Bluefish: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for Connecticut shore, CT.

Fishing region

Season in Connecticut

Peak months: May, Oct.

JFMAMJJASOND

OTW May 2025: early May in the eastern Sound; the next few months are the best chance for huge blues on surface plugs. CT DEEP reports (2011, 2012): bluefish 2 to 12 lb plus throughout the Sound in late July and early August, good to excellent. OTW Oct 2025: huge blitzes of tailor blues from the Connecticut River to the Rhode Island border. (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

The same reefs and rips as striped bass (the Race, Plum Gut, Long Sand Shoal, Sixmile Reef, Stratford Shoal and others, CT DEEP); bunker schools in the western Sound in spring; tailor blues from the Connecticut River to the Rhode Island border in October.

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: 2 to 12 lb plus in summer (CT DEEP 2011). Large: Lower teens (CT DEEP repost).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the CT limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Connecticut DEEP Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.

Sources

On The Water: What's Biting in May in Connecticut? (Elser, Rayner, 2025) (Angler knowledge)
CT DEEP marine fishing report, July 30 2011 (reposted on Patch) (Official source)
CT DEEP Long Island Sound marine fishing report, Aug 2 2012 (reposted on Patch) (Official source)
On The Water: Connecticut Fishing Report, Oct 16 2025 (Black Hall Outfitters, Middlebank) (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)

All the fish of Connecticut

Bluefish