The Bahamas Atlantic Bonito

Bonito fish are a highly migratory, tuna-type of fish in the same vein as the mackerel family. Pacific bonito are found near the Gulf of Alaska to Chile, with most of the fish occurring in the warmer waters near Baja and Magdalena Bay, California. The fish is a dark blue and silver color, with a large mouth and conical head. They have striped backs and are streamlined, with a narrow tail base.

Bonito feed on small fish such as sardines and occasionally squid, and are fun to catch. They are great fighters that will take just about any bait that comes their way. Schools can be located by trolling feathers and fishermen can use live anchovy to bait them once a school is found. Anglers usually fish for anywhere between 1 and 4 year old fish, which weigh 3-12 lbs. In cooler waters the fishing starts to taper off, but can still be found in warmer waters. They are also known as skipjack tuna, and are plentiful and one of the most sustainable of tuna. They have a firm, heavy flesh and need to be properly bled after catch in order for their taste to be fully appreciated.

The Bahamas is a prime spot for fishing and is home to many different types of exotic fish. Oceanic skipjack of the kind found in the Bahamas are available from May through July, in offshore waters and the open sea. They can be up to 8 feet long and weigh close to 160 lbs. Bahamas offshore fishing is a great way to steer trough the crystal clear waters of the Bahamian islands, making it easy for anglers to spend on the boat due to the warm breezes and perfect temperatures. All of the islands in the Bahamas are great for fishing excursions, and many companies offer good deals on Bahamas offshore fishing.

These fish can be caught on either bait or with lures. They not shy and will sometimes swim right up close to the boat for silver colored, flashy bait. The best live bait are sardines and anchovies, which they eat as part of their regular diet. Once caught the skipjack are extremely active on the hook – hold them sideways and upside down once caught in order to calm them down. The fish can be found near the surface of the water around dawn or in the early evening, feeding on bait fish, or out on the open water in schools. Once they're finished feeding, they like to descend into deeper waters up to 800 feet ore more below the surface.

Since these fish are constantly on the hunt for food, they’re fairly easy to find but take a bit of work to catch. They’re extremely fast and can go on long runs after eating a bait. Letting the bait trail behind the boat is a good idea so as not to scare them off, and avoiding the school is also a good technique. The best way to catch them is to circle around the school and let the bait cross through the throng of fish.