Suzie and I found the bluefish in a deepwater trough behind a shoal near an inlet. We were on the last portion of an outgoing tide and baitfish that had been in only a few inches of water fled to the trough as receding water turned the shallow shoal into an emerging island. The blues were facing the lip of the shoal and from their staging area in the deeper trough, they would race forward and seize one of the fingerling-size fry as it moved into the deeper water.

A wide variety of artificial baits works fine on blues, especially something with a little flash.

We stayed in the middle of the trough and cast our jigs over the blues to the edge of the shoal. We used a steady retrieve, bringing the jigs back like baits coming off the shoal. After only a couple of cranks of the reel handle, we’d get slammed by one of the countless juvenile choppers lying in wait.

After releasing several, Suzie suggested that we keep a few, adding that she had a couple of great recipes and wanted to reciprocate for the fishing trip by cooking our catch. The next dozen or so went on ice and we enjoyed them for a second time later that evening. You have got to love those baby blues!

Care and Cooking

Bluefish are good for you. They have a high concentration of the essential fatty acid Omega 3 which helps prevent heart disease by keeping arteries open, lowering blood pressure and lowering cholesterol (especially the LDL or “bad” cholesterol). They also taste good, if you care for them properly. Immediately after catching your bluefish, bleed by cutting the gills and making another incision near the tail to the backbone. Place the fish imme-diately on ice in your cooler. For best results, use the smallest pieces of ice available, as the more surface area of ice that there is, the colder the cooler will get.

Clean chilled fish with a sharp, flexible fillet knife. Do this as soon as possible after getting ashore (by regulation, bluefish must remain whole while on the water). As with all species, a chilled fish with firm flesh will clean much more easily than one that is warm and mushy. If you are going to grill small bluefish, you may want to leave the skin attached, as it will hold the meat together. Be sure to return washed fillets to ice, sealed in plastic baggies to avoid direct contact with fresh water, and keep them chilled until ready to cook. Soaking the fillets in milk for an hour or so before cooking helps eliminate any “fishy” taste—but if you bleed, ice and cook within a day or so of catching, this probably won’t be necessary.

The following family recipes were provided by Suzie Reihl, as passed on to her by her grandmother.

Bluefish Gumbo

1 lb. of bluefish fillets
2 beef bouillon cubes
1⁄2 cup chopped celery
1⁄2 cup chopped green pepper
1⁄2 cup chopped onion
1⁄4 cup vegetable oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 can (20-oz.) whole tomatoes
1 package (10-oz.) frozen okra
1⁄4 tsp. ground thyme
1⁄4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 bay leaf

Cut the bluefish fillets into 1-inch cubes and set aside. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in 2 cups boiling water and set aside. In a Dutch oven, sauté celery, pepper, onion and minced garlic in hot oil until tender. Add tomatoes, okra, bouillon water and seasonings. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf, add bluefish cubes, cover and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Herb Baked Bluefish FilLets

1 lb. of bluefish fillets
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1⁄2 tsp. dill weed
Pinch of dried sage leaves (crumbled)
Pinch of thyme leaves (crumbled)
1⁄2 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Arrange bluefish fillets in baking dish (single layer). In a separate bowl, mix other ingredients well and brush over bluefish fillets. Place baking dish into 400-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until fillets flake easily with a fork. Serve with lemon slices.

FS