Striped Bass & Bluefish

Perhaps Jail Break’s most popular trip, fishing for striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) can be considered a highlight of any trip to Cape Cod. Both species are feisty and strong muscled in personality, which always makes for a challenging and fun day reeling them aboard the boat!

Named because of the black horizontal stripes running from their gills to the tail, Atlantic Striped Bass have white and silvery iridescent undersides, with tones of violet down the side of their bodies. Bass live along the East Coast in rocky, sandy ocean floors. They can live up to 30 years. As a result of their relatively long lifespan potential, they can grow up to five feet in length and about 77 pounds in weight. Striped bass have a migration pattern from Maine to North Carolina, and the majority spawn in the Chesapeake Bay and the Hudson River. Juvenile bass eat nearly any kind of small fish as well as invertebrates such as crabs and squid. While adult bass have few predators, their biggest threats happen to be two species with a heavy presence in the waters of Cape Cod – seals and sharks.

Like striped bass, Atlantic bluefish roam the ocean between Canada and Florida. Highly migratory, bluefish have a prominent jaw and razor-sharp teeth. The back of the bluefish displays iridescent blue-green tones, which transitions in color to more muted silver-greys and purple-pearl colors in other parts of the fish, such as its sides and belly. Bluefish have a lifespan up to 12 years, grow quickly, and reproduce at the relatively early age of 2 years.

Bluefish love to eat squid and menhaden, along with other smaller fish. Their sharp teeth and strong jaws provide them with the ability to ingest larger parts of their prey, making them efficient hunters. They become voracious attackers in a feeding frenzy known as a Bluefish Blitz, where large numbers of big bluefish strike at bait fish in a ball near the surface, chum the water, and eat everything they possibly can. The only fish species that are large and quick enough to catch and eat adult bluefish are sharks (particularly shortfin mako), tuna, and swordfish. Their strong and aggressive personality becomes quickly apparent when you are trying to reel them in!

Jail Break’s 42’ Duffy can be seen trolling in the rips off Monomoy nearly every day catching the keeper bass and blues.

There are many great recipes for cooking bass and bluefish. When you are aboard the Jail Break, be sure to ask Captain Seamus for his ‘bass cake’ recipe. It is bound to become a summertime favorite. In addition, if you like striped bass and tuna, you will likely enjoy bluefish. Whether you are grilling, smoking, or broiling bluefish, the key is to be sure that the fish is as fresh as possible. For example, grilling bluefish topped encrusted with pesto is a simple approach to enjoy a fresh bluefish steak. Jail Break’s favorite way to enjoy bluefish is to smoke it and create a bluefish spread to be enjoyed as an hors d’oeuvres.