Bone fishing 101

I get asked a lot about the big three in the sports capital of the world. The Florida Keys offers so much but for an angler it can be over whelming with the amount of water there is. On both coast of the over set a highway you will see beautiful flats if left to the imagination hold hundreds of bonefish patrolling the flats for a meal. Bonefishing takes a little know how, paitence and luck. If your goal is a silver missile you need to evalutae maps and areas. Flats what occupy good tidel flow from one or two deeper water channels is the start. Area that will be exposed by low tides area great starts to look and learn the terrain. Negative tides with a big incoming are key. Look for key element on the flats where the contours change. Plan grass flats that stretch for mile offer no ambush and cover. Broken bottoms with grass mounds, broken bottom mud pot holes made by whip rays and broke coral bottoms offer forage cover and are key elements for this stealthy predators. Once you establish this looking for pushing fish tails waving beckoning you offering will begin. Work the outer edges of the flat making your way into the crown of the flats slowly. With a 7’6 rod you want to make a presentation that puts a small shrimp or make crab about 5 feet into the path the fish are taking. Wait and wait some more they will track your offering down. Then the thump will signal you or on. I prefer wide gap circle hooks when targeting these fish. Reel like the devil and lift the rod up in the air as high as humanly possible and hang on for the nasa shuttle blast off. Continue to keep that rod tip high as bonefish are notorious of rubbing their face not he bottom violently to come lose. Once boat side remember they are sensitve and should be care for with the up most care. keep them in the water and snap some pic and enjoy the moment.