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Bonito- Euthynnus alletteratus

Written by FSF Crew

AS SEEN IN THE JULY/AUGUST 2005 ISSUE

Although often confused with other members of the tuna family, bonito stand alone as one of the most prolific pelagic species in North American waters. Often caught well below the Florida Keys and as far north as Montauk in the Atlantic; and throughout the entire Gulf of Mexico, these super swimmers have exploded onto the sport fishing scene as a favorite target of light-tackle spin and fly fishermen alike.

Known for their long, reel-screaming runs and tuna-like top speeds, these voracious speedsters can be caught anywhere from fifty yards to fifty miles off just about any beach between south Texas and Martha’s Vineyard.

Light-tackle fishing enthusiasts of all disciplines typically cast spoons, brightly-colored bucktail jigs, surface plugs and large streamer pattern flies at bonito. Schools are often found exploding through pods of baitfish relating to offshore structure such as wrecks, natural and artificial reefs, weed lines, current rips and temperature breaks.

Unfortunately for bonito, these brilliantly colored bullets are also a favorite target of their more sizeable relatives who cruise the near-coastal and Gulf Stream waters in search of meals of slightly larger proportions. Growing at a rate of up to a pound a month, bonito often congregate in schools to feed ravenously on pods of herring, scaled sardines, menhaden, Sargasso fish, anchovies, small mackerel, flying fish, squid and shrimp. As the story usually goes, this intense feeding activity will invariably attract other predators which in turn target these frantic feeders as they gorge on whatever baitfish that may be unfortunate enough to cross their paths.

Often taken in fantastic aerial displays by large sails, white and blue marlin, these oily bait busters are probably far tastier to their sea-dwelling brethren than to landlubbers in most parts of the world. In fact, their firm texture and bloody meat also makes them ideal for fishing as cut bait in both strips and chunks.

Strips can be added to nylon skirted trolling lures to entice larger target species such as wahoo, smoker kings, dolphin, blackfin tuna and sailfish. Strips can also be trolled naked on downriggers to entice larger ‘hoos and sails cruising the middle portions of the water column.

Match the size of your hook to both the size of your bait and to the size of your quarry. For example, if you intend to drag strips behind the boat for dolphin, schoolie kings or blackfin tuna, 4/0 and 5/0 hooks will definitely do the trick. But, if your intended target is a big wahoo or sailfish, it may be necessary to increase your hook size to at least 6/0 and add a trace of wire.

Strips also make excellent presentations for hungry bottom dwellers such as gag groupers, muttons, big mangs and red snappers. Capt. Rob Hammer fishes his bonito strips using several different rigs. His jig-n-strip combination usually consists of a fresh four- to six-inch strip coupled with a two- to four-ounce jig chosen based on the depth and current in which he is fishing. This is a deadly combination for just about anything that swims the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico. Hammer adds that he often splits the strip an inch or two from the tail for added action when retrieved. This added action is deadly on amberjacks, other bonito and blackfin feeding lower in the water column.

Hammer employs two different types of bottom rigs when fishing with strips. First is a basic fish-finder rig used primarily to target big muttons or grouper lying close to the bottom. This rig is usually most effective when fishing around wrecks surrounded by sandy bottom as it may have a tendency to get snagged. Second is his favorite ‘snapper getter’, a chicken rig. The weight rests on the bottom while the bait is suspended two to three feet above on a snelled hook spliced with a simple loop connection.

As chunks, bonito make excellent baits for sight fishing yellowtail snapper, blackfin tuna and dolphin. Dolphin feeding in a chum slick set over a wreck or reef bottom are suckers for a big bonito chunk. When specifically targeting yellowtail, Capt. Rob prefers ½-inch chunks tipped on a bucktail or free lined back through the chum line, but says the snapper will eat it just about any way you can get it to them.

If you really want to get serious, try rigging a live bonito to troll in a billfish spread. It’s no secret that marlin and sailfish anglers all over the world troll these enticing offerings. That’s not to say that big bills won’t eat a lure, quite the contrary. However, slow trolling a live bonito in your spread may be the one thing you’ve been missing all along. After bagging a few for bait on a near-shore reef, bridal the bonito and let ‘er rip. Actually, keep your trolling speeds well below six knots and let the ‘livie’ work its magic. You can troll one close and one back or two long mixed with a spread of artificials.

Any way you slice ‘em or dice ‘em, bonito make great baits… live or dead, whole or halved. Whether you just want a few snapper filets for the dinner table or you want to chase a ‘grander’, few other presentations will draw attention from a wider variety of target species than a bonito.