Fishing For Bonefish

Fishing for Bonefish in the Florida Keys and Everglades

Bonefishing in the Florida Keys can be very exciting, rewarding and extremely challenging. Some days it seems they're much smarter than we are, ESP... maybe. Other days they can be dumb as sticks. I always hope for the latter.

The average size of bonefish in South Florida and the Florida Keys range from six to nine pounds and ten to twelve pound bonefish are common. Large bonefish, weighing in from thirteen to fourteen pounds rarely make the local news anymore and are here year round - the Florida Keys has always been synonymous with large bonefish.

Ranging from Biscayne Bay to the Lower Keys including the Marquesas. Bonefish are pursued on the bayside and oceanside flats including flats and banks that extend deep into Florida Bay. Bonefish can also be found on the deeper edges of these flats and banks during lower tide phases. Most folks don't associate bonefish with the Everglades National Park the fact is that a large portion of our prime bonefish habitat lies within the Parks boundaries.

Bonefish live throughout our region year round but can be weather dependent in the fall and winter. The Upper Keys however are a much better bet in the fall and winter than the middle and lower Keys. When the water temperature drops below 70 degrees during or after a cold front, bonefish can be hard to find and anglers should be flexible targeting a different species such as redfish. Fall and early spring are generally best for larger bonefish, late spring through the summer months are great for big numbers of "school" fish and it's still possible to find that BIG bonefish.

Notes

Bonefish occur in shallow tropical and subtropical waters, where they inhabit tidal flats and coastal passes. Bonefish are essentially schooling fish: smaller bonefish can be seen in large schools on the flats; while, larger ones tend to be more solitary and form smaller schools or groups. The south Florida bonefish stock supports an economically important recreational fishery, renowned worldwide for its excellent bonefishing opportunities. In terms of outstanding catches, 16 of the 23 standing world records in the saltwater flyrod and saltwater line class categories were taken from the waters of the Florida Keys.

Best Time

Ask any Keys fishing guide or seasoned angler and you will get lots of opinions... most are probably correct. Bonefish are available throughout the Florida Keys literally year round... but can be weather dependent in the late Fall and Winter during and after "extreme" drops in water temperature. Fall is notorious for BIG fish with Spring and Summer know for numbers of fish.

Fishing Gear

Fly Fishing Gear...

• 8 to 9 weight fly outfits using floating line are best for the Florida Keys. Quality reels with smooth drags such as Abel are essential for bonefishing.

Leaders for Bonefish...

• Leaders ranging from 9 to 14 feet tapering to 10 to 15 test pound Seaguar fluorocarbon.

Bonefish Flies...

• Flies for bonefish are as numerous as fishing guides opinions. A variety of toads, shrimp and crabs patterns are at the top on my list along with Clousers variations. Having a broad range of weighted flies is also important as fish may be found in varying water depth. Being able to match the bottom color is just as important.

Spining Gear...

• Rod and Reel Seven foot med-light action spinning rods are perfect for casting live bait or artificials to bonefish. Quality spinning reels with superior drags are essential.

More Information

Links...

Bonefish FAQ
Check our knowledge base for any questions you have about bonefish; or ask one.
Bonefish Research
This effort integrates the best efforts of a suite of concerned user groups (anglers and non-anglers alike), researchers, and fishery and habitat managers.
Tarbon
Bonefish & Tarpon Unlimited was developed for a simple reason – to support research, education, and conservation of bonefish and tarpon.