Bonefish

Albula vulpes

Other Names
bone, macabi, silver ghost, white fox

Description
The species is the only representative of the family Albulidae and is most closely related to the tarpon and ladyfish. It is unlike the former, however, because it does not have a protruding lower jaw, and differs from the latter by having its mouth under its snout rather than at the end of it. The body is bright silver overall. The back and upper sides are blue-green, punctuated by numerous faint horizontal lines that extend from the head to the tail.

Typical Habitat
The bonefish inhabits warm coastal waters of the Atlantic from Biscayne Bay, Florida, through the Florida Keys as well as the Bahamas and Bermuda. It is most common around southern Florida, and is rarely seen north of Florida. It is most commonly found in the flats of saltwater bays.

Feeding Habits
Bonefish move onto the shallow sand and mud flats to feed on animals that live on the bottom. They use their conical snouts to root around the bottom to dislodge worms, mollusks, shrimps, and crabs. At times the fish may be seen literally standing on their heads with their tails sticking out of the water. This action is called tailing.

Age and Growth
The bonefisk's life history is poorly understood. Spawning presumably occurs at sea during the late winter and early spring, and the larvae undergo a leptocephalus stage similar to that of young ladyfish and tarpon. The species may attain a length of 30 inches and a weight of nearly 20 pounds.

Sporting Qualities
Bonefish are most commonly sought by sport fishermen who use shallow-draft flats boats that are poled across the sand and grass floats. Blind casting can be effective, but sight fishing is by far the preferred method. Best sight fishing is on sunny days with very little wind. Because the water is shallow and clear, care must be taken not to startle the fish. Iin sight fishing, it is imperative to keep quiet and still. Bones are extremely difficult to see in their habitat and very skittish.

A favorite method of fishing is to anchor or stake the boat and chum the area with crushed shrimp. To chum bonefish successfully, fishermen must know the stage of the tide, how currents will be running on a particular flat, and from what direction the fish will approach. Usually, anglers chum so that the shrimp are carried away from the boat over open sand, where the fish are more easily detected. Once sighted, Bonefish may be caught using spinning tackle with live shrimp or with a small jig.

Food Quality
Aptly named, the flesh is very bony and is seldom eaten in the United States.

World Record
19 lbs. Zululand, South Africa

Preferred Temps
72 to 84

Hawaii Bonefish on the fly

Hawaii has very big bonefish, World class size with many over ten pounds, but it can be as difficult to find and catch these elusive "grey ghosts" as it is in the Florida Keys. Oahu by far has the most fishable flats of all the islands. The entire South Shore from Kokohead to Diamond Head is one long flat, and Waikiki has many bonefish also. Over the hill Kaneohe bay has a huge sand bar out in the middle and many other flats. A guide is recommended here on Oahu because access to the beach is tricky, and bonefish have certain areas they often travel or feed and this is only learned from experience. Guides also network to find out up to date info on areas showing fish. Just about any bonefish fly will work here, but many locals prefer tan or orange flies such as Crazy Charlies, Chili Peppers, Borski Sliders and various crab patterns. Fish here are generally not leader shy and tippet should be 15 pound or higher.

Most fly fishers prefer sight fishing, but Hawaii has many partly cloudy days, and some areas are a bit deep to sight fish well, so I would recommend as much blind casting as possible. A good approach is to wade to areas that are shallower, say knee deep, and make very long blind casts to surrounding waist deep water. Trade winds blow daily so casting and wading downwind is the best bet, with a slow jerky retrieve. Two hours either side of low tide is best, but not always the rule.

There are occasional other species here such as trevally, barracuda and other reef fish but they are not often caught on the flats. We all practice catch and release here for bonefish. They are too valuable to catch only once!

Tightlines, Louie the Fish!