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Nature Coast

Follow the bait to quite the bonito bounty

By ED WALKER Fishing
Published June 9, 2007

An influx of tiny Spanish sardines and glass minnows provides new fishing opportunities in many areas.

Out in the Gulf, schools of mackerel and bonito feed heavily on these tiny morsels. When the bonito come crashing in, the resulting foam and white water can be seen from great distances.

These speedy members of the tuna family usually work in unison as they run the minnows in to feed. They form a wall of fish that explodes as it tears through the bait pod. The bonito then drop back below the surface and allow bait to regroup. The process repeats again and again.

For anglers attempting to sight-cast, this can cause some frustration. Since the feeding frenzies last only a minute or two, trying to get to them before the fish go down takes luck and persistence. When the bonito are working this way they rarely bite except when the entire pack is churning on the surface.

The best approach is to pull in where the fish were and try to track the bait pod. The fish know where the bait is and if you keep your boat close to the food source, there is a good chance you will be in casting range when the bonito come back up for another round.

Just about anything small and shiny will work. Jigs and spoons are the easiest to use since they cast far and can be worked quickly. Live bait will work but is more tricky to cast.

A favorite bonito lure is a small diamond jig. These solid-steel lures are more like spoons than jigs. They cast a long distance and resemble the 1- to 2-inch silver baitfish the bonito are chasing. Once the foam ball erupts next to the boat, fire the diamond jig to the other side of frenzy and reel it back as fast as possible to imitate a fleeing minnow.

Once you hook up, be prepared for numerous extended runs against the drag. What bonito lack in food value, they make up for in fighting ability. Pound for pound they are some of the best fighters found in local waters. They do, however, have a tendency to fight until they are exhausted, making them susceptible to mortality if they are handled out of the water for more than a few moments.

By lifting them onboard by the fork of the tail, then turning them upside down while removing the hook, their survivability is highest. As with many tuna, once they are upside down they do not move or struggle as much. Giving them a headfirst toss into the water also helps get them moving. Bonito always have to move forward.

Generally speaking bonito, also known as little tunny, are not considered good to eat. Their meat is bloody and dark. Most of the recipes involve doing something to the meat to make it taste like something other than what it is. Soaking it in milk or buttermilk is one such remedy.

Another well-known bonito recipe goes something like this: Take two fresh bonito filets and tack them to a plank of clean cedar wood. Brush with melted butter and add salt, pepper and your favorite seasonings to taste. Place them in the oven at 350 degrees for one hour. Finally, remove the filets, throw them away and eat the board.

[Last modified June 8, 2007, 21:03:38]