Fishing for bonefish is one of the most exciting fishing adventures, whether you’re an experienced or inexperienced angler. The reason for this? Catching them is a challenge since they are hard to see, easily spooked, and incredibly fast. The great guides here at Sea Ya Fishing can take you out to experience the sun, the water, and the fly fishing and/or spin fishing here in the Florida Keys. We know everything there is to know about locating and catching these fish. We are constantly chasing bonefish on the flats throughout the year with fly and spin anglers, which gives us not just a good idea where they were yesterday but where they’ll be tomorrow.
Setting out without a Florida Keys fishing guide who knows what you should be looking for will probably result in a very disappointing day of fishing for bonefish. What makes the bonefish so elusive here in the Keys? Let’s start with their physical characteristics. Bonefish are slender fish with the ability to change the colors of their backs to blend in with the surrounding environment; they can blend perfectly into the water and ocean floor when you look at them from above. Bonefish are also incredibly fast. Their bodies are shaped for speed, they can take off in an instant and move through the water as fast as 40 MPH! Bonefish are also spooked easily. In their habitat they are surrounded by predators: sharks, barracudas, and bottle nose dolphins in the water and ospreys in the air. It takes nothing more than dropping a fly or bait too close to their heads to send them zipping off in retreat. This means that not only are they difficult to find, but they’re difficult to catch, period. These are some of the many reasons why these fish are called the “gray ghosts”.
Elusive Bonefish in the Florida Keys
Professional Know-How:
To catch bonefish, you really need a professional who knows not only how to locate the fish in their favorite feeding locations but also how to put you in the best position possible to make the cast. We know when and where these fish like to feed and will work hard to keep you on the hunt. We will also point out where and when is best to make your cast. You do not always want to cast immediately when you see a school of bonefish, sometimes it pays off to wait for the shot when they are feeding and moving towards you. Our priority is helping you understand how to read the bonefish’s behavior to catch as many as possible for a really fulfilling and fun day of fishing.
In the Keys, fishing the flats in warm waters is available year round. Whether you’re looking for a winter get away or a summer vacation, consider fly fishing and sight fishing for bonefish and all the fun to be had on a Florida Keys fishing tour!