(Click Image To Enlarge)July 1st is a Big Day for Bonefish - they become a Catch & Release only specieis in FL - photo Guy Hickman New FWC rules today make Bonefish a catch-and-release only fishery. Few anglers previously harvested bonefish to eat, preferring to conserve them as gamefish.
The rules also allow anglers to temporarily possess a bonefish where it is caught so they can photograph and measure or weigh the fish to document a possible record catch.The current State Record is 16 lb 3 oz, caught near Islamorada.
In addition, the rules will allow anglers participating in specially permitted tournaments to temporarily possess and transport bonefish to tournament check-in stations for weigh-in under specified conditions. These fish will still have to be carefully handled and released.
(Click Image To Enlarge)Bonefish have deeply forked tails that provide power for chasing prey in lush grass beds, silver-grey in color, 3-16 lbs in FL. photo: Brett Fitzgerald
Habitat & Behavior, Fishing techniques
(excerpts from FWRI publications)
Bonefish primarily inhabit inshore shallows of the Florida Keys, often in water that is less than 1 foot deep
Keen eyesight and a skittish nature make these fish a prized trophy for saltwater anglers. They travel in small schools prowling grass beds and sand flats for shrimp, crabs and other invertebrates.
Average size is 3 to 5 pounds but fish weighing up to 16 pounds can be found in Florida.
(Click Image To Enlarge)Coloration makes bonefish hard to spot on sand flats and in grass beds.
Live shrimp or jigs tipped with fresh shrimp are the best baits for conventional fishermen. Fly fishermen patiently pole through shallow flats stalking these elusive fish. All bonefish should be carefully released.
Biology
Bonefish are one of Florida's premier gamefish and are known as "grey ghosts of the flats" because they are stealthy, fast-swimming fish that are exciting and challenging to catch. South Florida is one of the few places in the United States where anglers have the unique opportunity to fish for bonefish and the shallow saltwater flats of the Florida Keys and Biscayne Bay are considered a world-class destination for catching large, trophy-sized bonefish.
Bonefish mature at three to four years of age (17-18 inches total length), may live longer than 23 years, and grow to be three feet long and 15 pounds. Bonefish can be caught year-round in the Keys, but peak bonefish season is generally March through October. Not much is known about the biology of bonefish, but spawning occurs from November through May, probably in deep water or offshore.
There are multiple similar-looking species of bonefish that inhabit Florida waters, but the common bonefish (Albula vulpes) dominates Florida's recreational fishery. Little is known about the other bonefish species, but many juvenile bonefish caught in Florida have been identified as bigeye bonefish (Albula garcia). Bigeye bonefish appear to live in Florida waters as juveniles and leave sometime before adulthood.
Learn more about bonefish biology: Bonefish Sea Stat
Economic Value
A recent study by scientists at the University of Miami estimated the value of a single bonefish in the Florida Keys to be $3,500 each year. That's nearly $75,000 over the lifespan of the fish! Most bonefish anglers recognize the value of bonefish as a gamefish in Florida and practice catch and release with the bonefish they catch.
