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We enjoyed the best bonito bite last year that I can remember in my lifetime of fishing. Anytime you have a wide-open bite lasting a month and a half on 10- to 15-lb. bruiser bonito, you’ve got hot fishing action. Get out your bonito gear because it’s that time of year again, and bonito are busting loose.
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| David Bacon Photo |
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Feather Fish – This big bonito struck a trolled classic red and white bonito feather. |
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Any SoCal saltwater angler, eligible for AARP membership, can probably remember the glory days of summertime bonito fishing in
the SoCal bight. We called them “half-day tuna,” “boneheads,” “boneys” and a great many other fond nicknames. Mostly we called them fun, as we honed our
light-tackle fish-fighting skills using light-action rods and freshwater spinning reels.
The huge bonito we were catching last summer will stress-test even tough gear such as a medium- to heavy-action inshore
conventional rod and reel setups and good 20-lb. line. Normal-size bonito, in the 4- to 8-lb. range, are a blast on light-action inshore rods and
spinning rods filled with lighter line.
These fish are fast and move great distances quickly, yet there are certain areas where good action tends to be focused.
Big schools of bonito are active at most of our SoCal islands, with Catalina, San Clemente, Anacapa and Santa Cruz topping the list of hot spots.
Fortunately for all of us, they have also been schooling up and feeding aggressively along the mainland coast above San Diego, off Dana Point, at the
Horseshoe, in Santa Monica Bay and off Santa Barbara. These speedsters can be lightyears away in the blink of an eye, so keep an eye out for bonito signs
wherever you fish.
Birds are the best signs to watch for. Take advantage of their ability to see or sense action at amazing distances. They
will point the way. As bonito drive baitballs to the surface and feed savagely, seabirds show you the way as they gather up and dive on the surface bait.
The scene is classic: terrified baitfish skittering across the top of the water; bonito crashing wildly on the frothing surface, while seabirds wheel and
dive on the hapless baitfish. Bad day to be a baitfish. When the action is over, the birds will sit on the water and watch and wait. The presence of
dozens of birds on the water indicates bonito in the vicinity.
Bonito are not always spotted crashing on surface bait. Oftentimes they forage widely scattered and cruising several feet
below the surface. Signs of their presence can include scattered upwellings of baitballs and birds spread out actively searching for spots of activity
where a baitball is driven to the surface by hungry bonito. The birds impatiently await surface activity, because they know the boneheads are there.
Once you’ve found the bite, there are tried-and-true ways to get in on the action. One way is to slide a boat up to the
feeding activity and cast jigs or lures. Some of my favorites include Luhr Jensen Krocodiles and Deep Stingers, Tady A1s, Braid jigs and even
baitfish-imitating plastics.
Hook-ups often come fast and furious. Chumming live baitfish helps to keep a school of bonito near the boat. Then cast
live-lined baits among the chum to connect with a fighting bonehead. A live baitfish looks like a quick and easy meal to the hungry fish.
Another way to get into the bite is to troll feathers, spoons or jigs through the surface action. Try not to troll right
through the middle of the action for fear of disrupting the feeding frenzy. Instead, troll past on one side, then turn across the area so the lures go
right through the action. You can almost call a hook-up as it is about to happen – like an eight ball in the corner pocket – as your lures swim
enticingly through the action.
We used to carry dozens of “bonito feathers” aboard most boats. Too bad they are difficult to find these days. They are
rather simple and effective little trolling feathers; just a shiny metal head/hook, with a small feather in a variety of colors. They weren’t fancy, but
then a hungry bonito doesn’t require fancy. If it moves and can be caught, it looks like dinner to a bonehead.
It’s important to take good care of your catch, especially bonito. Bonito are good, as long as they are bled immediately
after being caught and then kept cold in a fishbox or kill bag. Never put a bonito in a gunnysack in the sun. The lateral line on a bonito is dark red,
oxygen-rich meat with a strong flavor many folks don’t appreciate. This V-shaped section can easily be cut out of the fillet. The meat above and below
the dark meat is tender and flaky. They barbecue very nicely, and they also smoke up well enough to make you smack your lips.
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