Bluefish And How They Grow
Pomatomus saltatrix
SNAPPERS: Baby bluefish from just a few ounces to about a pound. Fun to catch, good to eat.
COCKTAIL BLUES: Only slightly more mature than their younger snapper brethren. These fish range from one to 2 or 3 pounds.
TAYLOR BLUES: Perhaps the best eating size of all: 3 to 5 pounds.
RACER BLUES: Early season fish, heading up the East Coast in early spring; large head, skinny body, greenish in color. Can be any size.
CHOPPERS: Typically any large, aggressive bluefish. For our purposes, anything over 5 pounds.
ALLIGATOR BLUES: Approaching 10 pounds or more. Range, 8 to 12 pounds.
GORILLA BLUES: Above 10 pounds. Range, 12 to 15 pounds.
MONSTER BLUES: 15 pounds and up. Bluefish can reach 20 pounds or more. The world record bluefish was caught on Jan. 30, 1972 at Hatteras, North Carolina. It weighed 31 pounds, 12 ounces.