Edited by: Kenneth Reaves
Reviewed by: Michael DarmontLast Update:
The Rundown
Best Overall Lure for Bluefish: Crocodile Spoons with Treble Hook
“If you’re looking for the most consistent saltwater lure, you’ll find great value in the Crocodile Spoons. Its clever treble hook design is intended for a sure snag, increasing your chances of catching bluefish.”
Best Premium Option: Rapala X-Rap Saltwater Fishing Lure
“No other lure mimics baitfish as effectively as the Rapala X-Rap Saltwater Fishing Lure. Its unique holographic inserts allow it to reflect and flash properly underwater. Plus, the rattling sound makes it hard for the fish to resist a bite.”
Best Surf Fishing Lure: Creek Chub Striper Strike Fishing Lure
“If it’s a surface lure you’re looking for, the Creek Chub Fishing Lure is one of the best on the market. It has the ideal weight and shape balance, making it a handy fishing tool if you’re a big fan of fishing in shallow waters.”
Bluefish are popular game fish from the Gulf of Mexico up the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. Using the right combination of lures can make all the difference in fighting fish for hours or only getting a few bites.
A good bluefish lure either mimics the baitfish bluefish schools follow or is irresistible for them. Flashy lures with jerking actions are important since they move like the small fish bluefish feed on.
Here we will be giving you six of the best bluefish lures on the market, whether you’re surf fishing, trolling, or chasing down schools.
Featured Recommendations
Table of Contents
6 of the Best Bluefish Lures (2021 Top Picks)
Check out the best bluefish lures for all types of anglers:
- Best Overall Lure for Bluefish: Crocodile Spoons Silver Color with Treble Hook
- Best Premium Option: Rapala X-Rap Saltwater Fishing Lure
- Best Surf Fishing Lure: Creek Chub Striper Strike Fishing Lure
- Best Budget Option: Capt Jay Fishing Bucktail Jig
- Best Soft-Plastic Bluefish Lures: Dr.Fish Soft Plastic Swimbait
- Best Bluefish Trolling Lure: Hair of The Dog Trolling Lure
1. Crocodile Spoons Silver Color with Treble Hook
Best Overall Lure for Bluefish: Ideal for beginners and pro anglers
Check Price on Amazon
KEY FEATURES
- Classic proven spoon
- Flashes like baitfish
- Can be jigged, retrieved, and cast long distances
- Treble hook to snag on strikes
Crocodile Spoons are one of the more consistent saltwater lures, with their jerking movement and bright flashes mimicking baitfish. It’s a great choice for any fishermen, from beginners to professionals, and works well for inducing strikes from multiple predatory species.
CLICK TO SEE MORE
Lure Details
This spoon from Sanhu has a prism patterned plate to go with its silver finish. The minnow shape and plate make it seem like a darting baitfish while retrieving it in jerking motions. The treble hook on the bottom snags and sets when the fish strikes the lure.
Spoons are a tried and true lure for most species and environments. Coming in multiple sizes allows you to adjust for the size of the fish you’re targeting and adjust the weight to get the longest casts with the gear you’re using.
How to Use It
For bluefish, you’ll want to cast the spoon directly into their school, or into a feeding frenzy in the best-case scenarios. You can use spoons from the beach or a boat, and they work best on light to medium tackle.
2. Rapala X-Rap Saltwater Fishing Lure
Best Premium Option: Flashy and reflective design
Check Price on Amazon
KEY FEATURES
- X-Rap Lures all come with rattles inside the body
- Dual treble hooks
- Variety of patterns and sizes
X-Rap Lures come in as a premium option because the larger ones become more expensive, and bluefish fight hard and tend to break off quite a few lures. They are meant to be cast and retrieved similarly to spoons, and their design and patterns mimic baitfish. X-Rap lures are tested in tanks of water to check that they accurately move through the water and mimic baitfish properly.
CLICK TO SEE MORE
Lure Details
The patterns and rattles are what set X-Rap lures apart from others. They come in a variety of patterns meant to mimic different species of fish, such as the blue mackerel X-Rap. Regardless of the pattern, each lure is made with holographic inserts to reflect light and flash properly underwater.
These lures all have balls inside the body of the lure which rattle while it’s being retrieved. The rattle adds some sound to the visuals the lure presents, helping it entice a strike even when fish aren’t actively feeding.
How to Use It
Like spoons, these lures are made to be cast out and retrieved. X-Rap lures work great from beaches, piers, and boats.
Locate a school of bluefish and cast the lure directly into or in front of them for the best chances. They will still work even when the schools aren’t feeding, since the rattles can help trigger bites.
3. Creek Chub Striper Strike Fishing Lure
Best Surf Fishing Lure: Made for consistent hookups
Check Price on Amazon
KEY FEATURES
- Slow sinking surface lure
- Popper front pushes water and creates vibration
- Mimics injured fish
- Long casting great for surf fishing
Surf fishing for bluefish limits the amount of water you can fish, but thankfully they swim along beaches following schools of baitfish. Once the school arrives, throwing a popper in front of them will entice strikes, and sometimes you’ll need to cast a long way to reach them. Thankfully, Creek Chub Fishing Lure delivers the casting distance and action you’re looking for.
CLICK TO SEE MORE
Lure Details
This popper stands out because it’s made to be a surface lure, and used in shallower water as you would find in surf zones. Its action mimics the jumping baitfish that bluefish target, and it comes in a variety of patterns.
The dual treble hooks help with the consistency of hookups but do make it more difficult to unhook a fish. The casting ability of the lure comes from its balanced weight and shape, allowing you to reach schools farther out from the shore.
How to Use It
Once you see a school coming, you’ll want to grab your rod and get into position to throw the lure out beyond the school. Begin retrieving and working the lure as the school approaches so you pull it directly through them. With luck, the bluefish will be feeding on a school of baitfish, and your lure will get hit during the feeding frenzy.
4. Capt Jay Fishing Bucktail Jig
Best Budget Option: Enticing lure for a great price
Check Price on Amazon
KEY FEATURES
- 3D eye and hair tails
- Many color and size options
- Holographic body mimics baitfish
- Jigging action
Bucktail jigs are very responsive lures that mimic baitfish by darting through the water with fibrous tails covering the hook. They work well in most situations but work best when being jigged vertically from a boat or pier, rather than retrieved from the beach.
CLICK TO SEE MORE
Lure Details
Bucktail jigs feature a body shaped like a baitfish, with 3D eyes and fibers covering the hook which flow in the water like a tail. They come in a variety of sizes and colors, up to eight ounces, but all of them have holographic inserts and sparkling tail fibers to help entice a bite.
The biggest downside of bucktail jigs when it comes to bluefish is that they will usually be torn up fairly quickly. Just a few bluefish strikes can remove most of the tail fibers from a jig, so while cheap, they’ll need to be replaced fairly often.
How to Use It
You’ll want to cast or drop a bucktail jig directly into a school of bluefish. If you can get ahead of a school, drop the jig to the depth they are traveling and work it up and down while the school runs into it. You can cast and retrieve these jigs, but other lures will do a better job because of how quickly the bucktail jigs sink.
5. Dr.Fish Soft Plastic Swimbait
Best Soft-Plastic Bluefish Lures: Life-like lure in a variety of patterns
Check Price on Amazon
KEY FEATURES
- Lifelike action and colors mimic bait well
- Casting or trolling works to get the right action
- Reinforced silicone stands up to teeth
While not the most popular lure, bluefish will strike soft-plastic lure as well. Soft plastic swimbaits have the advantage of feeling more lifelike when struck and holding scents out of the package.
CLICK TO SEE MORE
Lure Details
The lures stand out because they are impregnated with scent and salts. Made to look like a three-inch baitfish, they are also going to smell like one.
The silicone the lure is made of is reinforced to keep it from being torn to shreds by a toothy fish immediately after being hit. They come in a variety of patterns that allow you to mimic local baitfish or pick one that stands out in the water quality you’re fishing.
How to Use It
Like most of the bluefish lures on the list, you’ll find the most success casting and retrieving this lure in the middle of a bluefish feeding frenzy. You can use these as trolling lures if weighted properly and pulled at low speed, creating your little bait school for bluefish to follow.
6. Hair of The Dog Trolling Lure
Best Bluefish Trolling Lure: Works on bluefish and other pelagic species
Check Price on Amazon
KEY FEATURES
- Heavy weighted head and 3D eye
- Great for adding as a teaser on baits
- Works on large bluefish and other pelagic species
Trolling allows you to cover a lot of water while still fishing, and bluefish are one of the species that will hit trolled lures once you run into them. Trolling lures need to be paired with bait and trolled behind a boat, and you’ll generally need to be in an area with large bluefish for it to be effective.
CLICK TO SEE MORE
Lure Details
The hair skirt on the lure is designed to be a visual teaser underwater. It flares and moves when trolled, and the weighted head keeps the bait under the water. The 3D eye and hairs help make the baits seem to be swimming and alive instead of a quickly moving dead fish.
Since it’s a skirt, you’ll need to attach both a leader and a bait to make this lure useful. You won’t get any use out of it outside of trolling either, and only large bluefish like the ones on the Atlantic Coast will take it. On the plus side, while trolling for bluefish, these skirts entice bites from sailfish, dolphins, and other pelagic species as well.
How to Use It
After you’ve run your preferred leader through the skirt, you’ll attach a bait to the hook and then pull the bait right into the skirt. Pre-rigged ballyhoo is a great option to purchase and get a rig together quickly if you don’t want to make your rigs.
Once set up, you’ll troll the lure behind your boat, normally between 6 and 9 knots. These can help target large bluefish and pelagic species and can be a great use of your time when searching for bluefish schools.
Tips and Tricks for Bluefish Fishing
Bluefish travel in schools, normally numbering between six and fifteen fish. They aren’t picky eaters and will strike anything from frozen cut baits to wooden plugs. Bluefish range from the Gulf of Mexico up the Eastern Seaboard of the United States to Maine.
Bluefish tend to school with others of the same size. In Florida, most bluefish are only around three pounds, but as you go north, they get larger, with the world record bluefish sitting at nearly 32 pounds.
How to fish for bluefish with artificial lures
The most important consideration in choosing an artificial lure is that it mimics a baitfish. While bluefish aren’t picky eaters, the lure needs to flash and move like a baitfish.
Bluefish are sight feeders, so working lures across their path is key to using artificials. Once you’ve located a school, whether from the beach or in your boat, cast your lure beyond and ahead of the bluefish. As they swim, you’ll work your lure across their path and hopefully trigger a bite.
The biggest challenge in using artificial lures is finding the bluefish. Look for water that looks like it’s boiling, diving birds, or rolling water to help you locate the fish.
If you’re sitting on the beach, you’ll normally be able to see the school coming as a dark spot in the water and the baitfish the bluefish are chasing will be jumping out of the water to evade them. Once they get close, throwing out a spoon or a Creek Chub popper in front of the school will give you a great opportunity at landing a fish.
How to successfully catch bluefish on live bait
In Florida, the most popular live baits are shrimp and pilchards. As you head North and the bluefish get larger, you’ll find success with pogies and finger mullet as well.
You want to freeline these baits behind your boat, only using some split shot to keep them down on windy days. Let their scent get out in the current and wait for strikes. You can cast pilchards or other small fish into the path of a bluefish and the bait’s panic can help provoke a strike.
Alternatively, you can use live bait from shore as well, just make sure the bait has room to swim up off the bottom. The biggest challenge with live baits is catching them. Using some chumming techniques and a cast net will usually work well, but you can always try to hook some bait with a sabiki rig as well.
Bluefish locations
Bluefish tend to spend their time in coastal areas, and it’s rare for them to be found far offshore. The prime spots for bluefish will be between five and ten-foot depths. Passes are fish highways that allow them to travel between bodies of water, and passes, bays, and inlets are great spots for finding bluefish.
Many anglers drift over grass flats with cut baits out while casting artificials when schools are located. You can also drive quickly to any obvious bluefish schools when you see action on the surface.
Trolling for bluefish
The biggest advantage of trolling for bluefish is the amount of water you can cover. You can also fish multiple depths at one time. The best lures to troll are spoons and plugs, but the Hair of the Dog is a great choice for larger bluefish when you want to troll some cut baits.
You’ll find the most success running through passes and near shorelines in around ten feet of water. If you know which direction fish tend to run, running the opposite way can help you locate fish faster. The biggest challenge in trolling is that many places the bluefish will be at are either populated beaches or passes with boat traffic. You’ll need to be careful to avoid tangles or accidents.
Surf fishing for bluefish
Surf fishing for bluefish normally requires a two-pronged approach. You’ll want to soak a dead or live bait and let it sit, while actively looking for schools of bluefish coming down the beach and casting lures into their path.
The biggest challenge in surf fishing is that you’re limited in the amount of water you can cover since you’ll normally be walking up and down the beach and can only cast so far out. Rougher surf days can also pose challenges since you’ll need to use heavier weights to keep your bait down and it makes using artificial lures nearly impossible.
When you get your chance, cast a spoon or X-Rap right into the path of the bluefish and drag it across their faces. If they’re hungry, you’ll be hooked up in no time.
Fly fishing for bluefish
Bluefish put up a heck of a fight and are a ton of fun on fly gear. Any flies that mimic baitfish work pretty well. Once you locate the bluefish, pull your fly across their face and wait for a strike.
The biggest challenge is you’ll frequently break off while fighting the bluefish. Getting a tougher leader can help with their sharp teeth cutting off your flies.
Eight-weight gear is ideal in Florida, but East Coast fishermen may want to up that to a ten-weight setup. Try thirty-pound tips to help avoid break-offs and cuts from the bluefish’s teeth.
Drift fishing for bluefish
The best way to drift fish for bluefish is in passes and on grass flats. Let out a few live baits while casting artificials and wait to locate schools. After feeding out some live shrimp or small baitfish, you can start throwing out spoons and other artificials.
Since you aren’t covering a lot of water quickly, scents can help bring fish to you. Using a chum mixture or live-chumming around your boat works well. Alternatively, you can use soft plastics that have scent embedded in them like the one we mentioned from Dr. Fish.
The biggest challenge anglers face is drift fishing is normally slow, but you can remedy this by picking up and moving when you notice clear signs of fish in the distance.