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Bonefish is one of the most sought-after fish in exotic destinations, particularly in the Caribbean, but also in most warm-water destinations in the Indian Ocean and Oceania.
It's a rather gregarious fish that follows the influence of the tides to feed in very little water in search of crabs, shrimps and marine invertebrates.
It's very powerful and offers anglers unbelievable sensations thanks to its combativeness and swimming speed, especially when it's hooked! It's a fishery that's mainly practised on sight, in shallow areas, and provides great thrills.
Bonefish spots
Bonefish prefer sandy-loamy areas, where they can find a wide variety of food. Its mouth is directed downwards to feed on the bottom, but this does not prevent it from snatching pelagic prey such as small fish.
It can be found on sandy beaches, mudflats, mangrove swamps, lagoons and lagoons.
Whether in the Caribbean or elsewhere, you need to find the spots where the tide rises and falls gently to cover and discover food-rich areas known as flats (shallow areas), even if bonefish can be found in open water.
Having gathered information on the different areas where they maraud, you will need to take into account the tides, which play a very important role in their positioning at any given spot. Hiring a local fishing guide can be a great help, especially on first trips.
Fish are on the move all the time, even if they may make several turns in some corners, and their presence will be assured as soon as the food they're looking for is present. So you need to be in the right place at the right time to find them feeding.
You have to walk through the water without getting water above the knee. Bonefish are often found in very little water, although this may come as a surprise!
Bonefish spotting
It is mainly caught by sight. However, it's one of the most difficult fish to spot in the water, and as the English call it, the "grey ghost", it's not easy to see despite the fact that it comes in very little water. In fact, its mimicry makes it virtually invisible to the untrained eye, as it is very clear and the same color as the bottom.
It often goes unnoticed, but the discerning eye of a connoisseur will not be fooled! Look for a shadow moving across the bottom, rather than the fish itself. This requires a little practice and experience.
On darker bottoms, such as the turtle grass where it likes to feed, its back will be dotted with dark green lines. This doesn't make it any easier to spot.
From time to time, in shallow water, its caudal and/or dorsal fin may emerge slightly from the water, particularly when it picks up prey from the bottom. This is known as tailing. If you know how to recognize this behavior, you can often spot them, especially on days when the sun is scarce.
Bonefish flies and their uses
Bonefish flies are mainly shrimp, but don't forget the little imitation crabs they love!
The best-known models are crazy charlie, gotcha, spawning shimp, verveka shimp, etc., in tan, olive, brown, pink and chartreuse green.
The most important thing is to use a shrimp adapted to the size of the prey present (between size 4 and 2) and the color of the bottom. Tan and olive flies are the most commonly used.
Small, light-colored crabs in sizes 4 and 6 are very attractive on bonefish, but are rarely used. They need to be presented closer to the fish, as they don't animate much, unlike shrimps, which can be animated by jerking and pulling to present them in front of moving fish.
When animating shrimp flies, it's important not to bring the fly back too fast, or too slowly (rarely the case) as bonefish like to take their prey from the bottom. You therefore need to cast according to the behavior of the fish you see following you and pause to let the fly sink back to the bottom. Pulls should be between 10 and 30 cm, rarely more, with pauses spaced more or less apart depending on the aggressiveness of the fish.
NB: the important thing is to intercept the fish's trajectory so that they find your fly in their path.
Bonefish shoeing
One of the main mistakes when tying bonefish is to lift the rod as you would for trout. In this case, the fly is often pulled out of the fish's mouth and, what's more, is pulled away if the fish misses or if you are too hasty.
Simply keep the rod low, flush with the water, and use a long pull to plant the fly in the fish's mouth, then let the fish go and lift the rod gradually.
In this case, if the hooking is unsuccessful, or the bonefish has taken the fly incorrectly, it finds it in front of him and can attack and take it again.
We're so used to lifting the rod to hook a big fish that it takes a bit of practice, but at sea, whether it's bonefish, permit, tarpon or any other fish, hooking is done with the silk!
Combat management
The first rush or departure of the fish is often very violent. Beginners often get broken at this stage. It's important to keep a certain amount of tension in the line while spreading your arms to prevent the line from getting stuck in the reel, crank or rod butt and letting the fish take the line from your feet. If it comes back to you, make long pulls to keep the tension and then, in a second phase, the fish will flee anyway and take the line out of the reel before taking even more line from the reel. Rushes can be dozens of meters long and it's not uncommon to get caught backing!
The line brake must be properly adjusted and neither too tight (risk of breakage) nor too loose (risk of wigging) to slow down your bonefish at the start and during the fight. It is strongly recommended not to fight the fish with the line in hand, as is the case for trout, but from the reel to better tire it and avoid breaking the leader if you prevent the line from starting at the right moment, or step on it, or if it gets stuck somewhere.
The bonefish leaves and returns several times before surrendering. The fights are violent and can last for some time. A real pleasure for the angler!
End of fight and return to the water
Once the fish is tired, whenever possible, it's a good idea to bring your fish to the bank, and either lay it on the sand, leaving it in the water as much as possible, or grab your line to pull its head out and take your fly away. Watch out for the restart at the end of the fight, which can lead to breakage!
To release your fish, keep it in the water without moving back and forth unnecessarily (contrary to the natural flow of water through the fish's gills) and let it go on its own when it has recovered and is ready.
Don't hesitate to watch it go and follow it with your eyes as far as possible to get used to spotting the silhouette and train your eyes. The more you repeat this operation, the better you'll be able to see bonefish on the flats!
