Key West Fishing: the Bonefish
If you are going fishing in Key West in the month of October, there is a good chance you will catch one of these curious critters and one of the world's top game fish, the bonefish. Bonefish are a type of fish under the species of Albulidae. They typically live in tropical waters but migrate over to shallow tidal flats in order to feed. They travel along with the incoming tide, feed, and then travel back along with the ebbing tide. Smaller bonefish usually travel in large shoals and bigger ones travel in smaller groups or in pairs. They usually weigh about 6 pounds and measure up to 104 centimeters in length. They are of a silver complexion and some of them have pectoral fins that are yellow. Because of its color, the bonefish is sometimes called the phantom or the gray ghost. They feed on worms, crustaceans and mollusks.
Though this is one of the favorite fish for Key West anglers to catch, it is usually done for sport and bonefish are rarely eaten. The shallow and warm waters of Key West are ideal for the bonefish. One of the best bait to use to lure the bonefish is shrimp. Even though the fish are usually caught and then released since people do not typically eat the bonefish, there has been a decrease in bonefish catches and the size of bonefish. There have been a lot of world records with bonefishing but most of them come from the 60's and 70's because of this diminishing trend. Either way, fishing for bonefish is a fun and exciting adventure. If you want to try out fishing for these fish, tell your charter captain. Especially in the early fall time, you are likely to be able to catch a lot of these!
