Bluefish (Pomatomidae)
Bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix
About the bluefish
Bluefish are aggressive, toothy predators that attack bait with reckless abandon. They're the 'piranhas of the Atlantic.' When a school of blues moves through, they'll hit anything that moves. Great fighters on light tackle, but handle with care. Those teeth are no joke.
- inshore
- pelagic
- schooling
- aggressive
- toothy
Where to find them
Piers that report bluefish
Season, bait and average size as reported for each pier.
Pawleys Island Pier
Biting- Months
- Apr–Nov
- Best bait
- Cut bait, spoons
- Average size
- 12–24 in
- Pier record
- 31 lbs
Aggressive feeders that hit hard. Use a wire leader to prevent bite-offs.
Second Avenue Pier
Biting- Months
- Apr–Nov
- Best bait
- Cut bait, spoons
- Average size
- 12–24 in
- Pier record
- 31 lbs
Aggressive feeders that hit hard. Use a wire leader to prevent bite-offs.
Surfside Pier
Biting- Months
- Apr–Nov
- Best bait
- Cut bait, spoons
- Average size
- 12–24 in
- Pier record
- 31 lbs
Aggressive feeders that hit hard. Use a wire leader to prevent bite-offs.
Garden City Pier
Biting- Months
- Apr–Nov
- Best bait
- Cut bait, spoons
- Average size
- 12–24 in
- Pier record
- 31 lbs
Aggressive feeders that hit hard. Use a wire leader to prevent bite-offs.
Springmaid Pier
Biting- Months
- Apr–Nov
- Best bait
- Cut bait, spoons
- Average size
- 12–24 in
- Pier record
- 31 lbs
Aggressive feeders that hit hard. Use a wire leader to prevent bite-offs.
Cherry Grove Pier
Biting- Months
- Apr–Nov
- Best bait
- Cut bait, spoons
- Average size
- 12–24 in
- Pier record
- 31 lbs
Aggressive feeders that hit hard. Use a wire leader to prevent bite-offs.
Pier 14
Biting- Months
- Apr–Nov
- Best bait
- Cut bait, spoons
- Average size
- 12–24 in
- Pier record
- 31 lbs
Aggressive feeders that hit hard. Use a wire leader to prevent bite-offs.
- Months
- Apr–Nov
- Best bait
- Cut bait, spoons
- Average size
- 12–24 in
- Pier record
- 31 lbs
Aggressive feeders that hit hard. Use a wire leader to prevent bite-offs.
Apache Pier
Biting- Months
- Apr–Nov
- Best bait
- Cut bait, spoons
- Average size
- 12–24 in
- Pier record
- 31 lbs
Aggressive feeders that hit hard. Use a wire leader to prevent bite-offs.
Juno Beach Pier
Biting- Months
- Nov–Mar
- Best bait
- Cut bait, spoons
- Average size
- 12–24 in
- Pier record
- 31 lbs
Winter visitors that feed aggressively. Use wire leader to prevent bite-offs.
South Carolina rules
Keeping bluefish
Bluefish
saltwater- Minimum size
- None
- Maximum size
- None
- Daily bag limit
- 5
- Closed season
- None
N/A
No size limit • For-hire vessels: 7 per person
Summarized from SCDNR. Limits change — confirm before you keep a fish at the SCDNR source.