Contents
Bonitos, bonitos, pollocks belong to the mackerel family. In appearance, the fish resemble tuna. It is a schooling fish that grows to relatively large sizes. Some species reach a length of 180 cm (Australian bonito). Basically, fish of this genus are about 5 – 7 kg in weight and length, about 70-80 m. The body is spindle-shaped, slightly compressed from the sides. Schools of fish are numerous and well organized. It is quite difficult for predators to disorganize a group of bonito. Fish prefer to stay in the upper layers of water, the main depths are up to about 100 – 200 m. The main habitat is the continental shelf zone. They themselves are active predators; in addition to squid, shrimps and small invertebrates, they feed on small fish. Bonitos are a fast-growing species, according to some reports, fish can gain up to 500 g in a few months. The diet may include its own juveniles. The genus includes several species. They are divided regionally, in addition to the named Australian bonito, Chilean and Oriental are also known. The Atlantic or common bonito (bonito) lives in the Atlantic.
Ways to catch bonito
Ways to catch bonito are quite diverse. To a greater extent, they are associated with fishing from the shore or in the coastal zone from boats. Bonito is actively caught in the Russian waters of the Black Sea, so local fishermen have developed their own traditional ways of catching this fish. Among the popular ones are: fishing with spinning lures, “tyrant” and other types of rigs with artificial baits, fly fishing, and “dead fish” fishing. It is worth noting here that for catching bonito, Russian fishermen use original equipment, for example, “for a cork”. In particular, for the most part, the Black Sea bonito are medium-sized fish, they are also caught on float fishing rods from the shore.
Catching bonito on spinning
When choosing tackle for fishing with classic spinning, when fishing with bonito, it is advisable to proceed from the principle “bait size – trophy size”. In addition, the priority should be the approach – “onboard” or “shore fishing”. Sea vessels are more convenient for spinning fishing than from the shore, but there may be limitations here. When catching the Black Sea bonito “serious” sea gear is not required. Although it is worth noting that even medium-sized fish desperately resist and this gives a lot of pleasure to anglers. Bonitos stay in the upper layers of the water, and therefore, fishing with classic lures is most interesting for spinning rods from marine watercraft: spinners, wobblers, and so on. Reels should be with a good supply of fishing line or cord. In addition to a trouble-free braking system, the coil must be protected from salt water. In many types of sea fishing equipment, very fast wiring is required, which means a high gear ratio of the winding mechanism. According to the principle of operation, coils can be both multiplier and inertial-free. Accordingly, the rods are selected depending on the reel system. The choice of rods is very diverse, at the moment manufacturers offer a large number of specialized “blanks” for various fishing conditions and types of bait. When fishing with spinning marine fish, fishing technique is very important. To select the correct wiring, it is necessary to consult experienced anglers or guides.
Catching bonito on “tyrant”
Fishing for “tyrant”, despite the name, which is clearly of Russian origin, is quite widespread and is used by anglers all over the world. There are slight regional differences, but the principle of fishing is the same everywhere. Also, it is worth noting that the main difference between the rigs is related to the size of the prey. Initially, the use of any rods was not provided. A certain amount of cord is wound on a reel of arbitrary shape, depending on the depth of fishing, it can be up to several hundred meters. A sinker with an appropriate weight of up to 400 g is fixed at the end, sometimes with a loop at the bottom to secure an additional leash. Leashes are fixed on the cord, most often, in an amount of about 10-15 pieces. Leads can be made from materials, depending on the intended catch. It can be either monofilament or metal lead material or wire. It should be clarified that sea fish is less “finicky” to the thickness of the equipment, so you can use fairly thick monofilaments (0.5-0.6 mm). With regard to metal parts of the equipment, especially hooks, it is worth bearing in mind that they must be coated with an anti-corrosion coating, because sea water corrodes metals much faster. In the “classic” version, the “tyrant” is equipped with baits with attached colored feathers, woolen threads or pieces of synthetic materials. In addition, small spinners, additionally fixed beads, beads, etc. are used for fishing. In modern versions, when connecting parts of the equipment, various swivels, rings, and so on are used. This increases the versatility of the tackle, but can hurt its durability. It is necessary to use reliable, expensive fittings. On specialized vessels for fishing on “tyrant”, special on-board devices for reeling gear may be provided. This is very useful when fishing at great depths. If fishing takes place from ice or a boat, on relatively small lines, then ordinary reels are sufficient, which can serve as short rods. In any case, when preparing tackle for fishing, the main leitmotif should be convenience and simplicity during fishing. “Samodur”, also called multi-hook equipment using a natural nozzle. The principle of fishing is quite simple, after lowering the sinker in a vertical position to a predetermined depth, the angler makes periodic twitches of tackle, according to the principle of vertical flashing. In the case of an active bite, this, sometimes, is not required. “Landing” of fish on hooks can occur when lowering the equipment or from the pitching of the vessel.
Baits
Bonitos – bonito, as already mentioned, are quite voracious, although relatively small predators. Various baits are used for fishing, in particular, wobblers, spinners, silicone imitations are used for spinning fishing. From natural baits, cuttings from fish and shellfish meat, crustaceans and more are used. When catching small bonito, given its greed, local Black Sea fishermen also use vegetable baits, for example, in the form of dough. In general, catching this fish is often associated with funny cases when small bonito are hung in garlands on hooks with candy foil.
Places of fishing and habitat
Bonitos live in tropical, subtropical and temperate latitudes of the World Ocean. The Atlantic bonito lives in both the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. It lives at relatively shallow depths in the coastal zone. It is considered a valuable commercial fish.
Spawning
The fish lives about 5 years. Sexual maturity occurs at 1-2 years. Spawning takes place in the upper layers of the pelargic zone. Spawning time is extended for all summer months. Spawning is portioned, each female can lay up to several thousand eggs during the spawning period.