Bluefish

1. Winter · scarce
   0.15
2. Spring run
   0.60
3. Summer · scattered
   0.30
4. ● Fall run
   0.60
5. Run · 62-76°F
   0.9062–76°F

1. 1

   sardines, thread herring & menhaden · greenbacks

   primary · finfish · Harengula jaguana; Opisthonema oglinum; Brevoortia patronus

   Diet share

   —

   In season

   Bait equivalents

   live greenback (scaled sardine), silver spoon, Gotcha plug, cut menhaden

   Season

   Peak Apr–Oct · lull Dec–Feb

   Vulnerable when

   • High on rising / falling tide in calm-to-moderate surf
   • Moderate on high slack / low slack tide
   • Low on any tide in moderate-to-high surf

   Menhaden, sardines and thread herring schools are what draw packs into the surf. — FishBase SpecCode 364 (fish-dominated diet); prey identity by analogy — unverified

2. 2

   small baitfish (mullet, mojarra, anchovies) · baitfish

   secondary · finfish

   Diet share

   —

   In season

   Bait equivalents

   cut mullet, finger mullet, mojarra, pinfish

   Season

   Peak May–Oct

   Vulnerable when

   • Moderate on any tide

   Mullet schools along the beach are classic bluefish targets. — FishBase SpecCode 364

3. 3

   bay anchovies (glass minnows) · glass minnows

   tertiary · finfish · Anchoa mitchilli; Anchoa hepsetus

   Diet share

   —

   In season

   Bait equivalents

   small silver spoon, white tied jig, Clark spoon, Gotcha plug

   Season

   Peak Apr–Oct · lull Dec–Feb

   Vulnerable when

   • High on rising / falling tide in calm-to-moderate surf
   • Moderate on high slack / low slack tide

   Glass-minnow schools in the surf; small blues feed on them alongside mackerel. — unverified

Water temp

60–84°F

optimum 70°F

Salinity

20–36 PSU

Feeding

crepuscular

Typical size

12–20"

max 51" total

Lifespan

14 yr

Group feeding

facilitates

Aggressive pack predator that attacks bait schools (mullet, menhaden, anchovies) and drives them into the wash. Dawn and dusk blitzes are typical. Sharp teeth cut mono, so use a short wire or heavy leader.

Field notes

• Adults feed on fish, crustaceans and squid, and are known for tearing into shoals of mullet and other baitfish.

  — FishBase SpecCode 364

• Gulf bluefish are small (rarely over 3 lb) and land in modest numbers across panhandle counties.

  — UF/IFAS Escambia County Extension (2022)

• They move inshore to feed and offshore to breed, so the surf sees them in pulses rather than all season.

  — UF/IFAS Escambia County Extension (2022)

• A moderate surf with bait balled in the first trough is the classic bluefish setup.

  • wave height ≥ 1.5 ft

  — angler heuristic — unverified

Schooling by phase

spring run

Packs of small blues blitzing bait along the bars

summer

Scattered fish around passes and piers

fall run

Packs return with the fall bait push

Citations

1. [1]FishBase SpecCode 364 · diet
2. [2]UF/IFAS Escambia County Extension (2022) · gulf size
3. [3]FishBase SpecCode 364 · max age size 130 cm TL, 14.4 kg, 14 yr; depth 0-200 m
4. [4]UF/IFAS Escambia County Extension, 'Bluefish of the Florida Panhandle' (2022) · gulf size Gulf fish rarely over 3 lb
5. [5]UF/IFAS Escambia County Extension (2022) · inshore offshore inshore to feed, offshore to breed
6. [6]Atlantic-stock literature · temp band unverified for the Gulf
7. [7]none found · spawning gulf unverified