Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1890-10-23
CATCHING BLUEFISH.
SPORT ALONG THE JERSEY SHORE
AND AT GREAT SOUTH BAY.

On Board Fishing Smack-The Oues-
tion of Tackle and What 1t Costs.
Bluefshing for Business and Pleasure
Combined-Catching Blues on shore.
A slight breeze ruffies the ocean. The
vessels scud by under full sail, and the
fishing boats, off on the banks, rise and
fall like logs on the long ground swell.
The surf breaks ON the beach in great
combers, which throw themselves high
upon the sand and then rush back to
mingle with the more congenial ele-
ment. On the bluff at Seabright stands
man whose eyes, shaded by his hand,
are bent fixedly upon small dark patch
on the ocean over which are clustered
excited sea gulls. Now and then the
patch scintillates with silver spots, and
the gulls throw themselves from their
lofty height into the silver Kaleidoscope.
1t seems to be moving nearer shore. The
watcher perceives it to be school Of
bluefish Soon the school is inside of
the breakers and he runs into neigh
boring house.
He comes out carrying u long fishing
line, neatly coiled and ending in six
inches or more of stout wire, to which
is attached lead squid. Removing his
shoes and stockings and rolling up his
trousers the man, carrying the coil of
line on his arm, wades into the surf, and
catching hold Of the line about six feet
from the squid begins to whir1 the piece
OF lead around his head 1t whirls fast
er and faster. After the retreat of
wave he finally runs down almost into
the ocean bed and lets 60 of the line.
The squid flies out straight hundred
and fifty feet or more and settles into
the breakers.
FISHING FROM THE SHORE
Then the fisherman hauls it in hand
over hand as rapidly as he can. A blue
fish jumps from the water and the line
assumes marked rigidity. The fisher
man hauls yet faster, and pulls up on the
beach six pound beauty. He unhooks
the long, powerful bodied, blue backed,
white bellied fish very gingerly, for he is
mindful OF the razorlike teeth and does
not care. to lose finger He throws the
fish high up on the beach and begins his
efforts afresh. In half an hour the blue
fish, which have been in chase Of a school
Of menhaden, head for the deeper ocean,
and the fisherman picks up his catch of
dozen or more and walks back to the
house. Such is bluefshing on the Jersey
coast.
Would you see the sport on Great
South Bay, go to any of the bordering
towns, and engage for small sum sail
boat and captain to take you out If
you do not become seasick and there ISIS
reefng breeze you will have grand sport.
A squid and line can be used, or a rod
and reel with a squid. The boat keels
well over on its side and rushes through
the water with an exhilarating motion.
Several long lines troll out from the
boat, and the squids of bone or metal fly
through the water. Now the fish strikes
one line, now another, until fingers, pro-
tected as they are by mitts, are sore and
arms ache. A mornings sport will often
yield enough fish for large hotel.
Another method frequently practiced
here is known to fishermen as chum-
ming. Several hundred menhaden, or
s'bunkers, are secured, a portion of
which are ground or chopped up into
kind of mush, and literally scattered
over the surface Of the water where the
boat is anchored