The Bonita finally showed up close enough to shore for me to fish for them. We usually start seeing them in October but this year they’ve been scarce, maybe because we’ve had such a warm fall. I had angler and excellent fly caster George Benson on the boat last Friday and he boated seven Bonita up to 9 lbs. Pound for pound they are our best fishing fighting fish in our area. When they’re feeding, as they were Friday they’re easy to catch and run like hell. There a beautiful blueish, greenish silver color and they are built for speed. They’re dorsal fins collapse into a slot and the pectoral fins fold into a pocket so they can swim in excess of 25 miles per hour. The Bonito’s speed is incredible. Its fusiform body is the model of hydrodynamic perfection, reducing drag so that it may swim faster, farther, and more efficient than other fish. Nice job George.
In the backcountry fishing continues to be good. Redfish, snook, trout, pompano, snapper and other species are being caught. I still have a few openings for Christmas week so give me a call, 239-450-9230 – Capt. Mark Ward
