Bonito

[gogecko]

I caught a bonito on a jig while picking up slimies at the scottish prince. What do you do with these?
Since it was alive, I decided to rig it whole alive and hope for a jew while I was drifting in the seaway. After 4 drifts and no hits, it finally snagged bottom.

Would I have been better filliting it and usin it as flesh bait or cubing it in pieces?
Ive heard jacks like em in summer. What about tailor or trevs?

The slimies didnt get hits either, which is unusual. Might have been a bit quiet at the start of the runout, bottom of the runout can be better. What should I do with bonito next time?

cheers
Andrew

[fish2eat]

just about the best tailor bait there is, cubed. Some people reckon their alright smoked, but i've always used them as bait.

[Green]

I've heard from a couple of people you can eat 'em, while others say they're only good for bait. Personally i've only used them for bait, fresh strip baits i've found seem to outfish any other baits i have used. I've heard they're getting harder to find which is pushing the price of them up??

[Viking]

They are fine to eat but i also believe they make a better bait. I guess it depends what you're targeting but I've always used them in thin strips to target Tailor.

[Noelm]

yep, have to agree, OK to eat, OK for bait, though the skin can take some getting off the hook, tough as all hell.

[Az]

favourate strip bait, up there with mack tuna

[Krazi-kev]

Good sashimi (oily fish)

Or vinegared

[Smailesy]

put a hook in his back anything in the seaway with teeth will like it great live bait

[markpierce]

did an experiment the other night. tried blue pilchards and bonito on different rods. Got more tailor hits on the pilchards. Chance or a pattern? Thats fishin'......................


For Bonito I gang 2 3/0s on a wire trace. Fillet the bonito and cut diagonally to make 3" strips about a cm wide. Salt it to firm it up. Insert the hooks, and leave a loose flap at bottom to attract the fish. Good for big bream and tailor

[gogecko]

Yeah, I put a 5/0 hook in its back and let it run with a size 2 running bomb sinker, and 60lb leader.

I thought I might get something big like jew, maybe even a shark. There was nothing doing last Sat in the seaway. High tide was 5.30am, and I fished 7.30-9.30 for no result. I feel better if I did the right thing and it was just a slow day.

cheers
Andrew

[jim_farrell]

Andrew, we fished 1730 to 2130 sunday night for jew and got 1 manta ray. I feel better knowing it was not just me.
Bonito i have always used as a strip bait as mentioned, even for snapper.

[manchild]

Bonito gives you the best chance to catch big tailor ,if used as stripbait.Extremely tuff ,stays on for ages in the wash .Best fished behind the break and anchored down as much as possible .Hope that helps
George

[moondancer]

You've got all the ideas here allready - great strip bait etc. The oiliness is its own berley. If you catch a few and freeze them, best to fillet and salt them down first, or they defrost a bit mushy and soft.

Personally, I prefer them on a plate!! Good fish to smoke, and great for fried fillets etc. Main thing is to bleed them when caught if you intend eating them. I put them up there with most good table fish.

Enjoy!

[nigelr]

Agree with moondancer!
Great bait for sure, but superb smoked, second only to spotted mack IMO.
Cheers!