how to catch bonita?

[catfish 17]

im going next saturday on the puirsuit of 22nd street landing, any one knows whats the best way to catch bonita?i want to bring some home to eat. like what hook and wights?and are the bait they give their good for the bonita?

[fishinone]

im going next saturday on the puirsuit of 22nd street landing, any one knows whats the best way to catch bonita?i want to bring some home to eat. like what hook and wights?and are the bait they give their good for the bonita?

I like to use a Kastmaster 3" long or bigger, with a single hook with white feathers.

[Odium]

I was out last last wednesday.

I landed them on live bait and megabait.

Live Bait:
My SX was spooled 20# but I used a 15# flouro leader and a size 2 hook.
Small baits were the best when I went out. I preferred butt hooking them, they just run better for me.

Get your bait out away from the boat and leave your reel in free spool. If you get hit and line starts ripping off the reel. Do a three count, slap your reel in gear, and lift your rod tip. No need to set the hook, the bonies are fast enough to set it themselves.

Just remember to have your drags set properly. When in doubt, leave it a little looser.


Iron:
I used a 3/4 ounce megabait on 25# test. Casted as far as I could (a whole 7 feet, hahaha) and let it sink for about 10-30 seconds (depends on where the boat is anchored). I did a pretty fast retrieve with the megabait. When you feel the hook up, do not swing!!! Just keep winding and then lift your rod tip.

Remember to follow your bait and follow your fish!! Hope you land some big ones!

[Ricky-Ray]

IMO catching boneheads on the iron is the only way to go. Croc spoon, megabait jig, tady or sala's surface iron chrome, blue/chrome, blue/white, scrambled egg all work good.

I love catching them the most on the old tried and true croc spoon.

[ghetto dad]

I was out last last wednesday.

I landed them on live bait and megabait.

Live Bait:
My SX was spooled 20# but I used a 15# flouro leader and a size 2 hook.
Small baits were the best when I went out. I preferred butt hooking them, they just run better for me.

Get your bait out away from the boat and leave your reel in free spool. If you get hit and line starts ripping off the reel. Do a three count, slap your reel in gear, and lift your rod tip. No need to set the hook, the bonies are fast enough to set it themselves.

Just remember to have your drags set properly. When in doubt, leave it a little looser.


Iron:
I used a 3/4 ounce megabait on 25# test. Casted as far as I could (a whole 7 feet, hahaha) and let it sink for about 10-30 seconds (depends on where the boat is anchored). I did a pretty fast retrieve with the megabait. When you feel the hook up, do not swing!!! Just keep winding and then lift your rod tip.

Remember to follow your bait and follow your fish!! Hope you land some big ones!

I agree with most of what Scrodium said above, with the exception of:

1. No need to set the hook, the bonies are fast enough to set it themselves.
Um, no, the ONLY time you dont set the hook when bait fishing is when you are using a circle hook..ALWAYS set the hook...what if you get by a yellow, and you dont set the hook..you could lose the fish.

Also, if you are in doubt, ASK the crew to set your drags..thats their job. And if you are using a lighter top shot/leader than your main line, make sure it is set for the TOP SHOT/LEADER line, not the main like..youll break off if you do otherwise.

Have fun!

GD

[catfish 17]

oh thats cool that you catch them on the lures, but so they bite faster on it or no?and are you supposed to be reeling the lure back everytime? sorry for asking all this questioin but its because i have not ever used lures before, especially in deep sea fishing. But this time i wanna catch as many bonitas i can! :Big Grin:

[samgann93]

IMO catching boneheads on the iron is the only way to go. Croc spoon, megabait jig, tady or sala's surface iron chrome, blue/chrome, blue/white, scrambled egg all work good.

I love catching them the most on the old tried and true croc spoon.

I completly agree. Ive outfished guys using live bait every single time using irons. i really like blue/chrome. Or a magabait.

[samgann93]

oh thats cool that you catch them on the lures, but so they bite faster on it or no?and are you supposed to be reeling the lure back everytime? sorry for asking all this questioin but its because i have not ever used lures before, especially in deep sea fishing. But this time i wanna catch as many bonitas i can! :Big Grin:


Reel pretty fast. enough to make the jig kick back and forth pretty good. keep reeling even when you feel the tension. and just grind on the fish the whole time. i pop alot more fish off when i pump on them. Throw the jig as far as possible. get a fast/steady grind back and you will kill bonies.

[Ricky-Ray]

Fishing the iron you want a medium/fast retrieve. Basically your looking for the jig to swing back and forth in the water as your winding it back in. If your jig is not doing that then you are either winding it in too slow or too fast. You'll have to make those adjustments as you see it.

Boneheads are generally attracted to anything shiny and fluttering in the water, that's why the croc spoon works so well because it's all chrome. Other jig's like blue/chrome, blue/white, etc. will work also.

[catfish 17]

so lures are better then live bait?and that means i wont really catch bonita on saturday! dam! how much are the lures?

[samgann93]

for bonita an iron jig is better IMO. the irons are 5 to 10 bucks a peice. pick up a couple blue/chrome and blue/white.

[smokehound]

Any kind of metallic spoon works for bones.


Kastmasters, Krocs, any of em.


I would personally go with the krocs. Nothing fancy, just plain silver.

[dixoncider]

It used to be how not to catch them

[That Dang Guy]

Jigs won't necessarily catch fish any better, it's just more fun. It's a very active way of fishing. You don't just stand there feeling out your bait waiting to get hit, you're searching for them. You can do this by blind casting or actively watching for signals. Signals can be birds hovering/swooping for baits or sometimes you can see water being "pushed" by gamefish chasing baits.

These are definitely things that will help your baitfishing game quite a bit, but the extra long range of irons and jigs will help you more effectively fish these waters. It can be quite rewarding!

[Ifishtoolittle]

IF you want to mix things up find a small kastmaster with a single hook pin on a chovie or a sardine.

[Ricky-Ray]

so lures are better then live bait?and that means i wont really catch bonita on saturday! dam! how much are the lures?

Boneheads will bite on bait too and then there are day's they want nothing to do with bait and will bite the iron and vice versa. You never know. Catching them on the iron is just that much more fun that bait fishing.

[victor101]

Bonita fishing is simple...if theyre still around like they have been you should have no problem getting at least a couple. Pick a lively bait...flyline....let it run....when your line starts going at a good speed, let it run for a few seconds and put your reel in gear and lift your rod tip up....FIIIISHHH ON!...

If you want to fish iron... Tady 45 or Tady C in mint green or chrome/blue has worked for me. Cast as far as you can...and give it a medium to fast retrieve. If you get hit, DONT stop winding and DONT set the hook.

Have fun!

[smokehound]

What everyone has stated is the essence of it all.. Do what feels comfortable to you!


You can catch bonito on rapalas, anything that has action, sound, or flash.

They are dumb, not as stupid as mackerel, but almost as dumb..


Just go with what -YOU- like the best. I think this is something we all can agree on..

[ghetto dad]

It used to be how not to catch them

:ROFL:SO true man....

GD