High on catching bluefish by Bob Sampson, Jr.

1. There ain't no cure for the summertime blues" is a very appropriate line from an old "The Who" song that applies to fishing this time of year, when bluefish, snapper bluefish, blue crabs move into our inshore waters and blue shark, blue marlin and bluefin tuna dominate swimming in the deep blue waters of the open ocean.
2. The latter three offshore species require a big boat or booking with a charter boat to target, though usually this time of year, occasionally schools of small "football" (20-50 pound) bluefin tuna move in close enough to chase with a small boat.
3. Most years a few strays are caught along the Rhode Island shoreline from Newport to the walls at Point Judith and occasionally along south side of Fishers Island and in the Race.
4. Last year there was a major invasion of school bluefins about this time, the likes of which no one has seen in this area since I began writing this column in 1972. We may not witness such a unique fisheries event again for another 30 years or more.
5. School tuna are presently eight miles or so south of Block Island with no indication as to whether or not they are headed in our direction. Almost every summer a few scattered catches of schoolie tuna are made in this area. Bear in mind, they can not be kept without the proper permitting from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), or risk paying some hefty fines.
6. Their "tunoid" cousins the bonito and false albacore, will be moving inshore where anglers can catch them between Watch Hill, the Sluiceway and Niantic Bay, by the end of this month or early September. It's a matter of water temperature and the distribution of bait as to how good our tunoid runs will be..
7. Bluefish started showing up in catches around this area in early May. However, good bluefish action doesn't get revved up until some time in June, after adults complete their spawning in the offshore waters and move inshore to feed for the summer.
8. From that point on, more and larger bluefish invade our beaches to chew up anything and everything they encounter along the way. They can become a pain in the tackle budget if you are not prepared for their sharp teeth.
9. Bluefish numbers have been building for a few years and currently three healthy size groups are out there to catch. As would be expected the smaller, younger 2-to-4 pound bluefish are dominating the fishing action along the entire coast.
10. Mixed in and in discreet schools there are good numbers of 6-to-8 pound fish with tackle shops throughout the area talking about fish up to 15 pounds.
11. No reports yet, but "snapper blues" are the offspring from the spring spawning activities off the coast. They move inshore to feed in shallow estuaries where they create a very popular shore-based fishery for coastal anglers.
12. Joe Balint at the Fish Connection said there are plenty of 2-to-5 pound bluefish running up and down the Thames River with the tides, as far as the oil tanks located just south of Norwich. The harbor has been slow lately for some reason. Try fishing the stretch of river from Stoddards Wharf north to the tressle and south to Buoy 27.
13. The Race is the one of the best bluefishing grounds anywhere. We saw schools of small blues literally everywhere along the south side of Fishers Island last Sunday. The Watch HIll Reef Complex and the Millstone Point outflow are also holding good numbers.