# Smokers in the Sound



## Pompano Joe (Jan 28, 2009)

Was coming home about noon on Friday after a slow morning...one nice Speckled Trout in the box...when I saw some bait showering through the grass beds. Caught and cut off by Blue Fish for the next 30 minutes or so. Fun light tackle fishing! Super hungry...hooked up every cast. I kept thinking they would spook or move on, but they hung right with me. 

Interesting to me that the size of the Blues have improved over the years in our area. I caught my personal best in the surf last year @ 5 pounds. These were in the 2-4 pound range, fat and full of glass minnow and small eylwife. Beautiful slabs of meat. Smoke 'em good, Jerry. Can't wait to make some Smoked Blue Fish Dip!


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Nice! Blues are always good to "break in" the drag on light tackle! :thumbup:


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## Tobiwan (Apr 27, 2012)

Love catching blues! Nice job


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## reelndrag (Feb 20, 2013)

Nice job! Always a good fight when u got one of them hooked


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## Scoolbubba (Feb 22, 2013)

Pulled one out yesterday near the pass...first bluefish I've ever caught. 

I'm glad I grabbed it by the tail and took a look at my lure before I tried to lip it...would have been a quick way to lose a thumb!


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Scoolbubba said:


> Pulled one out yesterday near the pass...first bluefish I've ever caught.
> 
> I'm glad I grabbed it by the tail and took a look at my lure before I tried to lip it...would have been a quick way to lose a thumb!


Yep! :thumbsup:


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## ric hamm (Mar 21, 2013)

Do blues cut through braid? I hooked on to sonething yesterday evening and it was kicking my ass so i tightened up my dragged thinking whatever it is, my 30lb braid can handle it, well ten seconds after doing that the line went slack and the braid was cut above the leader. Ten mins after that i hooked up again and after about 20 seconds and a jump in the air the leader was cut right above the hook. I didnt get a good look at what it was when it jumped out, im not sure if specks can cut through line like that. So my question for you vets is: what can i use to better my chances of not getting my line cut? Will using a wire leader scare away other fish like specks and reds. Sorry for making this so long, as you can tell im still an amateur trying to learn the ropes ;-)


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

More likely Spanish as the culprit? Just my .02


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## Collard (Oct 23, 2007)

Wirelessly posted (Not the droid youre lookin for)

Good job.....but a SMOKER is reference to a King


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## Disco (Aug 21, 2013)

ric hamm said:


> Do blues cut through braid? I hooked on to sonething yesterday evening and it was kicking my ass so i tightened up my dragged thinking whatever it is, my 30lb braid can handle it, well ten seconds after doing that the line went slack and the braid was cut above the leader. Ten mins after that i hooked up again and after about 20 seconds and a jump in the air the leader was cut right above the hook. I didnt get a good look at what it was when it jumped out, im not sure if specks can cut through line like that. So my question for you vets is: what can i use to better my chances of not getting my line cut? Will using a wire leader scare away other fish like specks and reds. Sorry for making this so long, as you can tell im still an amateur trying to learn the ropes ;-)



Yep wire leader is a good bet for that kind of fishing homie!!!:thumbsup: Also id bet the fish that cut you off was a lady fish/skip jack. They are toothy buggers and love to jump. They also put up a heck of a fight. I got one today that was fighting harder than the king I had just caught.


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## reelndrag (Feb 20, 2013)

I have caught plenty of blues at the beach with just a 8" wire leader and a long shaft j hook.. u can actually buy a "blue fish rig" at gulf coast bait and tackle, I have never had them cut through that. I have caught up to a 34" blue with that leader/hook setup on 30# mono. Sharks are good about tail whipping the line and snapping u off and some sharks do jump, like spinner sharks. I am sure u could have told wether it was a shark or not but with 30# braid and a leader, I dont see a blue cutting u off. The only other fish I can think of that could put up a heck of a fight that had the possibility to cut u off would be a jack crevalle..


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## DAWGONIT (Jan 16, 2009)

Great eating size on those Blues & perfect for sharking too!
thanks for sharing.


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## DawnsKayBug (Jul 24, 2013)

You cant go wrong with a Gotcha plug for blues. Honestly, they will hit anything thats moving.


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## Tobiwan (Apr 27, 2012)

I've caught tons of blues on 10lb braid with a 20lb mono leader tied on using a double-uni knot. 

Did you tie your leader using a swivel? If so blues and Spanish have been known to hit at your swivel. In turn breaking you off.


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## Tobiwan (Apr 27, 2012)

DawnsKayBug said:


> You cant go wrong with a Gotcha plug for blues. Honestly, they will hit anything thats moving.


If I get into blues I usually try to catch them with top water since they will hit almost anything I always figure I may as well be watching them smash my top water lol.


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## ric hamm (Mar 21, 2013)

Tobiwan, i did use a swivel on the leader and the forst one thst cut me off was above the swivel so you might be on to something. Anyone have a good recommendation on what type of setup/leader i should use, i mostly use a carolina rig but ive been in a slump lately and cant seem to land anything, clearly something has got to change


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## reelndrag (Feb 20, 2013)

All mine I have caught have been on 30# mono with 2 8" leaders with a long j hook (keep about 2' between leaders) u can buy them leaders at gcbt if u want to have just to tie on, Then I have a 4oz pyramid weight at the bottom.. really simple and easy


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## DarthWader50 (Jul 24, 2012)

I was on the grass catching those blues over the weekend as well. Three of us on the boat, one was throwing 10lb line because thats all he had - didn't land a single fish, just lost a bunch of lures. Myself and the other guy with me were both throwing 15lb and didnt have too many issues. I think we got cut off twice? They were eating anything you could put in front of them so we tied on our least favorite lures in the box and used those. Saturday was all blue fish but sunday was all skipjacks...kind of strange. Only one trout and one red each day, but that can't complain about the fight those blues and skips put up.


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