Blue Runner fishing in Florida

Blue runners, known to most Florida anglers as hardtails, are small, tough jacks that school around piers, jetties, inlets and nearshore structure from spring through fall on both coasts. They are hard fighters on light tackle, but their real value is as live bait: a lively hardtail is one of the best king mackerel, cobia and big shark baits there is. The easiest way to catch them is a sabiki rig jigged around pier pilings or under schools of baitfish, especially on a clean incoming tide in clear water. Small spoons, bucktail jigs and pompano jigs retrieved fast also work, and they will take a small piece of shrimp. Use 10 to 15 lb line so you can land several at once on a sabiki. Keep them in a well-aerated bucket or a pier bait net if you plan to use them live. The scutes along the tail are sharp, so grip them firmly around the body rather than sliding your hand toward the tail. They are edible but strong-flavored and are mostly kept for bait; check current FWC rules before keeping any.