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Thanks, John! from Jim and the NatureNS readers! ---------- From: John Gilhen <GILHENJA@gov.ns.ca> Date: Tue, 08 Aug 2006 09:36:39 -0300 To: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> Subject: Re: Elusive Choppers hit like 'grenade' [Bluefish fishing in N.S.] - Daily News, Aug. 6/06 Hi Jim; Thank you for this. I consider Bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, an annual visitor to Nova Scotia. I was in close contact with Eric Newton and Brian Coolen, Fox Point, St. Margarets Bay, for most of the 1970s-1980s while they had 4 mackerel traps in the Bay and the Bluefish is one of the species that came in each year. What I find interesting is there appears to be two populations. I checked the juveniles and they have a different gill raker count than the bigger game fish. If I recall correctly, when I checked it out, the small fish are from the Florida - Gulf of Mexico and south to South America, and the big ones are from off the west coast of Africa. I advised Bev Scott of this and he mentions the gill raker counts in Atlantic Fishes of Canada page 371. Cheers John >>> Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> 8/7/2006 9:27 PM >>> Daily News, Sunday, August 6, 2006 Elusive Choppers hit like 'grenade' By Joe Fitzgerald The Daily News Some things in nature happen like clockwork every year: you can almost set your watch to them. Other things are not quite so common, and like an eclipse, comet, or other stellar event, it may be years before the opportunity to witness them comes again. Every so often a fish not common in Nova Scotia waters ventures north, and provides a lucky few with a unique angling experience. This year has brought bluefish, sometimes known as choppers, to our coast. Bill Curry, owner and operator of Tight Lines Guide Service in Port Maitland, is a master professional guide and has fished bluefish for 45 years. He grew up summering in Massachusetts, where bluefish are common and fished easily from shore. Nova Scotia is a different matter. "Timing is the critical thing," says Curry. "The blues need to be around, and you'll want to watch for surface commotion or terns and gulls feeding on schools of bait to find the bluefish. "If you see a surface commotion, get right over and cast in the middle, the action can be very hot if you hit that condition." Robbie Hiltz has fished Nova Scotia waters for 20 years, targeting mostly trout, salmon, and striped bass, but last week went after bluefish off Yarmouth with Perry Munro and Rick Morse. With the help of local guide Hank Purdy, they were able to get into some choppers. "They hit the lures like a grenade blowing up on the water," says Hiltz. "Great fighters with speed and strength. One jumped five times before I landed him." The men were using smaller top- water bass baits and medium action rods, with 10-pound test line and steel leaders because of the bluefish's sharp teeth. Craving a fight with a chopper, I travelled with my friend Ian to Port l'Hebert, near the Kejimkujik Seaside Adjunct.We waded into some sandy flats where we could surf cast. Far out in the channel, a hoard of terns were wheeling and screeching, hitting the water. It had to be bluefish. Our excitement quickly turned to frustration as, without a boat, we could only hope the school moved into range. It didn't. ------------------ Joe Fitzgerald is a freelance writer living in Halifax.
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