Bonito Fishing Charters in Pompano Beach

Bonito, also called little tunny, are a member of the tuna family with the same torpedo shape and the same refusal to quit. Most off Pompano Beach run 5 to 15 pounds. They push bait to the surface along the reef line and the first drop-off, so a flock of working birds usually marks the school before anyone sees a fish.

We catch them trolling small feathers and spoons, and casting jigs into the school once the captain gets into position. The first run is the memorable part, because a bonito will take 100 yards of line straight away from the boat before the angler gets anything back. A half-day fishing charter in Pompano Beach is the usual way to fish them, since the schools sit close to the inlet.

Winter and spring are the strongest windows, when cold fronts push bait along the coast and the schools stack over the reef. They often mix with blackfin tuna and skipjack, so a single stop can put three species in the boat, and kingfish frequently hang under the same bait pods.

Bonito are not a dinner-table fish for most people. The meat is dark and strong, so the crew keeps a few for fresh kingfish and sailfish bait, and some guests take them home to smoke for fish dip or to cut fresh for sashimi. Anyone who wants fillets for the grill catches them alongside snapper, grouper or mahi.

For a first-timer, a bonito is the perfect introduction to what offshore tackle feels like under load. The fights are hard but short, and the school usually sticks around for several fish. The mate coaches everyone through pumping and reeling before the day moves on to offshore fishing in Broward County.