# interesting newspaper article from 1975 on Bluefish- "Ravenous Blues Injur Swimmers"



## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

*interesting newspaper article from 1975 on Bluefish- "Ravenous Blues Injur Swimmers"*

I found this article in the Wilmington Star from April 9, 1975. The event discussed in the article occurred on Friday, so I am assuming it was April 2, 1975. I didnt realize Bluefish got that big that far south.
Do they still get big Blues 








jf


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

We see big blues down this way all of the time, although they are rarely caught on the beach. The boat guys will bag them early every season, around September, in the 15-20 lb. range. A big surf or pier blue is normally in the 5-7 lb range.

I have been bitten by a bluefish in the water. Wasn't even near a bait school. Bit me right on my leg.


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## wdbrand (May 24, 2007)

Good thing he didn't bite you in the azz. He would have bellied up for shore.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

wdbrand said:


> Good thing he didn't bite in the azz. He would have bellied up for shore.


I reckon you're right. I'm certainly not used to azz bites.


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

I found another article . . . Apparently, it was 1976. I lived in Ft. Lauderdale at the time.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19760410&id=d3MjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M2cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6969,4192687


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

Also . . .

http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/41766523/

AND . . .

http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/34090158/


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## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

*hmm*

No wonder I thought it was 1975. If you click on this link, it says April 9, 1975 but the paper is actually April 9, 1976.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...LgsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ERMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2435,2087037



ez2cdave said:


> I found another article . . . Apparently, it was 1976. I lived in Ft. Lauderdale at the time.
> 
> http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19760410&id=d3MjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M2cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6969,4192687


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## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

Here is another case, in April 1987 in Florida.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1987-04-17/news/8701240724_1_bluefish-swimmers-anglers

Here is an article on when the big blues run in Florida, apparently late March and early april. This is pathetic: ``I remember when we had a big run four or five years ago, guys were tossing Coke cans out on their lines and the fish were busting the Coke cans,`` Thomas said. That run was so heavy and the action so hectic that bluefish were stacked like cord wood down the center of the pier. Unfortunately, the mindless savagery of bluefish has a contagious effect on some anglers. Rather than release the fish they didn`t want, they left them in a heap on the pier. A truck had to be brought in to haul them away.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-03-26/sports/8601180589_1_bluefish-pier-manager-anglers


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

That run you are talking about is the second one of the season. It's when they turn around and head back north. They follow the mullet run down south in September/October. (although we see bigger mullet come in ahead of the finger mullet as early as August)


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## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

*blues*



solid7 said:


> That run you are talking about is the second one of the season. It's when they turn around and head back north. They follow the mullet run down south in September/October. (although we see bigger mullet come in ahead of the finger mullet as early as August)


Ive never fished the Florida east coast. Ive fished the NC coast since 1975. There is a period in southeast NC when the Taylor blues are in force and the Whiting are also in force. You can bottom
fish for the Whiting, especially at night and the Blues in the late pm and early am. This time is from April 10-May 10. In Nags Head its about 3 weeks later. Is there a similar time around the central Florida coast when the Taylor blues are blitzing and the Whiting are still around in great numbers? Do the Taylor blues arrive before the big blues in central Florida coast like they do in NC? I just love that time when the taylors are blitzing and the Whiting are there in numbers. I would like to go to Florida for a week one spring (or late winter or whatever is the best time) when the weather conditions are fcst to be favorable for both of these species. I am assuming that onshore flow is best? 

These reports on March 25, 2011 and Jan 28, 2012 from Nick Honachefsky in the Sportsman have peaked my interest in Florida:

"I've been hitting Cape Canaveral every weekend bailing whiting, some quality sizers to about 17 inches that fit the frying pan well. Shrimp on hi-lo rigs have been working. Occasional pompano now too, along with some small puppy black drum and a couple of 3 to 4-pound bluefish. Average whiting catches have been in the 20 to 30 fish range for 4 hours fishing with only one rod. Saw a slab sheepshead come off the beach last weekend too. "

"On Saturday Jan. 28th, the Playalinda surf was absolutely loaded with whiting. Saturday was a 35 fish day while Sunday had 65 whiting with plenty more missed between me and a friend. No sharks, no pomps though. The east wind on Sunday really pushed them in hard and they hit with ferocity at the top of the tide around 11 AM, right inside the undertow. If you cast out 25 yards, you cast out too far. Only kept six of hte larger bulls for the frying pan, and they sure were tasty! "

Of course, 2012 was an outlier year, at least for NC, as the Whiting and Blues started running about 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule and the water was unusually warm.

jf


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## Yakkin (Jul 5, 2013)

Thanks for posting the article, that really takes me back.

I was 16 YO then and visiting my sister in Ft Lauderdale over spring break when that happened. I can remember reading about the 'attacks' in the paper and it made the local news. Made quite an impression on me then.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

When you have bait biters, incoming tide with a wind at your back works well, as it keeps the water clear, so the bait can congregate. Or, conversely, if the swell isn't pounding, any flavor of east wind can also pile up the bait onshore. In either case, if you can find structure - i.e., rocks - you'll generally find pockets of bait piled up, and everything in the ocean tearing it up.

I have no idea what a "Taylor blue" is, so I can't answer your question. But fishing in March/April is a bit of a transition period. We get a lot of stuff like croakers in at that time. Sometimes, that's all you can catch. There are always whiting, but there is a certain time that they come through in big numbers. Can't remember when that is. I know it's cold, though...


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

The Southern Kingfish variety of whiting are the badasses. They like to take cut bait more than anything, and they get BIG. Seems like you have to cast a long ways for them, though...


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## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

*blues*



solid7 said:


> The Southern Kingfish variety of whiting are the badasses. They like to take cut bait more than anything, and they get BIG. Seems like you have to cast a long ways for them, though...


Wow, I just assumed you used the same terminology down there in Florida. A taylor blue is a bluefish generally between 1 and 3 pounds--in other words, the good eating sized ones.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

Terminology is highly regional. Like a "sea mullet" which has nothing to do with a mullet. Or a "whiting", which also isn't even remotely close to a whiting, for that matter.

One state line makes all the difference in the world.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

solid7 said:


> Terminology is highly regional. Like a "sea mullet" which has nothing to do with a mullet. Or a "whiting", which also isn't even remotely close to a whiting, for that matter.
> 
> One state line makes all the difference in the world.


So you do not get started on the wrong spelling it is Tailor Blue not Taylor Blue which is more similar to Taylor Swift a form of young hot rich chick

Term comes from the propensity of the Bluefish to "snip" off parts of baits as if using scissors

What do they call "Pilgrims" in Florida?


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

Garboman said:


> So you do not get started on the wrong spelling it is Tailor Blue not Taylor Blue which is more similar to Taylor Swift a form of young hot rich chick
> 
> Term comes from the propensity of the Bluefish to "snip" off parts of baits as if using scissors
> 
> What do they call "Pilgrims" in Florida?


They call them immigrants from north of the Mason Dixon line


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

KB Spot Chaser said:


> They call them immigrants from north of the Mason Dixon line


A Pilgrim is a novice fisherman who wanders out on an OBX pier with or without his family in tow and is determined to do things his way and his way only and no matter that the techniques employed which may just the ticket in Akron Ohio sometimes do not mesh with the OBX

You can recognize Pilgrims as they make their out on the planks or onto the beach by their quizzical blank stares, copious amounts of sunscreen, typically frozen squid for bait, toting vast numbers of unnecessary equipment, wearing strange hats and when on the beach decked out in water shoes of some sort...

Watched a guy fishing for puppy drum next to Rodanthe Pier, standing on the beach, every time he hooked a puppy up he yelled to his wife to bring the net and this is no lie he would run into the surf and struggle with his rod in one hand and the net in the other.........most times he managed to get the small Drum in his net, but he sure got wet and with the brisk afternoon wind his exposed skin seemed painted a pale blue ......kept yelling Get the Net! Get the Net!

Back in the day Pilgrims were even easier to recognize as use of sunscreen was not prevalent, so along about 1:00 PM or so the Pilgrims faces and backs would be tinted a uniform red lobster red sort of hue.....


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

Down here, what we call "pilgrims" is "pretty much everybody". It's a big state, lots of tourism. Every 3rd fisherman, on average, doesn't live here, and may very well never fish here again.

To be fair, there are plenty of drum fisherman who make themselves look silly on our beaches down here. From the pier cart that takes a 1/2 day to load/unload, throwing huge mullet heads in the dead of summer, to carrying no rods rated less than "6 & bait". We see it all. I'm sure you've had a skippy or two from Florida show up on your sand with a 2 oz. pompano rig and a noodly rod, looking for some sweet pullage... It goes all ways... 

Funny you mention sunscreen. If you don't bring it down here, you'll get punished for it. I suppose I could look out for NC fishermen by their lack of sunscreen. A true floridian is recognized by his/her wallet-like appearance. But you've got to work up to that.


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## WNCRick (Sep 24, 2007)

Anyone without raccoon face was considered a tourist in Key West, let your eyelids get sunburned from being on a flats boat and that'll never happen again..........hey solid, nothing wrong with a leather neck...


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

WNCRick said:


> A..........hey solid, nothing wrong with a leather neck...


No, but you got to earn it. It doesn't happen overnight. You can't get your brown with peeling skin, now can you?


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## aardvarkgraphix (Sep 30, 2005)

ALL this verbage is GREAT, Fished Florida for several years, multiple times each summer. Learned QUICKLY, lather up the sunscreen as your boat leaves the dock and again multiple tiimes during the day. Sitting out there in the Gulf on a nice SULTRY summer day and let dead tide hit, WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lets move or SOMETHING has to give. Been to OBX, called a BULL Drum a BULL RED, man I must have spoken the proverbial "ALEIN" language. I was corrected Quickly that they are DRUM here. I have fished from NC, SC, GA and Florida and hopefull Alabama before long. I guess that is my next class on "TERMS" of the fishing world. It is odd to hear for sure, WHERE does the name changes occur? NO MATTER WHERE, they are fish, the same fish, and taste as good regardless of the name. HELP us when we come to your neck of the woods and we will do the same. If we bring BIG GUNS for so so fish say "Hey man, try this". My first time fishing the gulf up off the panhadle(ST.Marks) I did the same. WELL I was given a couple of rods by the guide, som light Shimano 2500's on some 6'-7' G-loomis rods. MAN what a BLAST!!!!!!!!! Hook into a good size Cobia, THAT is a FIGHT!. 20 plus inch GATOR Trout, BIG RED (Yes, went there) all are a BLAST with light tackle. The BIG GUNS stay at home now, just a small tackle bag makes the trip. UNTIL we meet, ENJOY the SPORT!!!!!!!!!!!


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## wdbrand (May 24, 2007)

Garbo, you forgot the ones that turn the Wally rod downside up and reel backwards. Was out with Rick one trip from Rudee and he got to laughing. Said on a recent trip two of the fellows had the spinners upside down on an EZ trip, jigging for stripes. Said he knew it was gonna be a long day.


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