Targeting bonito takes a certain mindset and a particular set of tools.
It was early September, 2024, I snuck away for a lunch break casting session at one of the best shore spots for albies in my home state of Rhode Island. This would be my first albie trip of the season and after a banner year in 2023, I was primed for a repeat and rabid for that first explosive take and blistering run. I have made friends with most of the regulars on the jetty and they’re always willing to scooch over to make a spot for me, this is something I am very grateful for. And that first trip always feels like a reunion as I see people I haven’t seen for a full 10 months.
I stood at the top of the jetty, looking down to the sides at all the guys chucking and winding, praying for that elixir of adrenalin and dopamine that the brain releases with each albie hit. My friend Nen is basically the mayor of this spot and one of the best albie fishermen you will find anywhere on the planet, “They all bonito Dave,” he spoke through the filter of a lit cigarette, “they taste good, but they not albies.” His old country Korean heritage seasoning his accented response. I took a corner position on the jetty and wrongly assumed that I would be able to hook up with the typical Albie Snax and epoxies I always packed for this spot. I watched as over a dozen bonito were landed and two Spanish mackerel, I had one follow.
It’s not that I didn’t know what it took to catch a bonito and it certainly wasn’t that I had never caught them, it also wasn’t that I didn’t know that it was shaping up to be a banner year for bones… the truth is, I rested on my laurels and expected things to play out like they always did. Said another way, I didn’t prepare for anything but the usual ‘batting practice’ fastball, laid right down the middle. Shame on me.
I’ve said it before, I am not an outwardly competitive person, but I love to compete. And when I am roundly out-fished, I don’t get mad, sad or grumpy, I get determined. I went home, wrapped up my workday, and then set my mind to packing a small Plano box with baits that I felt would – almost certainly – catch bonito.
Them Bones
In spite of their similar appearance, bonito are quite different from false albacore in many ways. We, as anglers, very often make the mistake of grouping them together as a species that can be targeted interchangeably, using the same arsenal of lures. And, in one way that is a fact, you will catch the odd bonito on Albie Snax and epoxy jigs and metals are often thought of as standard tackle for both species. But I read between the lines on this, these lures are the hired guns of the albie addict, and once in a while, every albie addict catches a ‘bycatch’ bonito or two; essentially proving the hypothesis that both species will hit the pinnacle baits of the albie arsenal. But if you are going to specifically target bonito, you can up your odds by using hardbaits and by appealing to the way they typically feed.
The first thing to know is that bonito are incredibly aggressive and will take down much larger baits than most anglers realize or would assume. My good friend John Lee landed a 6-pound bonito a few years ago that regurgitated an 8-inch mackerel while it was flopping on the deck! That’s a mackerel that would chase down and eat some of the epoxy jigs in the average albie arsenal! In my experience, bonito tend to feed more ‘below the water’ while albies often feed in visual and explosive surface blitzes and these tendencies can offer clues into how to alter your approach when targeting bonito.
We can derive another clue from the bonito tactics of the past. When I was first getting into the saltwater scene, there weren’t all these specialized lures for casting at these mini tuna species, and most of the bonito that I was hearing about or reading about were being caught fast-trolling with smallish high speed lures like the Rebel Fastrac and the Jawbreaker. Both of these baits were jointed swimmers with a nearly horizontal lip that would vibrate wildly when tolled at high speeds. I read this and automatically know I need something I can fish fast. I consider the action of a jointed swimmer and think I need something with a wilder, more accentuated swim. Lastly, I feel like that vibration must be a draw for bonito and I would want to lean heavily on baits with a tight, pulsating vibration.
Mach Five
1. The SP Minnow
Daiwa’s entry into the plastic swimmer market became a near-instant classic, and with about 20 years of history now backing this little swimmer, it would be hard to find a saltwater fisherman who doesn’t believe in the power of the SP. This plug is especially perfect for bones because of its shape; (high arched back, wedge-like cross-section and straight-line belly) and its narrow lip. These things work together to create a vibrating roll that looks like a fast wiggle from behind or above. When you add in the weight-transfer system that will aid in making longer casts to reach distant fish, it’s kind of a home run. I put all my effort into the smaller 5-1/8-inch version, it has a faster wiggle and tracks better on a rapid retrieve. My favorite color for bonito is ‘laser green shiner’ with ‘chrome’ and ‘sand eel’ being my second and third choices. I keep it simple with the SP, just a fast retrieve with the occasional twitch or rip.
2. Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow
In my recollection, the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow is the OG when it comes to casting swimmers to bonito (and albies too). Made in smaller sizes ranging from 2-3/4 to 5-1/4 inches, the Crystal Minnow offers a saltwater tough offering that’s extra small. The action is tight but with strong vibration, and they track very well, even at high speeds. These little swimmers are great for blind-casting into a bonito-rich waters and really stand out when the bones are keyed in on small baits, thanks their range of smaller sizes. Another great way to utilize the Crystal Minnow is to troll it from a kayak, just get your feet pedaling and try to swim that thing as fast as you can, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how effective it is.
3. The Exo Jig
I place the Game On Exo Jig in a class somewhere between a traditional hardbait and an Epoxy Jig. The swim features a more predictable and rhythmic cadence and they take abuse a like a hard plastic plug. I’m never leaving the house or the launch without Exo Jigs in all three sizes when bonito (or false albacore) are even remotely in play. This bait works equally well when skipped on the surface or reeled a little slower to swim just below. The Exo also presents high-trajectory option when the school pops up just out of reach of other baits.
4. The Small Stick Shadd
My introduction to this lure comes with a story. My good friend and fellow fishing maniac Tom Kosinski came up from New Jersey to fish for a weekend. We were albie fishing from the same jetty mentioned in the intro, but no one was hooking fish. We had, however, seen some large bonito walking off the jetty when we arrived. After an hour of hitless fishing, Tom snapped on the 114-size floating Sebile Stick Shadd and proceeded to hook and land one of the larger shore bones I’ve seen. Tom fished this slashing peanut imitator with hard sweeps of the rod tip and short pauses in between. The result looked like an isolated peanut bunker surging and stopping, vulnerable over deep water, and frantically looking for some place to hide. Pro tip, the 90-size gets it done, too.
5. Shimano World Minnow
I saved the best for last. I got my hands on these little jerkbaits with an eye on cold water largemouth bass fishing, but on that day above when I caught zero bones, this diminutive jerkbait was my first thought. I liked the idea of a jerkbait because, by definition, they have to be able to ripped through the water without kicking out, and the fact that they suspend on the pause only makes them better. Then we add in the Flash Boost technology (a die-cut piece of hyper-reflective foil, balanced on a spring inside the hollow of the bait that gives shimmering movement and flash to an otherwise stationary bait on the pause) and we have the makings of something truly special. I found the best success with a rapid jerk-jerk-jerk-pause-jerk-jerk-pause cadence, the pauses are barley longer than 1 second. If you watch the bait in the water you’ll see that it zig-zags with each jerk and I’m reeling fast enough to break a sweat! This rapid-fire cadence really seems to trigger the cat-and-mouse instincts of the wily bonito and they – pretty much – cannot leave this thing alone! I went from zero to hero in 24 hours at the jetty, my Chartreuse World Minnow racked up an impressive score among the baits of all the same guys that schooled me the day before.
Honorable Mentions
I also wanted to highlight two more hardbaits that might not always get the call, but that make a real case for themselves when the need arises. The first is the Yo-Zuri Mag Darter. Better known for its ability to enchant striped bass, bluefish and weakfish, the Yo-Zuri Mag Darter has a place in the bonito arsenal as well. When fished at faster speeds, the sleek, lipless profile of the Mag Darter gives off a more frantic, fleeing baitfish vibe, and can trigger the flight response of a bonito on the hunt. I tend to look to the smaller two sizes, 4-1/8 and 5 inches, for funny fish excursions and I try to keep the image of a frantic baitfish running for its life when I tie it on. Rod tip down, fast cranking, maybe the occasional jerk of the rod.
The other is the Rebel Jumpin’ Minnow. Sometimes bonito get really fired up and may be seen leaping clear of the water as they blast bait on top. The Jumpin’ Minnow is the bait that gets the call when I see this behavior. Rigged with a #2 treble on the tail and no hook up front, this reliable walker becomes a frantic zig-zagger that can be fished super-fast, if that’s what the bone want. You won’t use them every day, but when the opportunity arises, you’ll be glad you have something on hand to draw that vicious and exciting topwater strike!
I will readily admit, that I am not an addicted bonito chaser, but after that experience of being one of the only dudes on the jetty without a bent rod, you can bet I won’t let that happen again! Given the choice between albies and bonito, I will chose albies 101 times out of 100, but given the choice between catching and not catching I’ll choose catching 1,001 times out of 1,000. And I bet you would too.
