Handling bluefish in shallow water

[steveR]

Hi,would much appreciate info about how to handle bluefish for release, and still use my fingers to tie on my next fly.
Thanks, steveR.

[foundfaith]

first thing..long needle nose pliers...
second thing..long needle nose pliers...
if you must handle the fish..always hold it upside down.
(something to do with there small brain and sense of balance.);

but most important...long needle nose pliers.

[Slamdance]

I try to keep the fish's head out of the water. That seems to calm them down a bit. If I don't have my boga grip with me, I will try to grab them by the top of the head, just behind the gills. This seems to paralyze them and you can then use your long needlenose pliers as mentioned in the previous post.

Good Luck

Steve "Stumpy" Moore

p.s. It took me 2 hours to type this reply with my one remaining finger! :-)

[JimMac]

Grab the Blue by the head, closing his gills with your grip. This'll keep the fish from struggling. And, IMO most importantly, use barbless hooks. The mouth of a Blue gets wrecked when the hook is ripped out with pliers.

[Dean]

The first place to grab a Bluefish (in my experience) is at the wrist of the tail. Now that you have some considerable control of the fish lift it from the water and then grasp it over the back of the head if the fish is small enough, otherwise, if it is bigger lay it's body across your thigh while you remove the hook with looooooong pliers.

Dean

[ssully]

Hold the fish as mentioned. Barbless is the best route. I use a hookout. Funky looking device with alien looking jaws on the business end and grips like a chalking gun. You can get them for about $15.