The Bonefish

This species is preyed upon by barracudas and sharks, and thusly has evolved to have a torpedo shaped body and can reach speeds of up to 23 miles per hour in open water! This fish is also covered in highly reflective silver scales, each scale serves its purpose as a tiny mirror to accurately reflect its environment. This makes the bonefish extremely difficult to spot in the water. Add to this the ability of the bonefish to gulp air and store it in a specialized sac that helps them regulate their blood oxygen content when they gulp water at the surface, not unlike the rather common labyrinth fish, Betta splendens. These elements combine to explain why this fish has survived and thrived relatively unchanged in over 125 million years! It is considered one of the oldest species on earth.

They are often called "Mirrored Torpedoes" or "Silver Bullets" due to their shape, coloring and speed.

The elusiveness of this species is what makes it such a great sport fish. The flesh is not highly prized as food, though it is certainly edible. The prospect of angling this fish makes it lucrative for the sport fishing industry, as it brings many anglers from around the world to remote fishing locations, to try their hand at catching the Bonefish. Another major draw of this fish, is that it is primarily located in tropical waters, and the best fishing spots are on beautiful remote islands, usually with plenty of amenities and things to do for family members who aren't as in to fishing as you might be.

Habits of the Bonefish

Emerging on the skinny water of the saltwater flats during periods of tidal flux, bonefish dine on a rich diet of clams, shrimp, and crabs, and they will rarely pass up the opportunity to snare even smaller critters such as saltwater worms, snails, and baitfish. However, when feeding in saltwater flats, bonefish are often forced to expose a good portion of their tail to the air, due to the fact that most tropical saltwater flats are only a few inches deep. Many a patient angler has expressed his delight at watching the tails dance above the water!

When out on the water looking for your quarry, keep in mind that the bonefish, when rooting for food along sandy bottoms, produces large plumes of grey sand, and looking for such plumes helps anglers to find the fish they're looking for. The use of a pair of sunglasses with a yellow or copper polychromatic lens will help immeasurably! It also helps, of course, to have experience in spotting the bonefish, or having an experienced guide watching from the top of a specialized flat boat.

Bonefish are a very skittish fish, especially when feeding in the saltwater flats. They are very aware of their perilous position in such shallow waters with hardly any place to dash off to. For this reason, approaching the Bonefish must be done with great care and stealth. The patient angler will be rewarded at least with a glimpse of his prey.

Tips on Catching the Bonefish

Bonefish fishing over the saltwater flats requires a confident cast, tight attention to fly presentations, and a good working knowledge of local water and tidal conditions. For this reason, it's advisable to hire or charter a local guide the first few times you go Bonefish fishing. Since fly anglers will most often be sight casting for their quarry, it is extremely important to understand the delicate mix of water and wind conditions and distance to the fish. If the wind is high, an angler may need to use a shorter leader and a heavier 9 weight rod and line to turn over the fly and lay down a sixty foot cast. If conditions are calm and the saltwater flat is glassy, a 14 or 15 foot leader and a lighter 7 weight rod may be necessary to avoid spooking the fish during presentation of the fly.

Because bonefish are so wary, it is important to understand how the fish is moving and where to place a cast. The best anglers will cast around 30 feet in front of the fish, near a clump of grass or other object. Bonefish will often drift towards objects like this.

When you see the fish go towards your fly and stop, that is when you want to let the bonefish eat it, and then you can strip the line. Experiment with longer and shorter strips with different pacing; pause and give the fly a slight jerk and then strip in more line. Your local charter guide will have a favored, tried and true technique and will tell you just what to do when you've spotted a fish and placed that perfect cast.

Often, if you feel the tug, it means the bonefish has already sucked in your fly and spit it back out. They never "miss" it.

One other notable tip: if you have more than one angler in your boat, only one person should have a cast at a time. Two casts will spook the bonefish.

Bonefish will readily take a well-presented fly, and will make several long runs, usually taking a fly angler 150 yards deep into the backing. Generally a bonefish will make about as many long, straight runs as its weight in pounds. A 2-pound fish will make 2 long runs and a 4-pounder will take you and your reel for a spin about 4 times. This is not by any means a hard and fast rule, but something to keep in mind when it's time to strip set the hook and play that fish!

Cautions!

Studies are ongoing as to the effects of "catch and release" fishing on the Bonefish populations. It has been determined so far that the stress of being hooked is trying on the individual fish, and that the longer the angling process is, the worse off it is for the fish. Also, being exposed to the air causes the gill fringes to collapse on themselves and could cause respiratory problems after being released. For this reason, it's recommended to use the proper sized equipment for the fish you are trying to catch in order to quickly bring the fish in, and only expose the fish to as much open air as you need to.