Bahamian Flats

On The Fly Saltwater

May 2025

Article and photos by Jimmy Jacobs

Bonefish have a reputation of being virtual ghosts on the flats of Florida and the Caribbean. To the untrained eye they are hard to spot in the first place, and then they are easily spooked. Thus, knowing how to approach the fishing, whether from a guide boat or wading, can be the difference between a hook up or disappointment.

A couple of decades of targeting these fish has provided plenty of opportunities to make mistakes, but also to learn from those. Both instruction from guides and self-discovery, have provided a list of things that can lead to watching a pod of bones disappear, leaving just a cloud of sand spreading on the bottom.

Here’s a look at some of the things the On The Fly South crew has learned over the years.

1. First of all, your best bet to avoid mistakes is to spend at least one day of your trip fishing with a guide. Of course, their time on the water has provided them with better recognition of when bonefish are present. They can alert you to many more fish than you are likely to see on your own. This is particularly important on days when the winds are 10 miles per hour or more. The ruffling of the surface calls for having a well-trained eye for seeing the fish.

Having a guide makes spotting the bonefish much easier.

2. During one day of wade fishing with a guide on Andros Island in the Bahamas, we had a couple of pods of bones spook just as we prepared to cast to them. The guide pointed out to us that in preparing to cast, we were shuffling our feet on the bottom. The bonefish reacted to even this minor disturbance. Keep your feet planted when casting, rather than shuffling.

3. While targeting fish at a spot known as the Bowl on the southside of Grand Bahama Island, we were dropping our flies in front of approaching bonefish, only to have them swim past our offerings, seemingly ignoring the flies and frustrating us.

Later on, during another trip, while fishing with Bonefish Stevie Ferguson on Exuma Island, he noted that we had a tendency to begin our strips before the fly got to the bottom, which is where the fish look for their forage. Let your fly sink before starting to retrieve it.          

4. The way you strip the fly on the retrieve can make or break your presentation to bonefish. Again, Bonefish Stevie proved to be a wealth of knowledge on that subject. His first suggestion is, once the quarry is in a position to see the fly, start with long, slow strips to steadily move it away from the bonefish. If that presentation is not getting the attention of the fish, try shorter or slightly faster strips.

But, don’t get too fast. You don’t want to outrun the bonefish and disturb the water’s surface with your line. “If he sees the commotion from the line being stripped,” Bonefish Stevie said. “he’ll think it’s a barracuda coming for him.” Needless to say, that will send the bonefish scurrying away.

Another aspect of the strip that Stevie pointed out is that when the fish does commit and is coming for the fly, keep it moving. However, you don’t want to speed up very much. As noted above, too much speed is bad and you do want the bonefish to catch up to the fly and eat it.

5. When placing your cast to cruising or tailing bonefish, you need to be thinking like your prey. Too often we drop casts beyond the fish and begin stripping to get it where they can see it. Just be aware that bones, or most any other predator in the salt, are not used to seeing their food rush toward them, as if it wants to be eaten. Such an unnatural action is sure to make the fish think twice about trying to eat that kamikaze bait!

Conclusion

Assuming you pay attention to all of these factors, does that mean you will get a hook up? The answer is a definitive no. Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, bonefish still will frustrate you.

On the other hand, if you make any of these mistakes, the odds of fooling one of these gray ghosts become much longer.

If you plan a bonefishing trip to Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas, spending at least a day on the water with Bonefish Stevie Ferguson would be a great decision. He knows those waters and the fish inhabiting them. He also is a great teacher, who provides a pleasurable day on the water. Check out his website at Exuma Bahamas Bonefishing Guide. http://www.bonefishstevie.com.