Bluefish: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for North Jersey Shore, NJ.

Fishing region

Season in North Jersey

Peak months: May, Oct.

JFMAMJJASOND

May 7 2026: 'Bluefish arrived this week' in the surf and the Manasquan. Aug 2025 big blues to 15 lb off Point Pleasant and on bunker chunks off the beach; Oct 2025 cocktail blues the bulk of the beach catch; fall run blues to 20 lb. Bluefish rarely below 50 F (NC Sea Grant), Sandy Hook averages 50 F in April and 43 F in December (NCEI). (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

Surf on bunker chunks and metal in May and fall; the Manasquan, Point Pleasant Canal and back-bay bridges for cocktail blues; big summer blues offshore on bunker pods.

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. Check NJ rules.

Recipes for bluefish

Typical: 1 to 3 lb. Large: 8 to 16 lb (spring); a 16 lb fish was reported at Pawleys in March.

Limits

FishOS has not checked the NJ limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife before you keep a fish.

Sources

On The Water: Northern New Jersey Fishing Report, May 7 2026 (Julian's, Giglio's, Fishermen's Supply, Grumpy's and other shops) (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: Northern New Jersey Fishing Report, August 14 2025 (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: Northern New Jersey Fishing Report, October 16 2025 (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: The Jersey Shore Fall Striper Run (Angler knowledge)
NC Sea Grant Coastwatch: surf fishing species notes (2008) (Official source)
NOAA NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide: monthly average water temperatures, all stations (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 North Jersey

Bluefish