Collection: Bluefish Essentials

Bluefish are a prevalent species around Nantucket - good thing too because they're also one of the most fun species to catch! They usually arrive in small numbers at the end of May, just after the stripers migrate over, and they remain all over the island until October.

There're a couple of things you need to know before going after blues on ACK. First and foremost, quite literally, are the teeth. Unlike striped bass, for example, bluefish have sharp teeth that can really do some damage to both gear and anglers. These fish can bite straight through your line if you're not careful, so we recommend using a wire leader or a heavy-test monofilament leader.

Now, what you attach to that leader is where the real fun begins. Bluefish are fast and aggressive animals. A great place to start would be with some Spofford's Ballistic Missiles. You're going to want to reel these plugs, and all the other lures listed below, in at a moderate to fast rate. This gives you the benefit of watching that bluefish attack at the surface of the water. 

Once you land the fish is when safety comes into play. You definitely don't want to get too close to its mouth. Make sure you've a strong pair of pliers or a hook-out tool to remove the hooks - thats the safest way for you and the animal. 

Lastly, your'e going to want to take a picture with that 40" behemoth you pulled onto 40th Pole. The Ego Grip tool and Aftco Release Glove is for handling the fish properly and the ACK Blues long-sleeve is so you look good doing it.