written by Evan Anderson

Bonefish, one of Florida’s more coveted species of fish, particularly among serious flats anglers, are a staple of the industry down there. On this episode of Saltwater Experience, Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor head to Islamorada to go after these unique fish, giving a couple tidbits of wisdom from their years of tournament bonefishing experience. We’ll take a look at some of their observations and some of the gear that they utilize to find success on the water.

SET UP BEFORE THE TIDE COMES IN

Tudor and Rowland begin their adventure in the Lower Keys about 20 miles south of the Hawks Cay Resort and Marina because they’d heard reports that the bonefishing there had rather suddenly seen a sharp uptick. “For a long time, Islamorada was the king area for bonefish, but a cold front a long time ago changed that,” explains Rowland, “Now it seems that Key West and the lower Keys are becoming the hotspot for whatever reason.”

As they arrived at their destination, they were pleased to find that they had lucked into some beautiful weather, resulting in clear water and great conditions for catching bonefish. They were, however, presented with the challenge of higher tides than normal, at times rising by two feet in an hour. “We had extremely high tides,” recalls Rowland, “and while that can be an advantage, that can also be a big challenge.”

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According to Tudor, the tide is everything with bonefish. “Bonefish are probably the most water-sensitive fish there are,” he explains, “They really follow that water column.”

When presented with this challenge, the Saltwater Experience hosts advocate setting up early and fast so that you’re where you want to be when that high tide rushes in. “We went to the Gulf edge with beautiful white sand,” says Rowland, “these are bonefish areas...The water’s going to come in really fast and if you’re not already in the right spot, it’s going to be too late.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT SIGHT FISHING

One of the coolest parts about bonefishing, according to anglers who frequently target the species, is how visual of an experience it is. The crystal clear water of the flats where bonefish are found makes for great sight-fishing. And that’s the key to catching them according to the two captains.

“We’re looking to find a long stretch where we can see what we’re looking for,” says Rowland as they prepare to set up.

Because sight fishing is such a vital part of going after bonefish, it’s important to have a good pair of sunglasses to cut down on the glare and allow you to see into the water more clearly as well as to protect your eyes from the harsh sunlight reflected off the water. Both Rowland and Tudor wear Wiley X sunglasses and love the glare reduction and their durability, another important factor for shades that you’ll be taking on one of these trips (which are not, historically, kind to sunglasses).

SHRIMP CHUM

Chumming is not usually a technique you see on the flats very often. It’s used primarily by offshore anglers trying to stir up a feeding frenzy. But every now and then it can come in handy on the flats, particularly in this case.

Tudor and Rowland found themselves in a prime location, right in the travel corridor for a large school of bonefish. “We’re back in the corner of this spot,” says Rowland, “We’re not even having to move, the fish are coming to us. That’s where you can make a mistake, you think to yourself ‘Wow there’s so many fish here, I’ll bet there’s even MORE over there!’ But the best thing to do is just stay right there.”

Since they were using shrimp as their bait, Tudor had a clever idea to keep those fish interested. “We put the Power Pole down and threw out handfuls of shrimp as chum,” he explains, “As soon as we threw that chum out they started going crazy.”