Lures for bonito

If you use artificial lures to catch any predator this is the forum for you
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cookiesdaughtersdad
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Lures for bonito

Post by cookiesdaughtersdad »

Off to the canaries again in a couple of week and will be trying for these little tunas from the shore again.
Want to take a decent selection of lures with me and so was wondering if anyone has suggestions on what to buy and where on the net to find them?

Cheers ALan
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fergie68
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Re: Jures for bonito

Post by fergie68 »

What island Alan. ❓
ALL FEROX ARE BROWN TROUT BUT NOT ALL BROWN TROUT ARE FEROX "

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cookiesdaughtersdad
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Re: Jures for bonito

Post by cookiesdaughtersdad »

Lanzarote mate.

Cheers Alan
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edbeef
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Re: Jures for bonito

Post by edbeef »

Good luck on the trip, I went out on a boat from Puerto del Carmen but we didn't catch anything on the troll. Just caught wrasse when drifting.
Still a nice day out though
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dannytaylor
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by dannytaylor »

I've always struggled when I've tried lure fishing from the shore on the canaries. The only thing I ever caught was what a local skipper told me where wolf fish ??? They where small and took mepps spinners of all things. Always done better float fishing for the sea bream and mullet. Had small tuna trolling on the boats off there.
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Mike J
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by Mike J »

Bonitos are a member of the mackerel family and will go for anything mackies like, ie; 2-4" long, goes fast and is shiny. My deckie catches them for bait using a tea spoon handle dropped in the prop wash.
They have a soft mouth full of small sharp teeth so a small treble and a bite protector (section of biro tube) is essential.
Your problem is it isn't the season for them yet, they are more a summer/autumn fish, yes I know you can go trolling for them but the locals will take you fishing for anything you want if you pay them.
First stop should be the fish market so see whats being caught, that will give you an indication of what to target.

Good fun is a tele rod and float fish (as above) for bream - prawn/strip of meat bait, or best of all use a 2" white ragalou sandeel float spun slowly along the rocks. First light and last knockings on a rising tide are always the best.

Biggest problem with all the Atlantic islands is spear gunning with an aqualung is legal so all the big resident fish have been removed long ago, leaving just the small, the uneatable and the pelagic.

Have fun.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
cookiesdaughtersdad
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by cookiesdaughtersdad »

dannytaylor wrote:
I've always struggled when I've tried lure fishing from the shore on the canaries. The only thing I ever caught was what a local skipper told me where wolf fish ??? They where small and took mepps spinners of all things. Always done better float fishing for the sea bream and mullet. Had small tuna trolling on the boats off there.
Only really tried hard for them once Danny, cast literally hundreds and hundreds of times and caught two, suddenly all those casts became worth while, such strong fish :afraid:
Mike J wrote:
Bonitos are a member of the mackerel family and will go for anything mackies like, ie; 2-4" long, goes fast and is shiny. My deckie catches them for bait using a tea spoon handle dropped in the prop wash.
They have a soft mouth full of small sharp teeth so a small treble and a bite protector (section of biro tube) is essential.
Your problem is it isn't the season for them yet, they are more a summer/autumn fish, yes I know you can go trolling for them but the locals will take you fishing for anything you want if you pay them.
First stop should be the fish market so see whats being caught, that will give you an indication of what to target.

Good fun is a tele rod and float fish (as above) for bream - prawn/strip of meat bait, or best of all use a 2" white ragalou sandeel float spun slowly along the rocks. First light and last knockings on a rising tide are always the best.

Biggest problem with all the Atlantic islands is spear gunning with an aqualung is legal so all the big resident fish have been removed long ago, leaving just the small, the uneatable and the pelagic.

Have fun.
Thanks for that Mike,
I always though that bonito were a small tuna and so had a look (google face), they are a member of the Scombridae family https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonito
I caught some (two) one winter in Feb so there is always a chance even if not the best time.
Thanks for the informative reply mate :thumbs:

Cheers Alan
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" Seneca, some Roman chap.
The Omen
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by The Omen »

I fish these pretty exclusively out in Fuerteventura. http://www.artoffishing.co.uk/lures/due ... minnow-110

If you've been the canarys before you will know the wind is relentless, these cast like a missile.
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Mike J
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by Mike J »

If you want to eat any, land as quick as possible then slash across the tail root and insert a blade behind the pectoral to bleed it out.
Bake cutlets on a 1" thick ring of onion (it draws the blood out) allow to cool as it improves the flavour, then mix with salad and a dash of balsamic - yum yum :grin:
(you dont eat the onion)!

The Spanish name is Cerda pronounced Serda incase you want to make enquires with the locals.

:thumbs:
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
cookiesdaughtersdad
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by cookiesdaughtersdad »

The Omen wrote:
I fish these pretty exclusively out in Fuerteventura. http://www.artoffishing.co.uk/lures/due ... minnow-110

If you've been the canarys before you will know the wind is relentless, these cast like a missile.
Thanks for the link, lures ordered :thumbs:

Cheers ALan
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" Seneca, some Roman chap.
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by fishandy »

just back from fueteventura caught sod all fished la Salinas at caleta one of best spots on the islands aram at gone fishing told me there are millions of 4 inch mackeral in the sea hes never seen so many and this has drawn all the bons out to sea they are normally feeding inshore on the boga but not with all these mackies about best lures I have caught on are duel hardcore sinking minnow 110 size and 50 to 60 gram jigs its possible to cast into 50 meters of water from the rocks so lures with a bit of weight are best go on to the world seafishing site and make contact with blumeeni hes a lure angling nut and also a good geezer who fishes every day hes very helpful and will probably offer you a trip out with him hes based in playa blanca where the coast claims lives every single year if you don't know the tides and times to fish its easy to get swept away good look the fishing can be out of this world on the right day
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by Kevin O'Keeffe »

Off to Fueteventura next week.... Got a few flashy silver spoons, a few lipped minnows and some top waters packed.

Bonito.... bite off protection. Worth using wire??

Staying in Caleta des Fuste. Hoping to find a few and some decent bream. Anything else worth targeting in the area? Spots worth heading for away from the locality.
Will have a car to go further.
Love the hit!
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Mike J
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by Mike J »

Kevin O'Keeffe wrote: Tue Sep 24 2019 12:30 -
Off to Fueteventura next week.... Got a few flashy silver spoons, a few lipped minnows and some top waters packed.

Bonito.... bite off protection. Worth using wire??

Staying in Caleta des Fuste. Hoping to find a few and some decent bream. Anything else worth targeting in the area? Spots worth heading for away from the locality.
Will have a car to go further.


For bite protection from all small tunas use a 3" section of biro tube on the leader as above. Just slide it on and forget.
Using this system on 20lb tackle and fluoro my deckie fought a 50kg yellowfin for nearly an hour before it broke him.
Take a few floats and small 10-14s hooks for the bream and remember your leads.

There will be squid around now so source a few jigs when your there, bright for daytime, dark for dusk.
Ensure you buy the jigs with a lead keel below the head, these are casting jigs and you can have great sport with light braid and a tippy rod.
When a squid takes the rod just loads up, like youve snagged a lump of weed, nothing harse or aggressive, just reel in gently with a soft drag, they take with their tentacles but swim the opposite so your actually reeling them in backwards.
The same jig design can also be fished under a float and ball lead.
Lift any squid clear of the water is one clean manouver and drop into a bucket with a wet rag on top, and dont be tempted to have a look until its dead, nor allow the beast to swing around on the line when its out of the water, the ink jet is between the tentacles and will go over a metre :laughs:
(If you do get inked wash it off immediately, it dries v fast and staines badly).

NB Reel and lure bodies in your carry-on, spools and hooks in the hold.

AND whatever you do wear your b sunnies! :cool:
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by Kevin O'Keeffe »

Thanks Mike, think I might give the squid a miss lol.
Floats and leads packed... need to get some smaller hooks in tonight then!
Love the hit!
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by Kevin O'Keeffe »

Some success but only when out on the boat trolling. 15 skip jacks to 8 kilo and lost another 8-10. Good fun on lighter gear. Best rod was the short line 30ft off the back of the boat. We had dolphins around us feeding most of the day. My mate had a skipjack snatched by a dolphin!!! Odd the half he got back was the back end with the hook in the flank? Glad he didn't hook flipper... but she nicked the head end and gave him a bit of a run around for 10 mins....lol.

High winds for 4 days meant it was tough going. And we only got out once.

Not a single fish on lures off the rocks. A few follows but only from big garfish.

Bait fishing we caught plenty of small Wrasse and bits along the rocks. I just felt there was nothing bigger there tbh. Over fished possibly. We didn't venture too far from Caletta de Fuste.

My liver took a pasting though!! Those "Sorry we cant go today lads" days where great :o)
Love the hit!
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Mike J
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by Mike J »

Kevin O'Keeffe wrote: Wed Oct 09 2019 13:52 -
Some success but only when out on the boat trolling. 15 skip jacks to 8 kilo and lost another 8-10. Good fun on lighter gear. Best rod was the short line 30ft off the back of the boat. We had dolphins around us feeding most of the day. My mate had a skipjack snatched by a dolphin!!! Odd the half he got back was the back end with the hook in the flank? Glad he didn't hook flipper... but she nicked the head end and gave him a bit of a run around for 10 mins....lol.

High winds for 4 days meant it was tough going. And we only got out once.

Not a single fish on lures off the rocks. A few follows but only from big garfish.

Bait fishing we caught plenty of small Wrasse and bits along the rocks. I just felt there was nothing bigger there tbh. Over fished possibly. We didn't venture too far from Caletta de Fuste.

My liver took a pasting though!! Those "Sorry we cant go today lads" days where great :o)


P
Pleased you had some sport Kev.

How much did they charge you btw?

The best lure to catch the big Gars is with a shredded length if nylon cord and no hook :thumbs:
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by Kevin O'Keeffe »

6hrs was 500 Euro with tackle included. It was a bit over gunned for my liking but a 6ft jig rod with a penn slammer in the engine wash was the rod that nailed the most fish and good fun.
Love the hit!
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Mike J
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by Mike J »

Kevin O'Keeffe wrote: Mon Oct 14 2019 09:28 -
6hrs was 500 Euro with tackle included. It was a bit over gunned for my liking but a 6ft jig rod with a penn slammer in the engine wash was the rod that nailed the most fish and good fun.
Cheers Kev.
It was for a comparison.
The norm for an 8hr day offshore €7-800 in a 12m boat, no end time if your hooked up, start when you like, food and gear inc. and less than half for a 7m.

The problem with offshore trolling is you never really know whats gonna grab the damn thing so you load for bear even when chasing squirrels.

:cool:
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by Kevin O'Keeffe »

Diesel engines mean I am regularly over the side heaving Mike.... I don't get bad in florida with the petrol engine boat we use but a lung full of the diesel exhaust and the swell see's me Green at the gills lol. At least it made my mates day :o)
Love the hit!
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Re: Lures for bonito

Post by JohnCopeman »

Had them on bigger Rapala Rattlin Raps- the 1 oz lipless Crankbaits in chrome and quite a few on 10cm Yo Zuri L Jack Minnows in blue. Fight quite hard.
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