Weakfish are one of the more beautiful fish in our waters, iridescent purple, green and gold, and one of the more unpredictable. The name refers not to their fight but to their soft, tender mouth, which tears easily. Their abundance swings dramatically over the years, so in a good stretch they are a light-tackle prize on the southern New England edge of their range.
How to identify them
Weakfish are slender and shimmering, with a dark-speckled back over iridescent flanks and yellowish fins, and a mouth with a couple of prominent canine teeth. That gorgeous coloring and the soft mouth are the giveaways.
Where and when
Weakfish reach their northern limit in southern New England, showing in the warm months in Buzzards Bay, Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds, and the estuaries. In strong years they are a genuine target; in lean years they are scarce, so the fishery is cyclical.
Tip Because of that soft mouth, do not horse a weakfish. Set gently, keep steady pressure, and use a soft-tipped rod and a net, a hard hookset or heavy hand pulls the hook right out of that tender mouth.
How to catch them
Weakfish eat silversides, shrimp and small baitfish, and respond to light tackle: small soft plastics, bucktails, and bait fished in current, often best at dawn, dusk and after dark. A fly rodder can do well with small baitfish and shrimp patterns.