Skip to main content

Going Deep for Bonefish in the Florida Keys



Want to catch bonefish in the Florida Keys?

How about fishing for them in water as deep as 130 feet?

For flats anglers, that concept seems absolutely absurd. After all, bonefish are normally caught and released in shallow waters anywhere from 1 to 4 feet in depth on light-spin, fly or plug tackle.

But during the past holiday season, anglers aboard two Islamorada-based party boats reeled in bonefish in deep water while targeting lane snapper and porgies.

An angler on the Miss Islamorada, skippered by Captain Ben Loy out of Bud N' Mary's Fishing Marina, caught a small bonefish in the early afternoon of Dec. 29. The fisherman was using a rig with multiple hooks baited with squid. The "silver ghost" was photographed and quickly released.

"I've never seen anything like that," Loy said. "Who would have ever thought about catching a bonefish in 130 feet of water?"

But it turns out that wasn't the only bonefish caught in deep water off Islamorada in recent days.

Last Friday night, anglers onboard the Captain Michael out of Robbie's Marina in Islamorada were fishing a wreck in 119 feet.

Using the same deep-bottom tackle — known as chicken rigs — and squid for bait, they caught and released eight bonefish ranging from 18 to 24 inches. The next night, anglers on the Captain Michael, skippered by Tony Narvaez, scored two more bones.

"They were very lively," Narvaez said of all fish caught. "Once we tossed them back in the water, they took off."

Dr. Jerry Ault, director of the University of Miami Bonefish and Tarpon Research Center, said that the fish encountered in deep water were likely spawning and that late December through early January is the height of the bonefish reproductive season.

"Bonefish tend to spawn in deep water near the edge of the continental shelf, but it's certainly unusual to catch a bonefish in that kind of depth," Ault said. "Typically, they are inshore and this is really cool and of great (research) interest."

Although Florida Keys flats guides needn't worry about deep-water bonefish replacing traditional shallow-water targets, the bonefish release did fulfill a goal for Loy's angler.

"When he came on board, he said that he wanted to catch a swordfish or something really exotic," Loy said. "He got a bonefish instead and that's really special."

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

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

American crocodile crashes popular South Florida fishing pier among schools of bait. Hey, crocs like mullet too.
Gear

Best Features of the Shallow Sport X3

American crocodile crashes popular South Florida fishing pier among schools of bait. Hey, crocs like mullet too.
Learn

How to Fix an Outboard Motor that was Submerged in Saltwater

American crocodile crashes popular South Florida fishing pier among schools of bait. Hey, crocs like mullet too.
Store

Analyzing a Hurricane Damaged Boat for Restoration

American crocodile crashes popular South Florida fishing pier among schools of bait. Hey, crocs like mullet too.
Store

How to Design & Build a Custom Dash Panel for a Boat

American crocodile crashes popular South Florida fishing pier among schools of bait. Hey, crocs like mullet too.
Sportfish

Catching Tarpon in the Florida Keys: A Multi-Decade Obsession

American crocodile crashes popular South Florida fishing pier among schools of bait. Hey, crocs like mullet too.
Store

Todd Flis' Ultimate Aluminum Custom Skiff | One Man's Dreamboat

American crocodile crashes popular South Florida fishing pier among schools of bait. Hey, crocs like mullet too.
Store

How to Change the Look of Your Boat with Three Custom Upgrades

American crocodile crashes popular South Florida fishing pier among schools of bait. Hey, crocs like mullet too.
Store

Reassembling a Yamaha F300 After a Fresh Paint Job

American crocodile crashes popular South Florida fishing pier among schools of bait. Hey, crocs like mullet too.
Store

Allan Black's 25 Bostom Whaler Outrage | One Man's Dreamboat

American crocodile crashes popular South Florida fishing pier among schools of bait. Hey, crocs like mullet too.
Learn

How to Repaint an Outboard Engine to Look Brand New

American crocodile crashes popular South Florida fishing pier among schools of bait. Hey, crocs like mullet too.
Store

Faux Wood HydraStepp Splash Finale

American crocodile crashes popular South Florida fishing pier among schools of bait. Hey, crocs like mullet too.
Learn

Crocodile Spotted off Popular South Florida Fishing Pier

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.

Buy Single Digital Issue on the Florida Sportsman App

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