A Bonito treatise

[sterlings]

We're probably less than a month away from the first catch reports of one of our region's most anticipated gamefish —— The Atlantic Bonito. As anyone who has landed one of these beauties can attest, there is just something about their speed and elusive nature that makes catching them on a fly rod absolutely addictive.

While I've had success with them - (landed my first last year in a kayak off the vineyard) I have to admit that I really don't know much about their habits, feeding styles, relation to nearshore structure and currents, etc.

I would be very grateful to get some input on how to catch more from some of the reel-timers who have spent years chasing them.

Thanks in advance to all who can share a little wisdom, or even just some good stories, or recepies, or locations related to the New England inshore Bonito fishery.

[David Churbuck]

I asked the same question of the board a couple summers ago. Here's my solution and Capt. Steve Moore's (Slamdance) advice.

Steve should be the one talking about his bonito/albie set-up. I hope he'll correct any misassumptions my bad memory may insert in it
First -- a little background -- I had been chasing the tiny tuna like a fiend ever since the first time I fished with Reel-Time founder Thorne Sparkman off of Jetties Beach in Nantucket. I wasn't flyfishing then, but he was standing on the stern, sawing back and forth, casting and casting at swarms of crashing albies and yelling at them to "Eat! Eat!" as he stripped away. I hooked one on spinning gear, had the most amazing run of my life, and wondered how it would have felt on a flyrod! The next year I tried to find out. It took me two more years before I did, and then it seemed like an accident

Anyway, I had been using a regular Cortland intermediate line on a ten weight, a really long -- 12 foot leader -- and a variety of flies with no success. I tried fishing Hedge Fence because nearly all bonito reports seemed to focus on Hedge Fence. But that didn't work. I fished the ferry slip in Oak Bluffs and had my first experience with the lunatics who chase every boil and splash like it was their last shot at a fish

Then I went stealthy. I got a clear Monic floater and went to long flourocarbon leaders. Still not a lot of luck

One day, in frustration, I posed the question to the board: what works?
Steve set me straight .
A fast sinking line, like a Teeny 350-450.
A short leader. Like under seven, six feet.
Bonito Bunnies.
Don't chase the fish. Be mellow. Let them come to you. They're zipping around under water more than they are skipping along on the surface.
Slow strip. Lead the schools, let the fly sink, sink, sink. Twitch.
Two Septembers ago, on a calm morning off of the Wianno Cut, there were about a dozen or so boats chasing some big schools of albies. I had Steve's set up at hand, a dozen white bunnies, and just hung off the end of the channel and waited, watching the other boats dash around and tick each other off. I kept the fly in the water, tried not to flub the casts when the schools moved close, and by eight am had boated eight albies. More than I had caught in the previous eight years.
I'm a believer. Fast sink, short leader, bunnies, slow retrieve, don't chase.
Steve? Did I leave anything out?

Steve replied:
Dave pretty much summed it up. The only other thing I might add is to use structure to your advantage, and observe the way the fish are using the structure to their advantage. The area Dave was talking about it a pond outlet with jetties on both sides. A deep, dredged channel flows through flats on either side. The bait gets swept out of the pond with the flushing tide and the greenies attack. The bait goes onto the flats to try to hide where the greenies are less comfortable. So, you've got tuna not showing in the channels and busting bait on the flats. Most people will chase the showing fish but you can have better luck if you just anchor on the flats and cast into the channel where the fish are less visible, but still present.

If you spend a few minutes in an area where there are fish working bait, you can start to see patterns to their feeding behavior and then make judgments on where they are likely to appear again so you can get a few shots off. They use structure to their advantage to trap bait against current seams and even wave faces. As an angler, you can use the same structure to predict where the tuna will show next.

[Mark Cahill]

Dave Peros on Bonitos and Albies (http://www.reel-time.com/feature/peros/funnyfish/)

Peter Jenkins on Albies (http://www.reel-time.com/feature/jenkins/albie/fatalbie.html)

Dave Peros on Bonito (taken from a FishWire) (http://www.reel-time.com/feature/peros/bonito.htm)

http://www.reel-time.com/feature/peros/funnyfish/bw-albie.jpg

Don MacGillivray with a giant Albie!

[bluewatr]

Oooooh Boy! It's almost that time again....... :) I can feel my heart racing!!!!!! Can't wait!!!

Definately a white bunny at low light then onto a silverside pattern after things brighten up!

-mike

[SamRiley]

Eyes Closed & Fingers Crossed

this is gunna be the year... this is gunna be the year... this is gunna be the year...

[b.clancy]

With all due respect to the experts, I generally have had better luck with fast to medium strips, especially when the fish are crashing on the surface. I also rarely use fast sinking lines, preferring intermediates. As with any kind of fishing though, if that doesn't work, I change the retrieve and fly. Sometimes slow is better. I'll concede slow may work best when fishing deep.
Bob

[sterlings]

Thanks for the info on extra reading Mark. This is exactly what I was looking for.

[ANeary]

I've caught a number of False ALbacore myself but have never caught a bonito. Do you guys believe you fish the same way for both species ? Am I late fishing for bonito and thats why I always catch Albies ? Any thoughts ?

[daveb]

Leslie Smith's remark along the line that the more you fish for them the more you see how little you know about their habits is dead on the mark.

Slow retrieve, fast retrieve, long/short leader, sinking, floating, intermediate.

I've caught bonito trolling 9 inch Rebels with 40 lb steel leaders, on 2 oz jigs bouncing off the bottom, on 1 1/2 oz poppers tied to 20 lb test line.

I've missed them on 8lb test, no leader casting into breaking fish, bunny flies on 6lb leader cast into breaking fish, deadly dicks/fast-trac Rebels/Hairbal jigs/you name it cast into breaking fish.

You just never know.

Prozac is probably a good idea come August.

[Albiemanmike]

I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Moore on the tactics he employs when targeting the tunoids. I too have been crazy over these fish for the past 4-5 years and they are definitely the most challenging fish we see around here. Sinking lines worked below the surface are the way to go, I have sat and hooked fish after fish doing this while the fleet runs around like chickens with their heads cut off. Very rarely do you ever have to chase these fish, there are times though that you do have to give chase if you want a decent shot at them. But more often than not just sitting and waiting will do the trick and you will be into them pretty quickly. I don't think fly selection is as important as presentation and retrieve speed, as long as the fly is generally the size and shape of the prevailing bait than it will work. Should be hearing something real soon from the Newport area if things are the same as last year, we had Skipjack tuna and Mahi Mahi right off the beach in Newport around this time last year. Then we should start to see the Bones and finally the Albies will arrive very hungry.

Tightlines,
Mike M.

[tunnie md]

Fishing for albies and bones are two different things. The same approach for albies won't necessarily work for bones.

When its albie time, all one needs to do is find a structured spot where they have been know to show, cast a sinking or intermediate line, and almost any fly will work. Albies can be easier than catching schoolie bass, no joke. Getting to your spot BEFORE SUNRISE is crucial. I've caugt too many fish to count before the sun has even risen, with prime time usually ending before 9:00. Anchor in a rip, outside an inlet, on the edge of a dropoff. Chasing alibies usually not a good idea. The majority of alibies I've caught are blind casting.

I rarely catch bonitio completely blind. I much prefer to drift an area with breaking fish. I don't want to encourage run and gun, but its far better to look around for surface action, than to cast bllindly for bonito. Exceptions are places like the hooter where you can fill the boat with them and never see one one surface. I don't believe time matters with bones. The only effect is that boat traffic will make them scatter in some areas. I've caught tons of bones in the middle of the day, while I can't really say the same for albies.

Anyway, I ramble, but these are just some observations I've had in my years of fishing them.

[Mark Cahill]

I'm going to make it "Sticky" for a while so no one misses it...

[sterlings]

Alright — this is great info, but lets start talking specifics...

How about top places where everybody has caught these fish or seen a lot of them, and the time & date:
(I'll lead off...)

Albies -
1.Egardtown Beach, MV, in front of the lighthouse, mid sept.-mid oct

2.Sakonnet Pt., RI, end of the jetty, Sept.15th

3.State Beach, MV, Big Bridge (Jetty closest to Oak Bluffs), Oct.1st

4.East Beach, MV, on the beach directly stright past the dyke bridge, Sept.28th

Bonito -
1. Cow bay, MV (between state beach and Egartown) at the cluster of lobster pot buoys off the end of the point visible from the far right side of State beach. August 15th

2. Woods Hole, the stone pier, August 20th

[Mark Cahill]

Under the Sagamore Bridge, Late August, 1986 - 12.7 lb. (never repeated there)

Menemsha Jetty (by boat) on an outgoing tide late August/early Sept.

Half way between the Dump and Noman's - Mid September - they'd turn up in giant schools occassionally inshore of the bluefin. Not targetable, but fun when found...

[SamRiley]

Can only talk about FAs...
East Bay on the drop and Great Neck have both produced many time for me in the yak.

[frankji]

Thanks - This thread is dynamite!. What can anyone say about albies or bonito at Nantucket - last week of July?

[tunnie md]

I only fish MV, and occasionaly make it over to the cape, but heres my top five:
Bones:
1. Noman's during derby 2000 : Oh my god the bonoto!
2. Hooter any year from mid july to mid sept.
3. State Beach any August.
4. O.B. Ferry dock August.
5. Edgartown Harbor early to late 90's. - They haven't made a strong showing there the last couple years, but they used to tear the place apart.

Albies:
1. Edgartown Harbor, especially way back in the bay- When bunker were thick 2 years ago - Wow!
2. Waquoit- Sept
3. Wasque- Sept/Oct
4. Lobsterville (shore)
5. Cape Pogue Gut

only places I've caught a bone from shore are Menemsha/Lobsterville, and various points in Etown Harbor.
Ablies on the other hand can be found at most beaches with current or a channel

[frankji]

Thanks - This thread is dynamite!. What can anyone say about albies or bonito at Nantucket - last week of July?

[sterlings]

Frank -
From what I've heard there is a place off the west end of nantucket called "the bonito bar" that is red-hot at the end of July & through August. I take it though that this place is strictly a boat proposistion.

From shore I'd go to Great Point. I saw them there one afternoon a few years ago at the end of July — they were at the absolute tip of Great Point. There is a little jetty or rockpile on the eastern-most end of the point (or what would be the right side of the beach that you have to drive down to get there). The fish were a long cast from shore, but the schools were large and very active. I hooked up twice and lost both and I was not geared up well at all — no stripping basket, no waders, only a couple of large clousers.

I have to say though that I've been back there many times since and have never seen them there again.

[David Churbuck]

Bonito and Albacore may look alike (at first glance) but they do behave very differently. Inshore bonito -- as opposed to the ones swimming around the Hooter -- seem very capricious and much more random than albies, which seem to swim with a purpose and in tighter packs.

My bonito success has been random compared to albacore. State Beach a couple summers ago and I caught one on a trolled fly I was too lazy to retrieve as I runned and gunned to a breaking school (see, I don't follow my own advice to sit still). Last summer's bonito was caught right off of Cotuit in the middle of the day, in a howling wind, in a mix of bluefish.

Prozac is the answer. Fishing away from crowds is the other answer. A day with the run and gun loonies will sour me on the fishing faster than anything. Don't talk to me about the O.B. ferry dock or the entrance to Waquoit. I rather dump a box of hooks down my Speedo.

[Capt.ChrisLembo]

I have caught over 500 albies around the fish traps at Black Point (between Narragansett Town beach and Scarborough) almost all were before mid morning. Some run and gun and some drifting in their pathway. Mostly on intermediate line. Some right in the wash with sinking line. The only thing in common was that they all were taken on small flies in red, orange or rust. Try tying a 1 1/2" rabbit strip and a little marabou on a 1/0 0r 1 hook. Make it like a keys style tarpon fly.

Bonito have been mostly the same time and place but have been taken on a bunch of flies. Flatwings etc. still small. I have only caught about 100 Bonito. as I said in RI Bonito tend to show up first and then Ablies show and move the Bonito off (to MV and Nantucket I guess)

Bonito leave the area after albies are in town. They are very competitive and albies are faster so the bonito move on.

This has been my experience for at least 8 years.

[Yozuri-Man]

for shore spots on the south side of the cape. Where would you hit for a slim chance. I've heard bout the jetty at Dowses beach, the west bay jetty(cotuit)and the herring river in harwich and the waqouit jetty. Any other recommendations or accounts of shore caught tunoids willing to share..?? Mainly looking for albies without the use of a boat. You know, hitting the shore lottery !!

What would be the tide to look for at sunrise..... thanks.

-acb

[bdowning]

RI FA/bone shore locations with most consistent listed first:

1. West Wall, Jerusalem

2. Weekapaug Breachway

3. Narragansett "Pier 5"

4. The other breachways

5. Sakonnet harbor breakwater

Cape shore-based, in addition to those already mentioned:

1. South Cape beach shoreline, adjacent to the Waquoit jetty

2. The two obvious bars east of South Cape beach, especially the second one

3. Wianno inlet jetty, however parking and access can be problematic

4. Canal Mud Flats at Bell Rd

-bd

[sterlings]

Yozuri-man,

See my first post listing specific spots. All spots are where I have caught one from shore, except for the Cow Bay spot, where I caught a bonito from a kayak (although I was only about 50 yards off the beach that day)

Also, I havn't fished it myself, but I hear there are some good shore spots around Westport, while the fish are around.

- Sterling

[Gadusfly]

Quickly bled, bagged and iced, bonito make magnificent sushi.

[backlash]

all right guys... the place to be will be Wasque, the third week in Sept., incoming tide, early a.m. Guaranteed. ( For Albies, that is.) Just don't anchor up right on the rip! As for bones, your guess is good as mine - I don't fish for them like I used to - don't like all the testosterone flying (as well as boats). Did well on them last fall at Bonito Bar off our sister island. Early a.m. on the incoming tide... albies on the falling tide. Good luck to all!

[bigbonita]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Moderator
[B]Bonito and Albacore may look alike (at first glance) but they do behave very differently. Inshore bonito -- as opposed to the ones swimming around the Hooter -- seem very capricious and much more random than albies, which seem to swim with a purpose and in tighter packs.

My bonito success has been random compared to albacore. State Beach a couple summers ago and I caught one on a trolled fly I was too lazy to retrieve as I runned and gunned to a breaking school (see, I don't follow my own advice to sit still). Last summer's bonito was caught right off of Cotuit in the middle of the day, in a howling wind, in a mix of bluefish.

oh yeah. i probably catch 10 albies for every bonito i catch. i'm not sure why they get written about together like they are one and the same. i think (at times) albies can be as easy as bluefish to fool-especially in places like woodshole and the canal area when they turn on to bigger baits like juvenile herring and peanut bunker. in the canal, i watch guys using canal sticks with at least 30 lb test catching them easily when they come in. maybe bonito can turn on like that. but i haven't seen it. my best day from shore was 2 bonito (caught 15 min. apart). otherwise, it's one here and one there and then wait for the albies to get my real hardtail thrill.
rich n

[Bob Parsons]

off Tasmoo, Lackey's, Nobska, L'hommidea(sp)

[bluewatr]

It's easy to get over focused on technique and gear with this species.... KISS....... Keep it simple......

Best of luck to you all....... Disconnect/ Gonna be gone for a while............................................. ....


-mike

[Sagebrush]

Tended to be late to the party myself.

Montauk in late september early october.

September.Tashmoo (Martha's Vineyard) first shore caught fish. Did best in the wee hours before the jetty filled up. Noticed this one guy who would make a perfect cast when they showed up and hooked up very consistently. Was using a small clouser I believe. Changed my tactics and started hooking up consistently.

Menemsha lobsterville side.

Middle ground.

South Cape beach west jetty late september.

[RJ]

This thread is a "Keppa!" For those of you who like to savor and review great threads "Sticky" has 9 pages of print on page 1 and 7 pages on page 2 so far.

My only experience with tunoids (Fat Alberts) and fly rod work was a four day period last Sept. yaking Poge Bay. I had 'em breaking all around the yak several times and could NOT get them to eat! Arrgh! Several powerboat's were running and gunning them too and I didn't see them hook up either!

Armed witht he knowledge y'all are putting out here on technique and flies I'll be doing it right this Sept. in my PUNGO!

Yaker tip. Check the tidal flow at the Chappy Bridge and ride it down into Poge Bay and back up to the bridge - fishing all the while!

:p

[sterlings]

Here is a ranking of my most successful albie flies:

1. 3" olive & white ultra hair surf candy, little flash in the side, tied pretty sparse
2. small olive-ish mushmouth
3. small Bonito bunny
4. very small white deceiver, with flash
5. those flies with mylar bodies and rabbit strip on the back, small

for spinning gear:

1. Viva Parade - green
2. " "
3. Yozuri Hydro squid
4. Yozuri Jack Jig
5. small green swedish pimple

Having only caught 1 bonito, I'm really not qualified to talk about Bonito flies. I have nailed enough albies to weigh in though and if I had to pick only one albie fly, it would definitely be a small olive surf candy without hesitation.

[sterlings]

correction on above post...

when I said yozuri hydro squid, I meant to say yozuri "HYDRO METAL".

I'm referring to the small metal reflective lure rather than the big diving thing with the squid skirt on the back.

[bdowning]

I'm going to make a more concerted effort to stick with fly tackle for speedsters this season, but I'm curious: what's a Viva Parade?

I usually stick with white bunnies or small sparse white clousers. But I agree with others, it's more about presentation & placement than pattern.

-bd

[sterlings]

the viva parade is a lure manufactured by a company called Maria - a Japanese outfit.

They are about 3 1/2" long and amazingly realistic in size and shape. They have a holographic green scale finish on the sides, but are coated in a very durable clear hard plastic around the metal inside. This finish makes it look slightly translucent behind the scales —— really, really realistic.

I don't know if you can order them online, but they sell them at Coop's, Larry's and Dick's on the vineyard, but be aware the've sold out during the derby before.

I've also bought them at the marina store on the second floor off the main street in Wood's Hole.

These lures have a very seductive wiggle when retrived quickly with a slight twitching action. Last Fall on the vineyard the Spanish Mackerel were literally fighting over them off of East Beach.

Maybe I've just been in the right time and place with this lure, but I'm definitely a believer.

(Only, of course, if the fish are out of fly range or if it is just too windy)

[bdowning]

OK. I have a Maria jig that looks like a Yo-Zuri L-jack jig, so this is something different. Eastman's in Falmouth *might* stock some Vivas, as I'm pretty sure that's where I got the Maria jack-type jig. Worth a call.

-bd

[qholes]

I've caught FAs and Spanish macks using spinning gear, but I'm still waiting for my first bonito. Hope this is the year, especially now that I'll be flicking flies at them!

I had pretty good success on FAs using 3" and 4.5" slug-gos with no weight or a very small jig head. Best colors for me have been Arkansas Shiner (3") and Alewife (4.5"). White "pot belly" jigs have accounted for a couple as well. Most of my FAs were caught from shore from the stone pier in Woods Hole or from the jetties in East Falmouth. I had one great day catching Spanish Macks about a mile off Succonesset Beach. I've only caught one other Spanish Mack and that was from the stone pier. All were caught in September. Guess I need to fish a little earlier to get the bones!

Quentin

[dpost]

There's a good article on Albies in the Aug/Sep issue of Saltwater Fly Fishing. It's not really a "how to catch 'em" artiicle; it's about their physical attributes and their lifestyle. But it gives some good insight into how to catch 'em.

[sterlings]

The spanish macks seem to be really hit or miss — and almost always incidental to albie fishing.

Last year at our annual "Tuna Camp" on the vineyard we got skunked on FAs... couldn't find 'em from shore anywhere. After pretty much giving up after 3 days we decided to try east beach for some blues one afternoon. Walking down the beach we saw a guy walking a dog and asked him if he'd seen any fish or blitzing - he says, "oh no, no stripers or blues... just a bunch of damn mackerel jumping down the beach aways"

needless to say we took off running and found 'em. I ended up catching 4 nice ones that afternoon — all on the Vivas.

[fishinimpossible]

Sterling, weren't you chunking pogies on East Beach last tuna camp? (Unfortunately I was chunking the prior evening's dinner)
Bones should be off South Cape before we know it...let's get out there some Friday in a few weeks. We gotta get you a kayak! I think Jason's off all next week. You should give him a call. I'm sure he's looking for fishing buddies.