Bonito are the appetizer to the fall run and, for a lot of anglers, the main course. A true member of the tuna family, they run fast, fight deep and hard, and are as selective as any inshore fish we have. They also make some of the best sashimi you will pull out of New England water.
Bonito or albie?
Bonito and false albacore show up together and get mixed up constantly. The tells: bonito have slanted dark stripes along the back and small but real teeth, while albies have wavy, worm-like markings, spots below the pectoral fin, and no teeth to speak of. The other big difference is on the plate, bonito are excellent eating, albies are not.
Where and when: the fall run
Bonito are a fall-run fish in the Northeast, often the first of the “funny fish” to arrive. Look for them from roughly August into October around Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and the Rhode Island shoreline, holding near inlets, harbor mouths, points and rips where current stacks up bait. Some years they are thick, some years they barely show, that is part of the chase.
Tip Bonito often feed a touch deeper and less showily than albies. If you mark fish and see scattered bait but no crashing surface feed, try counting a metal down a few seconds before you start your retrieve.
How to catch them
Bonito key on small, slim baitfish and can be maddeningly picky. The formula is the same as for albies: small profiles, long casts, a fast retrieve, and light fluorocarbon.
Light tackle
A fast medium-light spinning setup, 15 to 20 lb braid and a long fluoro leader. Small dense metals and epoxy jigs you can cast a mile, Hogy epoxy jigs and Al Gags soft baits are go-tos, retrieved fast and steady. Pair it with a smooth Daiwa reel; bonito make quick, drag-testing runs.
Fly
A 9- or 10-weight with an intermediate line and small epoxy or Clouser-style flies, olive or pink over white, size 2 to 1/0. Long casts and a quick two-handed retrieve get eaten when a short, slow strip gets refused.
Eating and handling
This is where bonito shine. Bleed them, ice them immediately, and you have got firm, rich, tuna-flavored meat that is superb seared or raw. Take what you will eat and release the rest, reviving them upright in the water before letting go.