FISHING
BONE UP ON BAYS’ GREY GHOST FISHERY
Bonefish are prized targets for anglers in the shallow, warm waters around the Florida Keys and the Caribbean and their Pacific cousin has adapted to San Diego and Mission Bays and is thriving there. (BILL SCHAEFER)
WHILE NOT AS LARGE AS THE CARIBBEAN’S, SOCAL’S BONEFISH OFFER GREAT FIGHTS ON THE FLATS By Capt. Bill Schaefer
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umors of ghosts roaming the back of San Diego Bay have been told for years amongst the regular fishermen who frequent its shallow southern areas. The bonefish, grey ghost of the flats, have been harvested there since the 1950s and 1960s. They were only caught in local commercial fishermen’s nets back then – ignored as a worthless fish for market due to its awful taste. Over the last 15 or so years, my interaction with the scientists at Scripps Institute of Oceanography let me know that bonefish were
adapting to our local waters. Scientists who studied the bay and collected specimens with micro-nets were coming up with a lot of the bonefish’s fry. They were indeed breeding successfully! Fishermen through the 1970s would catch one or two a year and maybe a few more in the ’80s. But in the 1990s, guides like me and other regular bay anglers saw the numbers increase. Here in the 21st century, the bonefish catch rate is off the charts, as many locals are targeting them. BONEFISH VARY IN SIZE – from about 1 pound up to 3 pounds. I haven’t heard of any giants, yet. The relatively
colder water temperature may be the reason for slow growth. These fish still fly through the water, though, pulling and screaming drag off light-tackle reels. There is usually no doubt when one is hooked. They hold up to the reputation of their Caribbean cousins. Bonefish have been found in both Mission Bay and San Diego Bay, and, unbelievably, as far north as San Francisco, as noted in California Department of Fish and Wildlife commercial fishing surveys. They have been caught in bays and estuaries all up and down the West Coast, but not in the numbers San Diego Bay is seeing as of late.
calsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2021 California Sportsman
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