# 1-1-09 skyway report



## ripnlips (Oct 22, 2008)

it was a bonito blitz this afternoon at the ssp. we finally got'em to bite. chris, jeremy, carl, garlon "g", and i had a great time at the end of the pier.















































....and another big spanish mack for jeremy at the end of the day.


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## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

good times right there. those are some of the most fun, underrated fish in the ocean.


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## inshoreangler95 (Jun 15, 2008)

Oh man i passed by there that same day! Oh man thats what happens fr not bringing my gear with me for the first time! Gratz!


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## NateM (Jan 9, 2008)

One of the hardest fighting fish pound for pound, FROM THE PIER. Freaking awesome guys.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

That's awesome. I need to move to Florida.


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## SnookMook (Jan 7, 2004)

Nice report and great photos. I've gotten numerous reports of bonito and macks running around the Skyway and Anna Maria.


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## Sand Dollar (Nov 26, 2005)

*Eating Bonito*

I had heard of people eating Bonito. I had brought one home from a fishing trip and it was a bloody mess. However I am hearing that it needs to be bleed in the same manner as the Blue Fish. After some research I found this site. http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/fishing-chit-chat/101793-how-keep-bonito.html

The site has people who loves eating Bonito and how the prepare it.


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## FISHINPOPS (Aug 5, 2007)

Awesome Catch Guys!! Plan on going down there next week. Would love to hook into some of the those. Why don't you enlighten me and tell me what kind of rig and bait to use so I have at least a fighting chance of hooking up. Thanx in Advance. Fishinpops


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## ripnlips (Oct 22, 2008)

40 pound fluro leader.
2/0 octopus style hook.
freelining live spanish sardines or threadfins 4"-5".


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

With bonita, you can downsize all the way to #15 flouro and a #1 hook if they're finicky. However, if the spanish are around, you'll need a longshank hook.


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## surfrod (Nov 30, 2005)

Interesting. What we call bonito up in NJ is (notice lines down to pec fins):



















what seems to be pictured here are false albacore:










still, great fight!


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## panhandler (Jan 2, 2009)

surfrod its the same fish, we call little tunny a bonito down here. but the fish youre holdingin the top pic, a atlantic bonito, we call a northern mackerel in the panhandle


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## surfrod (Nov 30, 2005)

panhandler said:


> surfrod its the same fish, we call little tunny a bonito down here. but the fish youre holding, a atlantic bonito, we call a northern mackerel in the panhandle


got it, thanks  !!


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

And the baby ones are killer king mackeral bait.


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## macadoo (Aug 3, 2005)

Pics look great!!!!! Are there any decent places to lay your head around there..... My wife wants to come down and give the Bay a try...... Not much action from the SC coast right now.


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## ripnlips (Oct 22, 2008)

i'm sure there are plenty of nice places in st. petersburg. it's the city just north of the piers. i live 130 miles north of the pier. i just go down there on the weekends to fish....and yes it's that good.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Great work. Congrats on the catch.


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## eaglesfanguy (May 1, 2003)

Surfrod.. Your correct... 
There little tunny or false albecores.. but here on the gulf there called bonitA... .. dont know why.. its just a thing..

used to drive me nuts too.. being from the shores of jersey.
Atlantic bonito are fair eating fish
the false albies/bonita are absolutely foul!


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## ripnlips (Oct 22, 2008)

i heard about your experience with them boneheads on the table.:--|


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## UOPaul (Apr 14, 2008)

They are supposed to make great dog/catfood though. My pup loves fish, one of my dreams is to move down to the Keys one day and feed her an exclusive diet of fresh caught Little Tunny.


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