How To Make & Rig Bonita Strips To Catch Big Sharks
- By: Wyatt Parcel
- on
It’s shark fishing time!!
And this time, we reeled in a nice bonita and thought it would be best to use it as bait to target the sharks that were lurking around the boat.
Bonita strips are an extremely effective bait for catching big sharks.
Learn how to make bonita strips and rig up the bait to haul in big sharks from down below!!
How To Use Bonita Strips To Catch Big Sharks [VIDEO]
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The objective is to have the bait sit on the surface and not sink to the bottom.
Start to fillet the bonita by inserting the knife just below the pectoral fin and slice down towards the tail on the backbone.
After you do this on both sides, you will be left with two nice bonita fillets.
Take one of those fillets and slice down the middle which will give you two bait strips.
(Be sure to slice with the knife away from your body to avoid injury!)
Rigging the Bonita Bait Strips
Using an 8/0 circle hook, rig the bait through the thin end of the strip (not the thick end).
This will avoid it spinning in the current.
Make sure the hook is clear of any skin and the barb is free.
If you have to reel in the bait for any reason, always check it to make sure it’s not a foul hooked bait.
Bonita has very tough skin which prevents little fish from stealing the bait, which is another reason why it’s so great!
Have any questions about catching sharks on bonita strips or other live bait?
Let me know down below in the comments!!
And if you’re in the Keys and want to go out with Capt. Hollywood’s crew, you can find them at FloridaKeysFunFishing.com.
If you know someone who wants to catch big sharks on bait strips, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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The bait is NOT a bonito….it is a false albacore……2 completely different fish….
Great job, but I couldn’t help notice the chum holder trailing the boat. Looked like a perfect fit for frozen block chum. What brand is it and where can I get one?
That would be the Chum Dinger! They’re made to order on an individual basis, and you can get them here:Plastic Chum Dingerhttps://www.thechumdinger.com
A piece of a rubber band on the hook bend can help eliminate the bait from sliding up the shank and fouling up on the hook point.
Great tip!
Here’s another idea, a video on to properly make and rig butterfly baits.
We already have! Here’s a video of us doing that for big ol’ hammerheads! https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/chumming-for-sharks/
We have another for tarpon on butterflied mullet as well! The Secret To Catching Tarpon On Butterflied Mullet
“Be sure to slice with the knife away from your body to avoid injury”. Really? Do you also want to warn us about putting fingers in sharks mouth?
Hey, if we give the warning, nobody can shake a fist at us when something goes wrong! Thanks for watching Doug!
Exciting video! I’ve got a couple questions, can you troll with that set up and would you use Bonita to catch other fish?
You definitely can! I’ve known or captains that will troll small Bonita for large billfish such as marlin!
Great job Whiteclaw, Hollywood and Luke. Thanks for the tips greatly appreciated
Thanks so much Ike Jime Jimmy!! Happy to help sir!
Isn’t that a False Albacore? All of the Bonita that I’ve seen are striped.
Bonita is a local name at least around Florida. It is a false albacore though. From online: “False Albacore (Euthynnus alletteratus), also known as Little Tunny, Albies, Bonita, and Fat Alberts, are members of the Scombridae family, in the Euthynnus genus; somewhere in between true Tuna and Mackerel.”
The Atlantic bonito is a different species.
As Adam mentioned, there’s a lot of names for these fish. Bonito, Albies, etc…
It can definitely be confusing!
No it’s not the same fish……2 different complete species…
You are right……
Nice job Wyatt!!! – Awesome video – nice bull – these videos are really helpful
Thanks so much Pablo! Glad you enjoyed this one sir!