Tips on Bonito

[Horn63]

Hey Guys I am heading out of Manasquan inlet Saturday morning to go fluking. Probably going to hit Axel and maybe Sea girt reef. I hear they are catching a lot of Bonito. I have never fished for them before. Not looking to spot burn just the basics. General locations, lures or baits? Things like that. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Lunatic]

When I did catch them it was always trolling but I never targeted them while trolling or otherwise. I never caught any while bottom fishing and I have years at sea bottom fishing. 

[hunterbob1]

Daddy Mac jigs.This is my suggestion,old school before internet.Id follow, but out of respect not right on the stern!Those flying sinkers can hurt.lol..Good luck.https://www.goldeneaglefishing.com/fishingreports

Edited July 10, 2019 by hunterbob1

[Swamprat]

Have a rod ready with a small jig/metal.  1oz metal in  silver, pearl, yellow will do the trick. Reel as fast as you can.  Lol. 

Tie direct to line, no wire leader.  

[JHbowhunter]

I am not going to boast but this particular fish was my favorite "Back in the day" and the absolute best way to catch them is to chum with spearing.  Actually I would chum with frozen ground bunker and also 5  gallon frozen bucket of spearing.     15# mono, very small tuna hooks.     Once they are in the slick, it's game on. Also keep a rod rigged with small yellow bucktail and/or an AVA 007.     All of the local lumps from Klondike to JB's to Tolton and even wreck like Oil wreck used to produce big bonito often over 10 #'s which are screamers on light tackle.   You can also troll them up on clark spoons and small feathers but more fun to chunk them with spearing or jig them up on light tackle.  

Edited July 11, 2019 by JHbowhunter

[hunterbob1]

Like Jack said.Buy chum bucket.

http://www.fishbox.tv/PointPleasant/Alex's/

[OMC]

55 minutes ago, JHbowhunter said:

I am not going to boast but this particular fish was my favorite "Back in the day" and the absolute bets way to catch them is to chum with spearing.  Actually I would chum with frozen ground bunker and also gallon frozen bucket of spearing.     15# mono, very small tuna hooks.     Once they are in the slick, it's game on. Also keep a rod rigged with small yellow bucktail and/or an AVA 007.     All of the local lumps from Klondike to JB's to Tolton and even wreck like Oil wreck used to produce big bonito often over 10 #'s which are screamers on light tackle.   You can also troll them up on clark spoons and small feathers but more fun to chunk them with spearing or jig them up on light tackle.  

You should make sure you have a Shark rod rigged and ready to pitch. Even though you are in close you have a really good chance of a thresher checking out your slick. 

[hunterbob1]

11 minutes ago, OMC said:

You should make sure you have a Shark rod rigged and ready to pitch. Even though you are in close you have a really good chance of a thresher checking out your slick. 

Yup,dead stick a whole  whatever on a balloon free spool.

[Buck154]

2 hours ago, JHbowhunter said:

I am not going to boast but this particular fish was my favorite "Back in the day" and the absolute bets way to catch them is to chum with spearing.  Actually I would chum with frozen ground bunker and also gallon frozen bucket of spearing.     15# mono, very small tuna hooks.     Once they are in the slick, it's game on. Also keep a rod rigged with small yellow bucktail and/or an AVA 007.     All of the local lumps from Klondike to JB's to Tolton and even wreck like Oil wreck used to produce big bonito often over 10 #'s which are screamers on light tackle.   You can also troll them up on clark spoons and small feathers but more fun to chunk them with spearing or jig them up on light tackle.  

Exactly what Jack said. Was my favorite fish to fish for too when I was young. We would get a cooler full of spearing and chum them in. 

 You best bet would be to troll some of the lumps around. Weight and Clark Spoon are deadly for them or a 1/4 to 1/2 oz feather are good too.  Manasquan ridge is a very popular spot for them along with albacore. 

[Zipper]

What Jack,  and Buck said.

[Swamprat]

Just make sure you don't get bonito and false abies mixed up.  Both are fun to catch and fight like hell.  One tastes great the other tastes like shit.  Lol. 

[JHbowhunter]

4 hours ago, OMC said:

You should make sure you have a Shark rod rigged and ready to pitch. Even though you are in close you have a really good chance of a thresher checking out your slick. 

More than once we caught small Mako sharks but never anything over 125 lbs and I used to always have a shark rig ready when chumming 

[nmc02]

Sabiki rigs

[JHbowhunter]

34 minutes ago, nmc02 said:

Sabiki rigs

I can recall putting two red mackerel teasers (surgical tube style) above a diamond jig and jigging them and getting doubles.