My very first memory of catching one of these speedsters stems back to when I was 10 years old and a total dock rat. Capt. Marc Genthner on the Just Do it Too snuck me, my brothers and a friend out on his boat prior to his first trip at seven one morning. I remember pulling out of the dock as the sun was peeking over Monomoy’s horizon and there was a stillness in the air.
It was late July and there were rumors of early-season bonito in the harbor, but not many had been caught. We meandered between the moorings and pushed toward the jetties. By the time we reached the end of the no-wake markers, we could see small schools of bonito darting through the harbor.
These fish are both frustrating and fantastic in the same breath. They can be under your nose one moment and the next moment, after laying down the perfect cast, they can be a hundred yards away. When these fish are acting this way, it’s best to anticipate where they are moving rather than casting to where they have been. Bonito are often keyed in on a specific bait and you need to match the lure or fly very close or they will move on in the blink of an eye.
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