# Smyrna Blues 11/23/03



## LitzFish26 (Apr 14, 2003)

The wife and I had a great day of fishing yesterday in the surf at New Smyrna. After catching bait, we arrived around 2:00pm and fished until 5:00pm. The tide was on its way back in. Blues were smacking everything. Started with some freshly caught live mullet. They were killing them. Caught several blues in the 
20 inch range. They also hit fresh dead mullet (whole and chunked). When we ran out of those, we steaked up a blue and they were drilling that as well. All in all, we landed and released a dozen or so nice 20 to 26 in blues and lost maybe 10 right at the beach. My wife also caught a nice door-matt sized flounder on a fingerling. It was a nice one! Its refreshing to be able to fish in the surf after a long time of rough current. 2 and half hours of non-stop action!
Fish On,

Litz


----------



## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

Great report! Them blues should be hanging around for a little while. I remember fishing for hours there when they start blitzing like crazy. Oh the good ole days. Tell the lady congrats on the doormat!


----------



## Reelbehind (Jul 30, 2003)

Did you keep any to eat? The small Blues are very good if you dredge them in flour, then egg wash, then half and half mixture of Il. breadcrumbs and saltine crackers and deep fry. Heck even the big one's are O.K. to eat


----------



## Joeseminole18 (Feb 26, 2003)

No, bluefish are DISGUSTING.

That is all.


----------



## LitzFish26 (Apr 14, 2003)

I have never eaten a blue, however, my Dad has tried to cook them up. He said they were the worst tasting fish ever. 

My wife and I have a bit of a problem with eating the fish we catch. Do not get me wrong, I eat fish at restaurants, its just the whole process of us catching them. Then filleting them, Then frying them. We can do all the above, except for eating them. I guess its a mind thing. I have been fishing my whole life, and you would think that I would be able to get over that, but somehow I can't do it. I give a lot of fish away, but in most cases I practice catch and release. We even released the doormat she caught. I know...were crazy right? Any insight on how to get over this?

Litz


----------



## wizardude (May 19, 2002)

LitzFish26 said:


> *I have never eaten a blue
> 
> 
> I give a lot of fish away, but in most cases I practice catch and release. We even released the doormat she caught. I know...were crazy right? Any insight on how to get over this?
> ...



Bluefish under 5lbs are "great" eating  Bleed them when caught, and if you want even milder taste, soak over night in milk or buttermilk.



> Any insight on how to get over this?


Easy, get a friend to clean them, and share the fillets


----------



## Bruce (Aug 27, 2003)

*Eating bluefish*

I admit I like bluefish also. Any kind of preparation with an acidic component will help reduce the "fish" flavor. That is the reason for marinating in buttermilk or italian dressing in many recipes. I like to cook my blues with Lawry's seasoned salt and a little yellow or brown mustard coating (vinegar in the mustard is acidic) and sauted or grilled. They come out very nice.

Most Florida blues are usually small, less than 4lb (snapper blues)and much milder than the much larger chopper blues up north.


----------



## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

I get the smoker going for those Blues and they taste great.


----------



## Reelbehind (Jul 30, 2003)

Good Joe that leaves more for me.


----------



## Atticus (Nov 4, 2003)

What Koz said


----------



## SLEEPLESS (Mar 31, 2003)

I have been surf fishing only for about a year and a half. Someone once told me that if you bleed the blues you catch right away, they are excellent eating. So, I have gone so far as to immediately gut all the blues I have caught and kept. We have found them to be very good for eating. 

Does anyone else go through all this trouble of bleeding and gutting the blues as soon as they are caught?


----------

