by Sandra Schulz, Contributing Writer
Summer time drift fishing off Boynton Beach has produced some nice king mackerel, tunas and of course those bonitos! Pictured is some of the catch on a morning trip aboard the Living on Island Time drift boat. These anglers were happy to catch tuna up to 25lbs. They were targeting kings and caught a few then a school of bonitos started hitting. After catching and releasing quite a few bonitos, the Captain was just about ready to make a move when to everyone’s surprise, they started landing some nice black-fin tunas!
Bonitos do give the angler a fun tough fight and are a great fish for beginners to catch, but we only keep a few to make strip baits for trolling. They are not good to consume. Our house rods are rigged with 50lb. test line; same for the leader with either a double trailer 5/0 – J – hook rig when the fish are finicky or switch to a triple trailer rig if we are missing the bites. We use the most common slip weight of 1 ounce. If the current is strong, then a 1-½ ounce. If the current is slower adjust your weight to ¾ or even a ½ ounce. For bait we use dead Spanish sardines, or some anglers prefer to use a smaller ballyhoo. You may also dress up your rig with a bucktail teaser, like a pink or yellow with or without mylar for enhancement. I prefer to use the mylar as it picks up the sunlight and makes it flash. Until next time…. tight lines!
Sandra Schulz
Living on Island Time, LLC.
Southern Comfort IV Charters
Email: info@fishingonislandtime.com
Phone: 561-585-4473