Way under-gunned, we chased them around for two hours before one exploded on a topwater bait. It took that long again to land it—and that was one of the smaller fish. We were ecstatic.
That was well over a decade ago. What was something of a surprise to us has since evolved into a fairly consistent near-shore December fishery, at least for a handful of hearty adrenaline junkies fishing the New York Bight.
Yet, it’s anything but easy.
Phantom Fish
Locals call these bluefins “ghosts,” because no one knows precisely when or where they will appear, or how long they will stay. These are presumably migratory fish that are making a push south from Maine and Massachusetts, where they spend their summers—and feeding heavily on 6- to 9-inch sand eels, herring, and mackerel along the way.
“They always come past here,” says New Jersey captain Gene Quigley. “Whether or not they stay and we get shots at them depends on what sort of bait concentrations we have here.”
Best guesses are that they will show from late November into January, in 70 to 100 feet of water, anywhere from Fire Island, N.Y., to Point Pleasant, N.J. Where specifically, though, is impossible to pinpoint. The first indication of their arrival is typically a report or two of late-season striped bass fishermen getting inexplicably spooled by a mystery fish. While anglers try to keep information of the late migrators to themselves, the news inevitably leaks out via word of mouth, internet message boards, Facebook posts, and VHF radio. Monitoring these sources and having a flexible schedule to take advantage of weather conditions is critical. It’s a sight-fishing game once you hit the water. Let diving birds, frenzied schools of baitfish, and busting tuna be your guide.
The behavior of these tuna is somewhat ghost-like, too, with fleeting unapproachable, inconsistent sightings, a few popping here and a few popping there. They are often very boat-shy and sound when you get close.
“Getting shots can be difficult,” says Quigley “You’ve got to really refine your approach and come in upwind, up-feed. Only a few captains know how to do that right.”
Birds are always helpful when hunting down these ghosts. Bluefins will push sand eels, half-beaks, or whatever bait they are chasing to the surface, and gannets, seagulls, or terns will…
