Last year there was about a 2 week period where bonita were within a mile from the beach(seaside,nj) they seem do this ever year. Some guys did real good, but not me due to inexperience. What are some tips for tricking these fish? I know you need light tackle, and trolling works well, but can anyone give me anything specific?
inshore bonita
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Casring small Drone spoons, Deadly Dick's, Krocodiles works but they are tough to chase. Trolling red/white or green/yellow 1/2 or 3/4 oz, (even 1/4 sometimes )feathers at like 9 knots works. You keep the lures just below skipping speed in the face of the 2nd or 3rd wake, use outrigger clips or clothes pins with rubber bands tied to your lifting eyes on the transom to keep the lures down.
August & Sept, chum them with spearing and ground bunker on Cholera Middle & Angler Banks. You need like 10 pounds of spearing and a very watery mix of bunker on the anchor. Use a 1/0 short shank tuna hook and 15-lb mono. The hook goes thru the corner of the eye socket, you can't poke the eye out or the fish will pass the bait up. Start by throwing a few spearing in the watery slick and every now & then throw a spray of spearing. Drift the baits out 50 or 60 feet and reel in & start over.
Its best to seine your own spearing the evening before and keep them on ice. If not, get some 2 1/2 lb bags
August & Sept, chum them with spearing and ground bunker on Cholera Middle & Angler Banks. You need like 10 pounds of spearing and a very watery mix of bunker on the anchor. Use a 1/0 short shank tuna hook and 15-lb mono. The hook goes thru the corner of the eye socket, you can't poke the eye out or the fish will pass the bait up. Start by throwing a few spearing in the watery slick and every now & then throw a spray of spearing. Drift the baits out 50 or 60 feet and reel in & start over.
Its best to seine your own spearing the evening before and keep them on ice. If not, get some 2 1/2 lb bags
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Expect to catch 10 albies and 3 skippys for every bonita. Watch the pots for chicken mahi in August too. You cane spin them on the Drones as well. Don't throw too meaty a bunker mix or the bluefish will maul you. Best bet is to get on the anchor & chum in the water by 6. Before the bluefish & bottomfish boats start screwing up your slick. Works well at 17 Fathons too if you want to run. Remember to toss the football bluefins that may show up. Gear like medium freshwater rods and Ambassaduer 6500's are fine for the bait and med=light spinners. NO swivels or jewelry on the bait rigs, maybe a small splitshot if the current is running. You can also blind troll and stop & drift bait when you find life.
This isn't a slam dunk, takes some doing befoe you get into them, then its 1/2 hour of mayhem. They'll come right up to the boat in te spearing spray, you'll be eye to eye with them when you get them started.
I've had them come right to the boat in the middle of a lightening storm with no chum in the water, that was hairy. We were all piled under the canvas making sandwiches waiting the storm out when one of my friends said a fish just went by. Spearing in the water and all **** breaks loose. Lucky we didn't get fried by the lightening
This isn't a slam dunk, takes some doing befoe you get into them, then its 1/2 hour of mayhem. They'll come right up to the boat in te spearing spray, you'll be eye to eye with them when you get them started.
I've had them come right to the boat in the middle of a lightening storm with no chum in the water, that was hairy. We were all piled under the canvas making sandwiches waiting the storm out when one of my friends said a fish just went by. Spearing in the water and all **** breaks loose. Lucky we didn't get fried by the lightening
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we have a quick shot at them along the North Shore from the surf.. when you see guys throwing those "snapper poppers" out and there are no snappers, rest assured, the bonita are in..
Some guys modify the snapper poppers with salt water flies. But they have worked with the tubes..
Some guys modify the snapper poppers with salt water flies. But they have worked with the tubes..
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MakoMike wrote:
rastamon wrote:
Almost forgot, check the NMFS tuna permit. I don't know if you need one for the little guys now or not. Haven't gotten a permit since I sold my boat a while back
No permit neede for Bonita, they are not tunas!
Are they in the mackerel family?
rastamon wrote:
Almost forgot, check the NMFS tuna permit. I don't know if you need one for the little guys now or not. Haven't gotten a permit since I sold my boat a while back
No permit neede for Bonita, they are not tunas!
Are they in the mackerel family?
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Mike are skippys and falsies covered by the license?
You know it would be a help if you could post something in the General board about what licenses are need for tunas and sharks and what fish are covered. Regs on the site are geeked and you know better than most.
You know it would be a help if you could post something in the General board about what licenses are need for tunas and sharks and what fish are covered. Regs on the site are geeked and you know better than most.
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rastamon wrote:
Mike are skippys and falsies covered by the license?
You know it would be a help if you could post something in the General board about what licenses are need for tunas and sharks and what fish are covered. Regs on the site are geeked and you know better than most.
You do need the license for skipjack tuna, you do not need the license to little Tunny (flase albies) which are also not tuna.
What you do need the license for is explained on the NMFS/NOAA website at HMS permits Basically you need the permit to fish for Bluefin, Yellowfin, Bigeye, albacore and Skipjack tunas as well as any shark.
Mike are skippys and falsies covered by the license?
You know it would be a help if you could post something in the General board about what licenses are need for tunas and sharks and what fish are covered. Regs on the site are geeked and you know better than most.
You do need the license for skipjack tuna, you do not need the license to little Tunny (flase albies) which are also not tuna.
What you do need the license for is explained on the NMFS/NOAA website at HMS permits Basically you need the permit to fish for Bluefin, Yellowfin, Bigeye, albacore and Skipjack tunas as well as any shark.
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They showed up in force around Port Jeff/Mt.Siani area last Sept for weeks. I actually caught one on a 1.5 oz White Buck tail with red Josh
Who a thunk it
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Also small Lures see the orange one on the pole above
my buddy swers by them.
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This post edited by stpaul7 07:46 AM 06/24/2008
Who a thunk it
Also small Lures see the orange one on the pole above
my buddy swers by them.
This post edited by stpaul7 07:46 AM 06/24/2008
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