Bluefish: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for Cape Cod and the Islands, MA.

Fishing region

Season in Cape Cod

Peak months: Sep.

JFMAMJJASOND

OTW May 2025: first-blue dates at Wasque were May 9 to 22 (1988 to 1995); the spring south-side run has become inconsistent but boats find solid bluefish in the Nantucket Sound rips. OTW Sept 2025: bluefish are here big time on the Outer Cape with fall beach blitzes. Martha's Vineyard Derby weighs bluefish mid-September to mid-October. OTW Oct 31 2024: a few small blues left. (Our inference)

Season by region

Myrtle Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
Long Island	JFMAMJJASOND
Maine	JFMAMJJASOND
New Hampshire	JFMAMJJASOND
North Shore MA	JFMAMJJASOND
Cape Cod	JFMAMJJASOND
Rhode Island	JFMAMJJASOND
Connecticut	JFMAMJJASOND
North Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
South Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
Delmarva	JFMAMJJASOND
Virginia Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
Outer Banks	JFMAMJJASOND
Southern NC	JFMAMJJASOND
Charleston	JFMAMJJASOND
Georgia	JFMAMJJASOND
Northeast Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Space Coast	JFMAMJJASOND
Southeast Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Southwest Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Big Bend	JFMAMJJASOND
Panhandle	JFMAMJJASOND
Alabama	JFMAMJJASOND
Louisiana	JFMAMJJASOND
Lower Texas	JFMAMJJASOND

Where to find them

Nantucket Sound rips from East Beach to Wasque, south-side beaches (South Cape Beach, Popponesset, Cotuit) in May; Outer Cape beaches Race Point to Long Nook in fall blitzes; Martha's Vineyard shore spots during the Derby (OTW, Patch).

Anywhere from the wash to well beyond the bar; blitzes drive bait into the trough.

What to look for

Birds working hard over bait, bait spraying, heavy splashes and oily slicks.

What to throw

Metal casting jig (diamond, Hopkins or Stingsilver style)1 to 2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Fast steady retrieve for mackerel; let it sink and rip it up for blues; jig near bottom for weakfish.

Got-Cha style jig plug7/8 to 1 oz, 3 to 3.5 in. Sharp upward rod-tip jerks while reeling fast, so it darts and flashes.

Pencil popper1 to 5 oz, Sized to the bait, from silversides to adult bunker. Slow and deliberate, speeding up when a fish shows interest; or hold the rod tip and bounce it hard while barely advancing the plug so it churns in place.

Silver casting spoon (Clarkspoon or Drone style)1/2 to 1 oz, No. 0 to 1 / 2.5 to 3.5 in. Burn it. Fast, steady, just under the surface.

Bait

Cut mullet, Cut menhaden. Float or fish-finder rig with a short wire leader.

Leader

Short single-strand wire (#4 to #5, 6 to 12 in) or a 50 to 60 lb mono bite tippet.

Common mistakes

No bite protection on the leader
Reaching into the mouth to unhook
Slow retrieves when fish are blitzing

Landing

Keep pressure on and use a wave to beach it. Do not lift by the leader near your hands.

Handling

Razor teeth; will snap after it is landed

Pin the fish with a towel or your foot on the sand side, unhook with long pliers, never put fingers near the mouth.

Keep or release

Best eaten fresh, bled and iced.

Recipes for bluefish

Typical: MA DMF: 20 to 25 in. Large: Up to 42 in (MA DMF).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the MA limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.

Sources

On The Water: What's Biting in May on Cape Cod? (Peros, Fee, 2025) (Angler knowledge)
Patch (community post): 7 Secrets to Catching More Fish this Spring on Cape Cod (2013) (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: What's Biting in September on Cape Cod? (Allen, Peros, Rathgeber, 2025) (Angler knowledge)
Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby (dates Sept 13 to Oct 17 2026 per Vineyard Gazette and derby calendar) (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: Cape Cod Fishing Report, Oct 31 2024 (Red Top Sporting Goods, Eastman's Sport and Tackle) (Angler knowledge)
NC Sea Grant Coastwatch: surf fishing species notes (2008) (Official source)
NOAA NEFSC essential fish habitat: bluefish (Stehlik) (Official source)
Gregg Holshouser Grand Strand fishing reports, 2019-2020 (mirror) (Angler knowledge)
MA DMF: Learn about bluefish (Official source)

All the fish of Cape Cod

Bluefish