Weekly Column - April 4

This is my column this week, the Topsail Angler, which is printed in the Topsail Advertizer.

It’s official -- spring fishing has begun!

The mullet, drum and trout bite is going strong, and the bonito should be here this weekend -- if not as you’re reading this. I’ve talked to guys who have limited-out on gray and speckled trout at the same time this past week.

Last week, I touched on several of the fisheries that are active this time of year, but this week’s focus is on the Atlantic bonito. It is one of my favorite fish and really gets my fishing blood warmed up in the spring. The bonito visit our coastline around this time of year and stay until mid to late May.

Once the water gets above 62 degrees, you can start looking for them. They will come very close to the coastline but seem to prefer structures that break up the currents. The near-shore artificial reefs are a great place to hunt for them. While they do come fairly close to shore, it would be rare to catch one from the shore or pier.

The best time to target them is early in the morning around first dawn, but you can find them at other times. They usually travel in large schools and often can be seen busting on balls of baitfish at the surface. It’s quite a sight to behold for a set of winter-fatigued eyes!

Bonito spook easily, so you will need to approach them from up current, if possible, and then drift toward them. If they are not on the surface, use your fish finder in combination with a vertical jigging rig to find them in the water column.

Once you have located them and get close enough, they are fairly easy to target. They are a bit leader-shy, so I use a fluorocarbon leader -- never a metal or heavy monofilament one.

You can fish for them much like you would for Spanish mackerel. I like to use a fast action, light duty rod and reel, much like a flounder or sea trout combo with 10- or 12-pound test line. Many fishermen like to use a light metal jig, like a Maria lure or a Lurh Jensen crippled herring, to target them on the surface. Anywhere from ½ to 1 ½ ounces usually works well depending on the water conditions. If they are deeper in the water column try using a diving-type lure, such as the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow Deep Diver, or pull a Clark spoon on a trolling weight.

The bonito will seem almost an easy pull at first bite. But when the fish realizes it is being pulled away from the school it will make a FAST run trying to catch up. Then they will begrudge you every inch of line as you reel them in. Once they see the boat, it starts all over again, only this time the run isn’t quite as far.

The bonito is a great-tasting fish, especially if treated properly on the boat. Much like a tuna, they are warm-blooded. Bleed them while they are still alive and ice them down right away. I like to use a slush made from two parts ice to one part sea water. It cools faster than ice alone.

Next week-end will be a great time to get your monofilament-spooled reels refilled if you haven’t already. East Coast Sports in Surf City will fill your reels with new Sufix Monofilament for only1 cent a yard during their spring "Spin-it-on" sale (April 13 through April 15). So gather up your reels, and head down there to gear up for the season!

This week’s catching report indicates that the spring bite is on!

Surf City Pier opened on March 31 with the first mullet being caught around 6:30 p.m. by Mike Forsyth of Goldsboro. As winner of the annual contest, Mike won a free season pass to the pier. They report that mullet and blow fish are being caught in good numbers. Jolly Roger pier reports the mullet bite is strong, with good numbers being caught at night on a rising tide. The report from Sea View Pier is that the fishermen are catching some good-sized mullet and a few small spots. They report the bite is strongest in the early morning and late afternoons.

Get out there and catch ’em, spring has sprung!

Tight lines to all!