Blowfish, once the bane of inshore anglers intent on catching flounder and fluke, but pretty much absent from the fishing scene for many years, have been appearing in increasing numbers over the past several years. This season, they provided the most consistent and wide spread fishing in many decades, and many children and adults experienced catching northern puffers for the first time.
Their abundance in the bays and around docks along the South Shore not only inspired a dramatic increase in fishing activity, it proved a boon to local tackle shops catering to those taking part in the fishery. Most importantly, it introduced young anglers to a species they could catch in abundance and with relative ease, helping to ignite a passion for fishing. This season certainly gave the impression that the northern puffer has completed a long overdue comeback.
So thick were they during my childhood that you could actually catch them on bare hooks, and it was not uncommon to have them nibbling at your toes at bathing beaches inside the Island’s bays and harbors. Whether it was cyclic in nature, the unrestricted harvesting by recreational anglers, or their increasing popularity as a food fish that made them a popular target of commercial pot fishermen, they eventually faded from the scene. As 7- and 8-year-olds, my brother and I once caught 360 of them from my grandparent’s bulkhead in Bayport. I remember the number well because my dad, after a quick lesson, had Steve and I clean every last one of them. Maybe the real lesson that day was that no one should be able to keep 360 blowfish.
Back in 2017, I editorialized on the need for some sensible management of blowfish as they began appearing in increasing numbers, but the fishery would fade just as quickly as it appeared. The fish ranged anywhere from large 10- to 11-inch specimens down to as little as 3 inches. It was not uncommon then, and again this season, to see buckets of baby blowfish being kept on local docks. They were easy targets for baited hooks, but they also crammed themselves into crab traps. More disturbing was that the baby puffers began showing up on restaurant menus as bite size appetizers, as commercial fishermen also took advantage of the increased numbers of puffers.
No longer are blowfish considered a pest. They are valued not only as a valuable food fish, but they can also help fill the large early season void left by an almost non-existent flounder fishery, a spring (April) blackfish season that has turned out to be pretty much unproductive, and the late starts of fluke and sea bass seasons. They are also the perfect fish to get youngsters hooked on fishing. They are easy to catch and the action can be fast and furious – perfect for the generally short attention spans of young anglers.
It would behoove us to do all we can to maintain the quality of this season’s fishery by creating recreational and commercial size and possession limits that might provide long term protection for the species. Back in 2017, there were discussions between NYDEC and the Marine Resources Advisory Council about how to manage the species. There was not a lot of data available on these fish at the time to help guide potential regulations, so discussions stalled. I understand that blowfish are on the agenda of the November MRAC meeting. Hopefully, some regulations will come out of these discussions.
If you would like to add your input on this issue, you can direct your comments to MRAC chairman Dr. Michael Frisk at [email protected] or call 631- 632-8656. You can also contact NYDEC’s marine resources director and council member Jim Gilmore, at [email protected] or 631-444-0430.
