Bluefish are voracious feeders and fierce fighters, earning them the name “chopper” among fishermen. Blues can weigh up to 30 pounds; fish bigger than 10 pounds are called “horses,” while youngsters of 1 to 2 pounds are known as “snappers.” Average market size is 3 to 5 pounds. Bluefish travel up and down the eastern seaboard from Maine to Florida, following schools of small, oil-rich menhaden, a favored food. This diet of pogies gives older blues their pronounced flavor. Younger bluefish eat crustaceans, resulting in a sweeter and milder flesh. Main bluefish producers are the Chesapeake Bay area, New Jersey and Long Island, and North Carolina has a significant winter fishery. Bluefish deteriorates rapidly if not immediately iced, and it doesn’t freeze well. That’s why the fish is seldom seen far from where it’s landed unless flown in by a restaurant as a special. So buy in season and handle with care.