the tail.
Do bluefish bite swimmers?
They will bite anything, including unlucky swimmers. Bluefish can easily inflict serious wounds even when the fish is out of water; as many a careless fishermen has learned.
Is blue fish high in mercury?
Bluefish are fun to catch, will hit pretty much anything you drag through the water, and can really rip some line out on light tackle. But they are quite high in mercury levels, so eating bluefish in moderation is highly advised.
Do fishes sleep?
While fish do not sleep in the same way that land mammals sleep, most fish do rest. Research shows that fish may reduce their activity and metabolism while remaining alert to danger. Some fish float in place, some wedge themselves into a secure spot in the mud or coral, and some even locate a suitable nest.
What size bluefish should I eat?
The best eating size is ½-to -pound fish, but larger fish are great to smoke and make an awesome fish dip. Most of the bluefish caught in the surf in the summer are caught on bait – fresh mullet or menhaden are the two top choices of bluefish natural bait.
Do sharks eat bluefish?
The good news is that bluefish make excellent shark bait. Put a few chunks on your hook, and the other bluefish will leave it alone—sharks like bluefish for food.
Do bluefish feed at night?
Bluefish are very active and ready to feed at night and can be found at 80 to 100 feet. Usually, simple market bait can get the bite going.
What is the biggest blue fish ever caught?
The largest bluefish ever caught on rod and reel was a 31-pound, 2-ouncer caught off the beach at Hatteras, North Carolina, in 1972. It takes a bluefish just one-third that size to trash your tackle.
What water temperature do bluefish like?
Bluefish are fast growing, strong swimming, warm water predators. They school by size, they swim continuously, and they feed aggressively. Habits: Along the U.S. east coast, schools of bluefish move north with spring, preferring a water temperature of 60F or above.