The Keys Spring Fly Bonefish Invitational Tournament is only two weeks away, and Capt Mark Krowka and I are preparing to defend our 2006 Championship in the tournament that is considered one of the 4 “Majors” of fly fishing. Of course, Mark fishes everyday and is always in tune with the Bone. Whether it be Islamorada or Biscayne Bay, Mark understands how conditions effect bonefish behavior probably better than anyone in the world of flats fishing. He always has me in a position to win, so I clearly don’t ever have to worry about the back of the boat.

Competitive bonefishing is very much like golf. There is both a physical and mental aspect to it, and both can only be improved with serious focus and practice. I always relate each missed shot with one or the other, trying to determine if I made a physical mistake (rushed the cast, didn’t let the line load, etc.) or if it was a mental mistake (misread the situation, let nerves make me choke, etc.). I’m taking the weekend off this year as I normally do to watch the Masters Golf Tournament. I believe watching the Masters helps me work on my mental game. The pressure these guys overcome is just incredible.

While I’m not bass fisherman, I also watch the Bassmasters tournaments on ESPN as often as possible. Competitors in these tournaments are doing it for huge purses. The pressures are extreme, and I believe this is competitive “cerebral” fishing at the highest level. By watching these competitors handle the various mental challenges they face helps me prepare and get my mind right for the upcoming tournament.

Perfecting the physical aspect of our sport requires practice and more practice. To catch giant bonefish consistently you have to fish and target the big boys. While trips to the Bahamas or Mexico will certainly help with your casting, in the end, to regularly go out and catch bonefish over 10 lbs requires spending time in the big bonefish spots: Biscayne Bay and The Keys. And while I’ve caught several double digit bones in the lower Keys and Key Largo, the Islmorada and Tavernier area is primarily where the the world records are landed.

People are always asking me what the keys are to catching these giant bonefish. They are so difficult to fool that the frustration can become overwhelming. Let me break it down into two areas: technique and equipment. On this post I’ll talk about my thoughts on technique, while in a future post I’ll review equipment.

The following are my “Top 5″ axioms that I am constantly reminding my fishing buddies about when we are fishing together. Like swing thoughts in golf, I go through these often in my mind when fishing in a tournament.

1. Use the heaviest weight fly that conditions will allow. – This is my single biggest pet peeve. Big bonefish will refuse a fly that doesnt plunge hard and stay close to the bottom. If you get a follow and see the fish rise up in the water column, your fly is too light. I constantly change flies during a fishing day, not the pattern, but the weight of the fly based on the current conditions.

2. Throw as close to the fish as conditions will allow. – Bonefish zig zag when they feed. I call it the “bonefish thing”, when a bonefish zigs and zags before ever getting to your fly. They are notorious for this. Based on water depth, current, and wind, you need to get it in there as close as possible. They love to see it fall, and will in many cases eat without you ever having to strip.

3. Keep stripping to a minimum, watch fishes reaction - Most people strip to big bonefish way too much. I think this is because they teach you in the Bahamas to “strip Mon”! Most of the giant bonefish I have caught ate with the fly sitting still on the bottom. The first strip should be a quick, 3 inch abrupt bump. This raises the fly off the bottom, and then it quickly plunges back like an escaping crab. When you do this, you need to be watching the fish’s reaction. Many times, one bump is all it takes. Let the fly plunge, as Mark says, “let the bonefish be a bonefish”.

4. Be patient, make 40-60 foot shots - The tendency in any sight fishing situation is to cast too early and too long. Accuracy decreases the longer the cast. Let the fish get closer and make the first cast count. Most of my big giants have been caught between 20 to 60 feet from the boat.

5. Keep your rod tip down while stripping, make slow strip strike - When I strip I try to put the rod tip in the water. This minimizes the line slap noise that giant bones know as “that guy on the front of the Mirage”. When the fish eats make a long, slow strip strike to the side. Many times the fish misses the fly, but if you do the slow strike, you can stop, let the fly drop, and get a second eat.

I’ve caught 9 bonefish over 13 lbs, two of which were over 14 lbs. These were all caught on fly, fishing Biscayne Bay and The Keys. Each one is a cherished moment. If you use the tips mentioned above, you too can catch the fish of a lifetime. Remember, when you do catch one, take a few pics and get him back in the water quickly. He is old and quite frankly, embarrassed. He’s been photographed so many times he can’t believe he was fooled again. He will be humilated by his fellow giant bones for the next several days.

      

I’m fishing with Mark on Tuesday, so, until then,
Tim (Flatsheadd@aol.com)

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 8th, 2007 at 7:18 am and is filed under Tim's Journal Entries. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.