Connecticut Bonito

Before I'd even heard any rumors of bonito in CT this year I was already out hoping I'd get shots at them. I'm not one to follow reports, so I'm sure somewhere somebody had reported in one of the local publications that there were a few around, but I didn't look for that information and didn't even want to see it  if it did exist. I'll chase a really good report, but I'd also rather find my own bite. Often, its just on a whim. In 2017, Noah and I were among the first catch little tunny from shore in CT on September 11th. I saw the conditions line up, we went, and they were there. I hadn't heard a single report yet and nobody else was there targeting them at a quite popular location. Well, on the 4th of August I went to likely water with plans to target other species, but fully prepared for shots at the elusive and beautiful Sarda sarda. Nothing showed, as I expected. There was bait but it wasn't the right tide. I fished for bottom dwelling species, catching some bergals and the first fluke I've brought to hand on the fly in a long while.

A move was made that provided futile, and with very little time left to fish I decided I wanted to go back to the first location. The tide was right, and as if on command, there they were. Nothing locally feeds quite like bones. Superficially, blues or albies could be mistaken for them, but if you have been chasing these fish for a while, there can be no doubt. I was seeing my first definitive bonito blitz in CT waters. I got one shot, a few boils behind my fly, then I had to leave. But you know I was going back the very next day! 

On August 5th, Noah and I got out before I thought the fish would show, always a good policy when tunoids, bass, or bluefish are involved, especially in the days of phone chain bite finding, when a good blitz gets pounced on faster than ever. Before the bonito showed, we sight fished sea robins and drifted for scup and fluke. 

Then, around the top of the tide, I saw some big splashes to my west. I shouted to Noah and we paddled like hell towards the chaos being wrought on a school of silversides. I was the first to get a take, and it was a good one. But I had also just stopped paddling, so the fish and I were both traveling straight towards each other. Lots of slack, no way to really catch up, no hookup. Noah took first blood on a small plug we are inclined to keep a secret for now. Suffice to say, it's going to be a serious game changer for bonito and albies and NOBODY up here is using it right now but him.

Noah's lifer Atlantic bonito.

The fish stayed on a predictable course and I missed another take before hooking up. My first tunoid of the year in the first week of August, and my first bonito in CT! A small chartreuse and white clouser did the job. I managed to keep some amount of tension through the fish's rapid direction changes. These little bonito don't make the long initial run larger member of their species of their cousins the little tunny do, so they end up turning sooner and more and can really make things, uh, exciting for one using a reel with a one to one gear ratio. Keeping tension can be tricky, especially in a kayak and without current. Don't use barbless if you like getting to touch your fish.

We didn't really get another shot that day, though we did bottom fish a bit more. Suffice to say, tunoids were around, we were on them, and I could now think of very little else. It was time to hammer down on the salt.

Until next time.

Fish for the love of fish.

Fish for the love of places fish live.

Fish for you.

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