Catching bonefish without a fly rod?

[Ryan.Winegar]

Hi Larry, got a question for you. I live in Hawaii and am just teaching myself to bonefish. The bonefishing here is not your typical fishing situation. But we do have some flats with some good numbers of fish as well as some big ones. I have caught a couple of bones with the fly rod, but not as easy as it looks. I have family coming out to visit and want to get them on some bones, but they don't fly fish. I have been messing around trying to catch them with bait and jigs. Really hard so far, I scare away more fish than anything! Do you have any suggestions for catching bones with spinning gear? Bait vs jigs? Technique maybe? Thanks

Ryan

[Richard Webb]

Hello Ryan,

As a retired airline my wife and I get to fly fish O'ahu a couple of times a year. Before we became a fly fishing fanatics I remember that the Hawaiians called it, “Whipping”. For bait we have had our best luck with squid in the deeper water off a reef. The trick was to give the bonefish time to swallow the hook.

My handle over there is “airline”, and you will find my recent posts under the “Whipping” Section:

http://www.hanapaa.com/bbforum/index.php

The Hawaiians are friendly people and they share thier fishing secrets openly in this ulua forum, but don't expect to fill a burlap bag with fish. You have it made living in a place like that.

Richard

[dahlberg]

When times are tough, meat is neat! especially true in the environment you describe.
Use small artificials, the same color as the bottom. cast far enough from the fish as not to spook them. short hops and crawls are usually best retrieve. fish bite when bait is sitting still. gotta watch for them to pick it up because often you don't feel them.
good luck
L