This time of year the weather can be quite crazy and finding a flat day in the month of April that falls on a weekend is not always easy. One of my favorite types of fishing this time of year is catching big bluefish around the rocks of the Charleston Jetties. Catching fish over 10 lb. is not uncommon and on light tackle these fish will put on quite a show. The first one I ever caught over the rocks was a 12 lb. brute and he gave my eight pound spinning reel quite a workout. At first I thought I was hung on the rocks until my line started to flatten out and the fish came flying out of the water.
Aside from the great fight there is another element of excitement added when the fish tries to take your lure to the other side of the rocks and you must bear down and do your best to keep him on your side. More than once during the fight you will find yourself with your rod held way above your head trying to keep the rocks from parting your line. The other part of the experience is the strike, especially if you are fishing top-water lures. Don’t be shy about using a larger lure in the 4”-6” range. Even a small bluefish will attack a larger lure.
We have found the best tide to fish the rocks are around times of high tide where the water is good and clean and you have a good portion of the rocks on the ocean end of the jetties covered with water. The blues will come across the rocks with the water and feed on the many smaller fish that use the rocks for shelter. Some of the more productive lures you may try include just about any top-water popper style lure. Flashy lures like spoons and Mirro-Lures also work well. A leader, preferably steel, is also recommended.
Many times you can tell when the blues are there feeding. You may see them splash or jump. If you do not see this type of activity, don’t be fooled into thinking they are not there. Other signs you may look for are birds working or schools of small baitfish acting nervous and jumping. The times we caught the big fish we did not see a