Although some bonefish are caught accidentally in deep water, the primary habitat explored by anglers is shallow tidal flats and shoals. Bonefish feed on these flats, scouring the bottom for small clams, crabs, worms, and shrimp. The shallow flats, which range from less than a foot to as much as several feet deep, leave the fish most vulnerable, sobonefish have good reason to be skittish. Engine noise will send the fish scattering, so boaters prefer to pole silently along in search of fish, staking the boat and fishing from the boat or by foot when bonefishare spotted. Waders walk on hard bottoms and carefully approach feeding fish.

Bonefishing is primarily sight fishing, so this species, in effect, is stalked. Unless their tails are poking through the surface, the silvery form of a bonefish can be surprisingly difficult to see, even in the shallowest water. Polarized sunglasses aid through-the-water vision and are virtually a necessity. Calm water and bright sun help visibility as well. When bonefish are spotted, the angler maneuvers into position to intercept the fish with a judicious cast.

If the terminal tackle lands on top of the fish or a school, the fish will dart away. So the lure, fly, or bait should be cast 6 to 10 feet ahead of feeding or cruising fish.

At the strike and hookset there is an explosion in the water, and thebonefish instantaneously streaks across the flats toward the security of deep water. It is not uncommon for a bonefish to strip 80 to 100 yards of line off the reel in a scorching run, and the angler must have thedrag set properly and keep the rod tip high so the line avoids mangrove roots, grass, and other flats objects that could cut the line or leader.

Bonefishing is primarily done with fly or light spinning tackle, using a 6- to 7-foot spinning rod or a 9-foot fly rod and a reel with adequateline capacity. Six-pound nylon monofilament line is just right for spinning gear.

Small streamers or a weighted fly pattern like the Crazy Charlie and epoxy flies work best in light browns and yellow; jigs are the primary artificials, in pink, white, and yellow; and shrimp, clams, and conch meat are popular baits. Shrimp is the best natural offering for bonefish. They are particularly attracted to the scent of fresh shrimp, so break off the tail and two of the four fans and thread the shrimp on the hook. A piece of conch or crab will also catch bonefish. Chum slicks are equally effective. Some bonefish anglersanchor or stake their boat and chum with crushed shrimp.

The end of an ebb tide and the beginning of a flood tide are usually best for the sake of spotting shallow fish (bonefish coming in over the flats on a rising tide are not half as wary when the tide starts to fall), but a slack flood tide can produce for anglers who fish waist-deep water by casting blindly with small jigs. Seldom do bonefish feed on shallow flats when the water temperature falls much below 70°F; they stay in deeper water then.

The main secret to catching bonefish is in the presentation. Bonefish spend most of their time probing for food and tend to pounce on any tidbit that looks tasty. Thus, if you can get a fly, lure, or natural bait in front of the fish in a natural manner, you should get a strike.

Bonefish arrive on the flats with the incoming tide, working higher on the shoal as water depth increases. Receding water forces them to retreat to deep holes or channels until the tide returns. These eating machines are opportunistic feeders, constantly in search of crustaceans and small baitfish. With their hard nose, and eyes set high on the head, they are built to dig. In skinny water, you’ll see them standing on their noses, their tails waving in the air as they ferret out dinner. Thus, the best way to catch a bonefish is to get the bait, lure, or fly down on the bottom.

Bonefish need to see, hear, or smell the bait, lure, or fly. Blessed with an incredible sense of smell, acute hearing, and terrific eyesight, they can do this easily. A bonefish can hear a fly or a shrimp “splat” on the water some distance away. To utilize their sense of smell, feeding bonefish work into or across the current. They expect their food to be carried by the tide, which means that it’s best to make apresentation upcurrent from the fish. When fishing natural baits, this is critical if you expect your quarry to get a whiff of your offering.

Regardless of tackle, aim your cast so the lure lands in front, but not too close to the fish. If the bait goes astray, the fish won’t see it; but drop even the tiniest fly too close and every fish in the school vanishes. Always position your offering in front of the fish and beyond its path of travel. If the cast is not perfect, retrieve it quickly until the lure lies directly in the path of the fish. Then, start a stripping retrieve. When fishing artificials, the idea is to “take” the lure away from the predator. The lure must be moving away from the fish, not toward it. With natural baits, cast upcurrent and let the bait lie on the bottom a short while, so the fish can get the scent.

There is little point in keeping a bonefish for eating or mounting. Replica taxidermy mounts are readily available, and the meat of a bonefish, although better than most anglers believe, is still not the equal of many other species. Bonefish can fight until so exhausted that it may be necessary to carefully revive them after capture.

See: Flats Fishing.