Photo by Tom Migdalski.

If I had to pick one species of fish that consistently produces nonstop angling year after year along the Jersey coast, it would have to be bluefish. Call them slammers, choppers, gators, or any of a dozen other monikers, they all mean the same thing: a set of fins with razor-sharp teeth that never stop eating. Oh, and they don't know when to quit fighting once they are hooked. You can catch them in the bays, tidal rivers, along the inshore waters and off the beaches, from party boats, charter boats, private boats and off piers.

The first bluefish start moving into Jersey coastal waters during April. By the middle of May, they'll have worked their way into bays and tidal rivers in good numbers. Thanks to some mild autumns in recent years, they have been caught in Jersey waters as late as late December.

The 2006 season was no exception, with some real jumbo blues caught the week before Christmas.

Another nice thing about bluefish is that when it comes to size, you have your choice, so to speak. Do you have some youngsters you'd like to acquaint to fishing? Then load up the ultralight tackle to catch snappers.

Do you prefer some fast fun with average-sized blues and light tackle? There are plenty of 2- to 5-pound bluefish around for the taking, especially under any flock of working birds. And if you want to play muscleman with some slammers, a trip on a party or charter boat will test your skills and strength.

One of the likely reasons why there have been so many bluefish in Jersey waters is the amount of baitfish, especially menhaden (bunker), which provide important forage for all types of game fish. Ever since New State enacted a law to protect bunker from the big commercial netters, the bunker population has increased dramatically.

Much of the action for medium and large bluefish is around these schools of bunker, especially in the central and northern portion of the state. It's a simple case of fishing around the birds working the bunker, and you'll most likely be into slammer blues.

Just as you have a variety of sizes of bluefish to fish for, so you have plenty of options when it comes to the tackle you choose. Both spinning and conventional tackle are suitable for the slammers. However, a simple rule to follow is to use spinning tackle for the smaller blues and conventional tackle for the bigger fish, especially if you are fishing on a party or charter boat. Of course, most anglers fishing from the surf or shoreline prefer spinning tackle.

Now, let's take a look at the better places to find these powerful game fish.

CAPE MAY RIPS
One of the first places the big slammers take up residence is in the rips off Cape May. By the time the end of May rolls around, the blues will be feeding in high gear -- so watch out!

Anglers fishing cut baits and trolling spoons and shad rigs will usually enjoy a steady pick of blues. The rips off Cape May are notorious for holding decent numbers of mixed-size blues throughout the year. But by the middle of May, some of the better fishing takes place in the bay, especially for blues in the 3- to 8-pound range.