Skip to main content

Bonefish

Bonefish

The Bonefish

The Bonefish, Albula vulpes

Thick-bodied but streamlined. Dark back, usually greenish, and silver sides; pointed snout with underslung mouth; forked tail. A smaller and much lesser-known variety, the Longfin Bonefish, Albula nemoptera, looks almost identical, except for streamer-like extensions of its dorsal and anal fins.

SIZE

ommon from 2 to 10 pounds; sometimes to 15 pounds, and possibly to 18 or 20. World record 19 pounds; Florida record 15 pounds, 12 ounces.

FOOD VALUE

Although popular in the Bahamas and tropics, Bonefish are seldom eaten in Florida.They are indeed very bony; and too highly prized as gamefish to kill for, at best, a mediocre dinner.

GAME QUALITIES

Legendary for long-distance runs in shallow water. Strong, jack-like fighter in deep water.

TACKLE AND BAITS

For sight-fishing in the classic style, the most productive tackle is a spinning outfit with a light rod of 7 feet or longer and 8-pound-test line. Bonefish are also among the top favorites of fly fishermen, whose standard gear is an 8-weight outfit. Lighter fly rods get some spot use, if wind conditions allow, and 9-weight outfits are not too heavy for good sport. Live shrimp is the bait of choice among spin fishermen, but cut shrimp, conch (in the Bahamas and Caribbean) and crab all work well. Best lures are “skimmer” jigs, 1/8 or 1/4 ounce, with horizontally flattened heads that help keep the hook upright. Most fly rodders lean toward very small flies with monofil- ament weedguards on No. 2 or even No. 4 hooks, but standard streamers on No. 1 or 1/0 hooks work. In a less-than-classic approach, Bonefish can be caught by bottom fishing on deep flats and in channels near the flats.

FISHING SYSTEMS

Casting; Still Fishing.

Recommended


OTHER NAMES

Silver Ghost White Fox Macabi 

RANGE

The bonefish is a tropi- cal species and is seriously fished only in the south end of Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami and the Florida Keys—and also, of course, throughout the Bahamas and Caribbean. Stragglers are sometimes caught north of the preferred habitat, usually from the surf, although a few are taken from the Indian River. The Longfin variety is rare in Florida.

HABITAT

Bonefish do much of their foraging on shallow mud or grass flats, where they can be sighted and cast to.They also frequently gather in large schools over fairly deep, soft bot- tom, where their feeding stirs up patches of silt or “mud.”

Lower Keys Bone

Forum member tourchkey showing off is bonefish caught in the keys

Bonefish on Fly

Charles catches a bonefish in his backyard on fly while waiting for dinner to be cooked

Inshore feeding

Pictured to the left is a trout engaging to feed in the grass beds before it got hooked and to the right is a bonefish searching the sand beds for some crustaceans.

Bonefish on Fly

Bonefish caught on a fly rod and slowly being released into its habitat.

14.6 pound Bonefish

Jim Easterling and third generation fishing guide Meko Glinton of deep water cay land this massive bonefish while fishing the flats.

Bonefish

Bonefish caught in South Caicos

Bonefish

Bonefish caught by Kent Hughes in Key Biscayne

Bonefish

Bonfish caught by Kent Hughes in Key Biscayne

Biscayne Bay Bone

Kayak Bonefish

Combine an offshore trip in the tropics with an inshore bonefish excursion via kayak.

Joe Bonefishing in the Keys

3 Toothy Smiles




GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

Long-range binoculars are a great asset on a fishing boat, but the view gets shaky quick. Fujinon has a great solution w...
Videos

Cover Up With Sun-Protective Clothing

Long-range binoculars are a great asset on a fishing boat, but the view gets shaky quick. Fujinon has a great solution w...
Videos

Inflation We Can Live With! Mustang Convertible PFD

Long-range binoculars are a great asset on a fishing boat, but the view gets shaky quick. Fujinon has a great solution w...
Videos

Converting and Re-Arming Mustang Inflatable A/M PFD

Long-range binoculars are a great asset on a fishing boat, but the view gets shaky quick. Fujinon has a great solution w...
Videos

YakAttack Rod Management Systems Set the Bar for Kayak Anglers

Long-range binoculars are a great asset on a fishing boat, but the view gets shaky quick. Fujinon has a great solution w...
Videos

YakAttack Kayak Carts Will Get You There

Long-range binoculars are a great asset on a fishing boat, but the view gets shaky quick. Fujinon has a great solution w...
Videos

YakAttack Tackle Storage Just Got WAY BETTER

Long-range binoculars are a great asset on a fishing boat, but the view gets shaky quick. Fujinon has a great solution w...
Videos

Take Gear and Tackle Storage to NEW HEIGHTS with Outdoor Crates

Long-range binoculars are a great asset on a fishing boat, but the view gets shaky quick. Fujinon has a great solution w...
Gear

‘Magnetic Tethered' Kayak Rods

Long-range binoculars are a great asset on a fishing boat, but the view gets shaky quick. Fujinon has a great solution w...
Gear

Plano Soft Sided Tackle Bags

Long-range binoculars are a great asset on a fishing boat, but the view gets shaky quick. Fujinon has a great solution w...
Gear

NuCanoe Unlimited U10

Long-range binoculars are a great asset on a fishing boat, but the view gets shaky quick. Fujinon has a great solution w...
Gear

What's New in Fly Reels: Hardy

Long-range binoculars are a great asset on a fishing boat, but the view gets shaky quick. Fujinon has a great solution w...
Gear

Fujinon's Ultimate Offshore Fishing Binoculars

Florida Sportsman Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

Preview This Month's Issue

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Get the Florida Sportsman App apple store google play store

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Florida Sportsman stories delivered right to your inbox.

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All Florida Sportsman subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now

Never Miss a Thing.

Get the Newsletter

Get the top Florida Sportsman stories delivered right to your inbox.

By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use