Mike Conner of Florida Sportsman magazine writes about our fly fishing trip for Bonito. Please click here to read the full story.

We have all heard the chit-chat about “glamour” fish at your local tackle store, marinas, and just about anyplace where folks talk about fishing. You know— a slam of this, or a slam of that. Mind you, I’m not knocking anyone who can catch three highly-prized game fish in one outing either on the flats, backcountry, or offshore. That’s quite an accomplishment, in anyone’s book.

But, living here in South Florida is quite a blessing in many ways and one of the fishing benefits is that here in Jupiter it’s not uncommon to catch six or more species of fish on any given summer day. Sure, it’s super hot and the afternoon thunderstorms can be problematic. However, some excellent fly-fishing opportunities exist, and some of the best and most exciting fly fishing is for species that are not high on the “glamour” list, but are as fun as can be. One particular species that’s one heck of a lot of fun to catch on a fly rod is the bonito, AKA: albie, football, hardhead, or bombers. It’s sort of like the Rodney Dangerfield of fish; until recently, “it got no respect.” But that all changed when fly-fishermen discovered that this cousin of the tuna can be caught in good numbers close to the boat and that they hit like you hooked a car going 30 mph, and then take off, not once, but for as many as four long runs. Pound for pound they are one of the best fighting fish in any body of water anywhere. My clients are often surprised when they discover I was not exaggerating about the hard fighting qualities of this fish. 

During the months of May, June, July, and August, when the small baitfish are plentiful in the Jupiter area, the albies won’t be far behind. Mixed in with the albies out in the ocean depths, it’s not uncommon to catch a cornucopia of other fish such as rainbow runners, blue runners, dolphin, jack, sails, marlin, sharks, cobia tripletail, and kingfish. 

When properly chummed, albies explode on the surface, and it gets really exciting really fast when you cast your fly into the teaming melee and strip set the hook. 

Hold on tight, make sure your line is clear of anything that it will snag on (like your precious fingers!), and get that fish on the reel quick or be assured that Murphy’s law will kick in; and whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. 

High-sticking a fly rod with an albie on the other end is a big problem. If you have ever done it, you know why. They break 12- and 14-weight rods as if they were pretzel sticks. 

A 15-pound fish can dump a couple of hundred yards of line in a flash, so get your act together quickly. Albie fishing is a type of fishing that will change the way you think about fly-fishing. It’s amazing that a fish that weighs under 20 pounds will be your new standard of excellence. 

Suggested Tackle 

I prefer an Orvis Large Arbor Vortex Big Game 10-13 wt. reel loaded with Orvis gel-spun backing, and attached to either Tarpon Wonderline Gen 3, or clear sink-tip fly line. It’s important to use Mirage Fluorocarbon 14.5# or 20 # leader material, since albies are very leader-shy at times. Mirage keeps the visibility of the leader to the very minimum. A Cowen Silverside #jv19l3-00 or a Blados Crease Fly # jv44k5-21 are good fly choices and will get you plenty of action. 

One final thought 

Unless you are using the caught albies for something special, I encourage you to practice catch and release. That way these beautiful game fish can live to fight again. Be gentle on the fish and remember they tend to behave when you turn them belly up when dehooking. Since bonito are fast-moving fish, it’s important to launch them head first into the water to get them breathing again. 

Capt. Cliff Budd is an Orvisendorsed fly fishing guide fishing out of Jupiter, Florida. He can be reached at 561-745-9178 in the early evening, or visit www.seacretspot.com  


This report can also be found in Orvis website. Please click here.

Spinner sharks that have been swimming near the beaches have made the evening news once again this year. When sightseeing from a helicopter or a slow moving airplane, it's possible to see up to 20 spinner sharks in the shallow waters of some beaches in the area. 

When we realize how close these predators swim to the shore's edge, their presence evokes an instinctual feeling of fear mixed with excitement. Although these sharks are not considered man-eating, I'm sure that they are responsible  for biting an unsus-pected surfer or two in murky waters. 

Spinner sharks have been migrating through our area for as many years as anyone can remember. Most of these sharks are comparably small to other species of sharks. Spinners typically weigh between 50 and 100 pounds. 

Some anglers think that spinner sharks and black tip sharks are one and the same. However, this is not the case. They are two completely different species of shark. As their name implies, black tip sharks have black tipped fins. The coloration of the two kinds of sharks is similar, except that the spinner shark has a whitish or grey band on its inferior sides. Another difference is that when a spinner shark is hooked, it jumps and spins in the air after a long run. Black tips, on the other hand, don't jump. 

These spinner sharks, which are an important part of the food chain, will be migrating out of our area as soon as the water warms up. When it comes to sport fishing, catching spinner sharks on fly and light tackle is as good as it gets. Fishermen look forward to their presence and they are usually reluctant to see them migrate away from our area. 

Good luck! 

The spring kingfish run has started, thank goodness. 

Just outside Jupiter Inlet, schools of kingfish appeared north and south of the inlet in depths of 65 to 90 feet. 

The kingfish are suspended just off the bottom, and therein lies the problem. If you fish near on the bottom, you will most likely get some bottom feeders pecking at your bait. These kingfish, which began biting a couple of weeks ago, are mostly small undersized fish that can be mistaken for Spanish mackerel. 

Remember, mackerel have a black dorsal fin, while kingfish  have a white one. The minimum size to harvest a kingfish is 24 inches from the tip of the nose to the fork of the tail. 

Have hope, for there are some decent sized fish out there. This past week I heard stories about anglers catching kingfish up to 45 pounds. 

When it comes to fishing tackle, make sure you don't go out there with a fishing rod that's too small. There's nothing worse than having all of the line stripped from your fishing reel before you can even get the boat started. 

When something like that happens, it can make a grown fisherman want to cry. For your bait selection, nothing beats live bait. Second choice may be the classic three-hook kingfish or drift boat rig. 

Some enterprising fishermen make up or buy their own three-hook rigs that have white, chartreuse, or pink nylon hairs attached to the first of the three hooks. Some fishermen say this helps entice a bite. Kingfish are an oily fish that spoils easily. So, be sure to put your fish on ice immediately.

Be advised that most fish over 10 pounds can have mercury in their flesh. Women who are pregnant, the young and the old probably should stay away from eating such fish. 

I happen to eat lots of small kingfish, whether it's grilled, broiled, or fried. They sure do taste good. 

Good luck!

Just about everybody loves cobia. The popular fish has lots of nicknames such as ling, lemonfish, mudshark and cobes. 

No matter what you call them, they are a highly prized game and food fish. 

Cobia look like large remoras and small sharks at first glance. They even have the same colorings. 

These fish migrate this time of year in depths of 6 to 150 feet. At times, they can be found tailgating different varieties of rays, sharks, or even whale sharks. They are like scavengers, waiting for scraps from their host fish. 

Most cobia weigh 15 to 40 pounds, although larger ones have been caught locally. 

The world record cobia is just over 135 pounds. Cobia are strong, hard fighters. Since they keep company with sharks, it has been said that sharks won't eat them. However, this is not true: sharks will eat a hooked cobia that is sending off distress signals, just as it will eat any other fish. 

On the table, cobia are excellent eating, regardless of how you prepare them. The meat is firm and white and has a very hearty flavor. 

Cobia are being farm raised successfully in various parts of the country. I saw some filleted, farm-raised fish the other day and it looked just like wild cobia. 

Cobia are not very choosy eaters. They will take just about anything that is tossed in their path: a live or dead bait, or a fluffy jig with a plastic worm on it. 

One thing that's strange is that you usually have a short window to catch the cobia. For some reason, they appear and disappear like ghosts. So, if you think you see one on a fishing trip, be rigged and ready to cast on a second's notice.

Good luck!

Maybe you didn't work out today and you need something to stretch out your arms and lower back. Well, the amberjack can certainly accommodate you. The fish range in size from 20 to 60 pounds, although I have seen them weigh up to 95 pounds. 

Like all fish in the jack family, they are one of the toughest fighting fish in the ocean. Amberjack can be found around many offshore wrecks, both on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 

Amberjack are not very choosy eaters;   they will readily take a live bait when it's dropped down to a wreck. Sometimes they get curious and swim up to the surface. That's when it's easy to target them with artificials or flies. 

A good reel to use for them would have a smooth drag and at least 40-pound test line. Fishing rods should have lots of backbone. I particularly like a fast tapered rod. To target amberjack on fly, a 12 weight combo would be the minimum size to use. 

This is a good time of year to fish for amberjack, especially if you want to take one home for the dinner table. Some people don't like to eat jack, since they do have worms. When the water is cooler, they tend to have less worms. However, when the waters are warmer, they can be riddled with worms in their flesh. The shoul-ders seem to be one of the only places on the fish's body that are often para-site-free. Amberjack are good fried, baked or smoked. 

Get out there and give it a try before the water gets too warm.

Good luck!