Bonefish

Albula vulpes

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Bonefish Description

Bonefish are a “glamour” species.  They get featured on fishing shows a lot, and some people pay big bucks to chase them in the Bahamas and other spots with a fly rod.  I’ve caught a few both on fly, lures and on bait.  They don’t get very big, they don’t jump, and they aren’t great for eating.  On the plus side, they do put up a tremendous fight for their size; I had one rip 170 yards of 30lb braid off my reel and spool me when I showed up under-gunned.  The fish pictured above ripped a lot of line off of my reel as well.  Most Bonefish are caught sight fishing, which is a fun way to catch fish. 

The first trip I targeted Bonefish, I was in Belize.  In my head I was envisioning all the TV shows I had seen where people stalk the flats for hours, spot a Bonefish, make a picture-perfect long cast, spook the fish, and then start all over.  Instead, the guide poled the boat about 25 yards from the reef we were fishing, pointed, and said “there are the Bonefish”.  I looked where he was pointing and saw an enormous school of Bonefish with at least 150 fish in it.  I cast a chunk of sardine into the school and they immediately pounced on it.  After landing about 20 fish in about 30 minutes I decided to try it with a fly.  I had never tried fly fishing in saltwater before that time, but I was able to land a Bonefish every third cast or so.  After we had pounded that school for a while we walked another 25 yards and found another school and did the same thing.  Needless to say it was nothing like the TV shows.  That trip really spoiled me. Now I only fish them with fly; it's the funnest way to catch them.

Bonefish are found in nearshore tropical waters all over the world.  They reach a maximum size of over 20lbs in the Pacific, but most fish are well under 10lbs.  They can often be found in schools, but as with many fish the largest ones are often solitary.

Bonefish have a gray back with mirror like scales on their sides that help them blend in with the bottom to hide from predators such as barracuda and sharks.

​Bonefish are typically fished for on shallow sandy flats.  They go to deeper water when not on the flats feeding.  They can often be found in extremely shallow water, sometimes with their tails sticking out of the water as they search for invertebrates in the sand.  You can see by the shape of their mouth, which is pointed downwards, that they feed on things from the bottom.

Bonefish can be eaten, but they have a lot of small bones.  Hence the name.  Most are released.

Bonefish Culinary Rating - Low

Bonefish have a lot of bones, as the name suggests.  As a result they are hard to clean.  Some people make fish cake out of them, but it doesn't seem worth the trouble to me.  They have far higher value as a gamefish than a food fish, so I recommend releasing them.

Bonefish Tackle

A light spinning setup with 10lb test should handle most smaller bonefish.  Heavier line is better for the bigger ones if you can get them to bite it; perhaps up to 16lbs.  A Daiwa Certate in one of the small to medium sizes is a great reel for this. 

For fly fishing, a 7 or 8 weight rod is the right choice. Make sure you have a lot of line on the reel as a large one can make a long run and strip line fast especially with a lighter drag.   Once you get into fish above 3-4lbs, you definitely want to upgrade your tackle.  Make sure you have enough line on your reel if you hook into a bigger one.

Bonefish Techniques

Most bonefishing is done by quietly wading or poling around shallow flats looking for the fish.  Fly fishing is the funnest way to catch them in my opinion. You need to make sure not to cast over the school, especially if they are in shallow water. The shallower the water, the easier they are to spook. You need a good set of polarized sun glasses to be able to spot these guys, as they can be pretty hard to see in windy conditions. Sometimes they give themselves away by making puffs of mud on the bottom when they feed even when you can't see them. You can sometime spot them flashing in deeper water as well.

When fly fishing, select a fly that does not sink too fast but will reach the bottom where they feed and make long, slow steady strips. If you get a bite, keep stripping and do not lift the rod up to set as you would for a trout. Don't put too much pressure on them, and when they inevitably run, let them run.

Bonefish Flies and Lures

Most people fly fish using flies that resemble shrimp and small crabs.  These should be weighted so they sink to the bottom and then slowly stripped along the bottom. The shallower the water, the lighter a fly you should use and vice versa.  Bonefish suck things off the bottom rather than chasing things that are above them; the shape of their mouth is a pretty good giveaway for this.

Bonefish can also be caught using small jigs or plastic tails on spinning gear.  If you are not a purist and want to increase your chances you can tip your jig with a bit of shrimp or conch or squid or whatever is around. 

Bonefish Baits

Most sport fishermen fish for Bonefish with flies or lures.  However, bait is very effective.  Shrimp works well, as does pieces of baitfish such as sardines.  Baits should be fished on the bottom.

Where to get the big Bonefish

Aitutaki, Cook Islands has some enormous bones, as do some other remote locations in the South Pacific.  The Seychelles are supposed to have some large ones as well.  Belize and the Bahamas are popular destinations for numbers of small and medium size ones.

Other Bonefish Resources

The above barely scratches the surface on how to catch Bonefish.  The resources below will provide a wealth of information:

Here is a nice article on how to catch Bonefish:  http://www.flatsguide.com/bonefish101.html

Good article on do it yourself bonefishing in the Florida Keys:  http://www.reel-time.com/articles/saltwater-fly-fishing/do-it-yourself-fly-fishing-for-bonefish-in-the-florida-keys/