blueback herring

noun

blue·​back herring ˈblü-ˌbak- How to pronounce blueback herring (audio)
: an anadromous clupeid fish (Alosa aestivalis) of the Atlantic coast of North America having a dark blue or bluish-gray back

Examples of blueback herring in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Woodworth said there are five migratory fish affected by the dam: American eel, sea lamprey, blueback herring, alewife and American shad. Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2024 Baitfish like shad and blueback herring begin to spawn by the thousands along shallow shoreline cover like docks and grass lines and on shallow rocky humps out in otherwise open water. Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 6 Mar. 2024 There are now 60 to 100 alewife runs throughout the state, Whitener says, and the numbers keep going up as more dams are removed, enabling the return of not only alewives but also other migratory fish: salmon, shad, sturgeon, blueback herring, striped bass, eels. James Prosek, National Geographic, 14 Aug. 2020 For the past decade, illegally stocked blueback herring used as bait have been thriving in the lake. Frank Sargeant, al, 3 Oct. 2021 Both species also hang around blueback herring baitballs in deep water at this time of year, and can be caught by vertical jigging with a Hopkins or similar spoon. Frank Sargeant, al, 27 Aug. 2021 Look for the spots around the bluff walls and channel swings where blueback herring baitfish are schooled and fish them with deep-running crankbaits or swimbaits. Frank Sargeant, al, 30 July 2021 The river herrings include two species of schooling fish, alewives and blueback herring, that have been fished in East Coast rivers for millennia. Fox News, 29 May 2021 The presence of blueback herring controls the attitude of the bass — and while there is a healthy largemouth population, spots are the predominant species. Frank Sargeant, al, 28 Mar. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blueback herring was in 1873

Dictionary Entries Near blueback herring

Cite this Entry

“Blueback herring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blueback%20herring. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

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