Sd bay bonefish help - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Fishwhisperer619 · 07-05-2013, 02:04 PM

Im gonna be taking my little sister and her friends to go fish the bay with a rental skiff this Sunday and want to try and pull out one of those bonefish that ive seen some people catch. What do those of you who have caught a bonefish use to catch them? Ill be on the south west side of the big bay btw. Thanks!

todd one · 07-05-2013, 02:11 PM

I caught 8 in the SD bay the last time I fished for then. I got them on ghost shrimp in Sunroad Marina, right behind the Island prime restaurant.

LSmoot · 07-05-2013, 03:22 PM

Capt. James Nelson took me and two buddies out in July of 2012 for Bone Fish in SD Bay. He put us right on the Bones. I caught eight, my two friends caught six and one. We used ghost shrimp. Couldn't have done it without James - he put us right on the fish. I would recommend contacting him if you want to maximize your chances. Good luck.

taggermike · 07-05-2013, 10:06 PM

I've caught 2 on plastics over the years. Incidental catch I'd say. The few times I targetted them I did well with raw head on shrimp. Mike

Fishwhisperer619 · 07-06-2013, 07:43 AM

How much of the shrimp do you guys use? What part? Long skinny hook?

CKallday71 · 07-06-2013, 08:42 AM

Where does one obtain ghost shrimp? I've never fished with them myself. These look like great fun on light tackle!!

roadx · 07-06-2013, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CKallday71

Where does one obtain ghost shrimp? I've never fished with them myself. These look like great fun on light tackle!!

pretty much anywhere in the bay. ever notice all those holes at the water line? those are either clams or shrimp. use a shovel but a bait pump is much easyier.
you can get them at squidco
http://www.squidcofishing.com/GHOST-...?categoryId=-1

you can also buy them live there too

dniss · 07-06-2013, 10:15 AM

Get the pump. Pays for itself in one outing if a few people are fishing. Next to and across the street from the Bahia hotel are good places to pump. Drop shot em a foot or two off the bottom so they don't get torn off by the eelgrass (they're delicate). Feed the hook through their tail toward the head, up thru the body, then sideways out through the "plates" near their head, they stay on better that way. You'll likely get spotties and croaker as well, maybe an odd halibut, but like the guy above said, getting bonefish on artificials is rare, in my experience though I've picked them up on small plastics and even a Kastmaster. I fish South Bay a lot and think they're pretty concentrated south of the bridge. Fun stuff on light gear, especially when you get a double. Keep a wet rag handy for grabbing them, they're muscular, squirrelly, and slimy as a bucket of snot. Try to leave their slime intact as possible, I've read they're prone to disease when they lose too much of it.

07-05-2013, 02:04 PM	#1
Fishwhisperer619 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: chula vista Posts: 323	Sd bay bonefish help Im gonna be taking my little sister and her friends to go fish the bay with a rental skiff this Sunday and want to try and pull out one of those bonefish that ive seen some people catch. What do those of you who have caught a bonefish use to catch them? Ill be on the south west side of the big bay btw. Thanks!

07-06-2013, 08:42 AM	#6
CKallday71 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: The 951 Posts: 430	Where does one obtain ghost shrimp? I've never fished with them myself. These look like great fun on light tackle!! __________________ I fish therefore I am. Selling cars since 2006. If you love what you do you never WORK a day in your life.

07-05-2013, 02:11 PM	#2
todd one Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 364	I caught 8 in the SD bay the last time I fished for then. I got them on ghost shrimp in Sunroad Marina, right behind the Island prime restaurant.

07-05-2013, 03:22 PM	#3
LSmoot Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 115	Capt. James Nelson took me and two buddies out in July of 2012 for Bone Fish in SD Bay. He put us right on the Bones. I caught eight, my two friends caught six and one. We used ghost shrimp. Couldn't have done it without James - he put us right on the fish. I would recommend contacting him if you want to maximize your chances. Good luck.

07-05-2013, 10:06 PM	#4
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	I've caught 2 on plastics over the years. Incidental catch I'd say. The few times I targetted them I did well with raw head on shrimp. Mike

07-06-2013, 07:43 AM	#5
Fishwhisperer619 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: chula vista Posts: 323	How much of the shrimp do you guys use? What part? Long skinny hook?

07-06-2013, 10:15 AM	#8
dniss Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 77	Get the pump. Pays for itself in one outing if a few people are fishing. Next to and across the street from the Bahia hotel are good places to pump. Drop shot em a foot or two off the bottom so they don't get torn off by the eelgrass (they're delicate). Feed the hook through their tail toward the head, up thru the body, then sideways out through the "plates" near their head, they stay on better that way. You'll likely get spotties and croaker as well, maybe an odd halibut, but like the guy above said, getting bonefish on artificials is rare, in my experience though I've picked them up on small plastics and even a Kastmaster. I fish South Bay a lot and think they're pretty concentrated south of the bridge. Fun stuff on light gear, especially when you get a double. Keep a wet rag handy for grabbing them, they're muscular, squirrelly, and slimy as a bucket of snot. Try to leave their slime intact as possible, I've read they're prone to disease when they lose too much of it.