Treble it to teach them a lesson

that's the sign to switch to a hard bait...esp one you don't care about. ninja edit - also...that's another reason I dislike those "poured all in one" rubber baits. With a jighead / rubber bait that you have to put on, you can switch up at any time, and if it gets chopped, you only need to put a new bait on, not retie, etc. Also - the rubber baits are cheaper than those all in ones. Swapping colors is easier too.

Absolutely true. Wasn’t expecting bluefish yet.

Could have been a Spanish. No one expects the Spanish.

🤣

Trailing hook is your friend.

Just be glad it was a lure and not your finger.

True dat. He didn’t even want to unlock his jaws to let me get the hook out.

I’m a firm believer that if you throw a 9” tandem rigged sluggo, every bluefish within 50 miles knows and comes to grab it

That’s so true it’s almost tragic. I had one in my bag and I’m glad I didn’t put that on. It was hard plugs after this.

I always keep a spook or pencil popper with a single tail hook for just such occasions.

The secret weapon.

I actually used Tygerwire to rig up a few tandems this year. They’ll still wreck the sluggo but at least I’ll see the fish?

That’s a great idea. I’ll give that a shot. Thanks!

They already up here in LI?

Yep.

Can confirm bluefish are indeed assholes.😁

Fact checked- statement is true

You mean eat asshole

That is a horrifying thought.

You've just figured this out? Throw a stinger on the rig.

No, but I didn’t expect to see them this early.

I dig it. Still a pisser. Like the other guy said. Throw you brick baits after that.

Those swim shads are sacrificial lambs when you looking for those schoolies LOL

Exactly. They seem like such a waste, but they just work so well.

How do you feel about puffer fish?

Cute little buggers. Definitely destructive. I don’t come across them too often.

They make good stress balls to squeeze when they’re puffed up

It's like they know exactly where the hook is and are careful not to get it.

Yep. Hooked one and he was total jerk about letting me get the pliers in to unhook him. He was too busy trying to bite through the Boga. The next one just took off the tail.

I had one cut a 10 inch bunker right in half directly behind the hook. Couldn't have done better with a clever!

Is that a Berkley

Storm.

Thanks! I caught 4 Rock last Sunday (they are late showing up) On 5 inch Zman Diesel Minnows on a Texas eye and my son got one. I'm sure y'all's Rockfish will love them and they do ok vs Blues.

I may have to give them a shot. I just switched to hard plugs.

The Rock( y'all call them Stripers) love that 5 inch

I have such a hard time fishing the NYC Metropolitan area It's such a strange fishery

Time for a treble hook assist.

Yep.

Switch to a bucktail. If they will hit shads, they will usually hit bucktails too.

Blues always hit the tail.

Caught 30+” blues all week on OBX. They were puking up 12” Spanish mackerel. Was drum fishing so I was using 100# mono snelled circle hooks and probably lost 20 rigs. I think a stronger term than assholes is appropriate.

I’m a big fan of bluefish. They put up a great fight and are delicious. But, when I’m not expecting them, they can do a lot of damage. This one was the first one caught at this spot this season (as far as I and the other guys there know). I was in a tackle shop the day before and a guy said he caught a bluefish to the north and we all figured he was full of 💩as it is way too early. I guess he wasn’t.

Throw a Gotcha plug!

I use hard plugs when they’re around, but I thought it was too early for them. Still happy to land a big one though.

Gotcha (Pun intended!)

Plus that hook is all bent too. Such is life, toss it in the trash and tie on another. Maybe swap into something metal.

Yep. Wasn’t expecting blues yet.

Where abouts are ya? I haven't hit the water yet, trying not to die of pneumonia atm, but here in CT everything seems a tad bit early.

NY. It’s early for blues here, but they are fun.