Yakking for Stripers and Blues

[Dave]

I've been hearing reports of Stripers and now bluefish showing up in Raritan Bay which is roughly about 1-1/2 hrs away.  Talked a friend into giving it a shot with kayaks. It was slow going most of the day with a lot of useless exercising peddling around. After about 4-5 hours without a hit, I heard Tom holler from about 200 yds away he has one on. Before he landed his bluefish, I was hooked up with a short striper. It was 27 inches long - need to be 28 



And in reference to one of Nasty's posts, I am a fan of this type of gripper!  Haha.  Really necessary with bluefish.



In most saltwater fishing, things are dependent on tides.  Just so happened that the tide was now coming in and the fish were coming in with it. You will notice how flat and calm the water is in these pics.  At times, we could see where bluefish were just under the surface.  They were either pushing a little water or their fins were just exposed above the water (saw this about a dozen different times and was able to cast to them maybe six of those times).  That's how Tom caught his and then I finally also caught a blue casting to 'fins.' 



For eating purposes, it pays to bleed the blues before filleting them.  I couldn't believe how much blood poured into the water after slicing its gills.  My mind keyed up the theme music from Jaws 
Had to leave at that point even though there were fish still around.

[Hawks Feather]

I think I might have waited to chum the water for sharks till I was on shore.

Jerry

[FinsnFur]

Yah that would be kinda freaky to cloud the water with blood.
How far out were you guys? Looks like fun.
I'm jealous of your Hobie

[nastygunz]

 You definitely don't want to Lip a bluefish like you do a bass

[Dave]

I think I might have waited to chum the water for sharks till I was on shore.

Jerry

Haha - I was only 2 casts length from the beach with the bluefish and went right in after slicing its gills

Yah that would be kinda freaky to cloud the water with blood.
How far out were you guys? Looks like fun.
I'm jealous of your Hobie

We probably were 4 miles from where we put in, but more than a mile from a shoreline at all times.  We fished all the water you see behind me in the first bluefish pic to within a few hundred yards of the land in the background.  Deepest water between where I am and that land you see about 3 miles away was 22 feet.

[Coulter]

Pretty cool...looks like a lot of fun!