We poled the boat silently across the shallows upwind from where we could see about 20 bonefish intently “tailing,” snouts grubbing in the soft sand for hermit crab, or whatever, tails out of the water. We cast right at the edge of the school from about 30 feet away. We could see one moving after my live shrimp bait, and I jigged it a little, and he took it. Within a split second from the time I struck him, the others were miles away.

He peeled off almost 100 yards of line on his first run, al-most directly away from the boat. Then he made a long run at right angles to the northeast, but I didn’t lose much more line. Then he went off to the southwest, and I got a little back. You’re supposed to let a bonefish go where he wants to, maintaining enough tension to make him work, and keep him from throwing your hook, but not so much tension as to break your line. I did let him run, and I thought I lost him when he made a run for the boat, but I reeled in like mad, just managing to keep the tension on and his head up. It was all over in 10 minutes, but sensational action.

Jim got one on about an hour later and had a couple of minutes to feel what it was like before he lost him. There are not only the spookiest fish I’ve ever had anything to do with, but among the wiliest, and on light tackle they put up a fine fight. They’ll never replace blues or marlin in the fight department, but pound for pound there’s nothing that can touch them.

The three paragraphs above are taken from my log of a morning on the flats encircled by North Bimini, 1-24-72. It was my first bonefish, and I can see what bonefish aficionados are shouting about. Many sport fishermen concentrate on this species alone.

Though I’m primarily a cruising sailor. I’ve been fishing all my life too, and have enjoyed action in three oceans. For nine years I belonged to a Montauk fishing club, which had me out there three or four times a year and I’ve fished out of Brielle, Freeport, and hundreds of times in Long Island Sound. I’ve also fished in Florida waters, and a few times as I’ve cruised in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific coasts of the USA and Mexico. So my bonefish wasn’t the first fish I ever caught. I was prepared to be blasé, but that bonefish remains the high spot of my 4 days in the Bimini group. The Abacos are also prime bonefish grounds. Whether you’re a confirmed fisherman or not, you’ll do yourself a favor to take a day off to try it.

Walkers Cay, Coopers Town, Green Turtle Cay, Treasure Cay, Great Guana Cay, Man-O-War, Hope Town, Marsh Harbour, Little Harbour, Cherokee Sound, and Sandy Point, all have boats and guides. It’s possible to go yourself, of course, with or without a boat. Some do wade in the shallows or cast from shore, but stalking them in a boat is more productive. If you’re new at it, the guide will be a better spotter. Good polarized sunglasses are a must to cut water reflections.

Most of the time you catch bonefish on extensive shallow flats, 1 to 2 feet deep. Because of the shallow water the bonefish’s tail is out of the water when his snout is grubbing on the bottom. Sometimes they swim in water so shallow you see their backs as well as their tails out of water. Frequently they’re in schools of up to 30 or more.

Bonefish are long, silvery scrappers, usually 4 to 8 pounds, though fish exceeding 15 pounds have been caught every year in the Bahamas. A 6 pounder will be 2 feet long. The season is year round in the Bahamas. The best time is the last hour of ebb and the first two hours of the flood tide.

They feed on small shellfish and fish, shrimp, sandworms, crabs and clams, and they eat some sand along with it. They have very hard bone-like upper mouths which overlap the lower mouth. Your hook will not penetrate the hard roof of a bonefish’s mouth, which is why you have to keep his head up at all times with tension on. If you’re lucky, you’ll hook him in the side of the mouth, which is tough.

Live bait is more productive, though some fishermen prefer artificial lures or fly fishing. We’ve always used shrimp, though crayfish, crab, or conch will work also. Our guides provided spinning reels on two piece glass rods of about 6 ounce in weight. The reel should have 300 yards of 6 or 8 pound test monofilament line, because they’ll take 100 yards fast. Don’t use any sinker. The “plop” would spook the bonefish-they’d scatter in all directions.

The boat is 14 to 16 feet, flat bottom, so it can get into the shallows. A wide front seat is a good feature to give the angler a stable platform for spotting and casting. Wood is preferred because it is less noisy than fiberglass or aluminum. The guide uses an outboard to get where he thinks they’ll be, then stalks them on the flats poling with an oar.

You’ll have to cast to bonefish. If tidal current will take your bait down, cast up-current and let it drift down to them. If there’s no current to help you, then try to cast about 10 feet in front of the fish. Anything closer than 6 feet will spook him. A cast behind him or more than 5 feet off to the side probably won’t attract his attention. We cast sideways. An overhead cast will “plop” your bait and likely spook him. A good sidewise cast will have your bait traveling just off the water and let it plop gently right where you want it in front of Mr. Bonefish. If he doesn’t take it, jig your bait right away once, then a few times. If he’s not following, retrieve your bait and cast again, if he’s still there.

I’ve already given you several ways you can scare bonefish into streaking far enough away from you so you will lose them in a split second. Another way is to thump on the bottom of your boat. Get where you want to be, in position for the cast, and don’t move as your guide poles after him. Bonefish are ultra nervous and touchy. You’re hunting as well as fishing. Even birds flying over may spook them.

When a bonefish strikes, you have to set the hook immediately or he’ll be off with the bait. The bonefish’s first run will usually be towards deep water, or towards mangrove or coral. You can’t stop his run with an 8 pound test line. If you don’t let him take the line, fish half that weight will break it. Yet you have to try to keep him away from the mangrove shoots, shells, or anything else he can use to break your line. It’s amazing how easily the strain he puts on the line will part it if it comes in contact with anything. Keep your rod tip high, keeping his head up and you have less chance of losing him. You’ll lose half the bonefish you hook anyway, and you may get a strike on only 1 out of 10 casts.

When you finally bring him alongside, he’s bushed, but maybe not too spent to make one last frantic lunge, as he sees the net. Your guide should get the net under him fast. Bonefish are no good to eat, though islanders have told me they make stew out of them. If you put him in the boat, he’ll die quickly. To release him after netting, take him by the tail with one hand and with the other hand underneath him, move him back and forth through the water. The action of the water will open and close his gills. He’ll stay right side up, and start moving his tail, and then you let him go. If you toss him back, he’ll lie on his side, and if you leave him that way, he’ll probably die.

Bonefish are considered excellent marlin bait, and many small ones, 2 to 3 pounds, are netted, frozen, and sold to marlin fishermen. Hawaiians and Japanese make fish cakes out of bonefish.

The flats where you hunt bonefish are a tremendous re-source, a habitat for fish and birds of all kinds. Even if you get skunked, you’ll enjoy being out there. You’ll see herons, egrets, pelicans, rays, sand sharks, small barracuda, multicolored tropical fish of all kinds. Sharks and barracuda are natural enemies of bonefish.

You’re going to the Abacos where you can choose from some of the greatest deep sea fishing in the world. Blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, barracuda, wahoo, shark, king mackerel, many kinds of tuna, and others are all there for the taking. Why should you bother with bonefish? Try it and you’ll see.