Bonefish
Albula vulpes
The Hardest-Pulling Flats Fish Per Pound
- Average size
- 3–5 lb typical · 8–12+ lb trophies
- Peak season
- October–June (Caribbean) · Year-round (Indo-Pacific)
- World record
- 19 lb — Zululand, South Africa (1962)
- Experiences
- 25
Bonefish are the foundational fish of saltwater fly fishing. Sight-hunting them on shallow tropical flats — casting to specific fish you can see, watching them tip down on a shrimp-pattern fly, then surviving a 200-yard run into your backing — is what drew generations of anglers to the saltwater discipline in the first place.
The Bahamas hold the biggest footprint of fishable bonefish water on earth, and Andros, Abaco, and the Out Islands are where most pilgrimages happen. Belize, Mexico's Yucatán coast, Cuba, and Seychelles atolls each have distinct personalities. Trophy bonefish (10+ pounds) are realistic targets on the west side of Andros and in specific stretches of the Seychelles outer atolls.
Best Methods
- ● Sight-casting to tailing fish on the flats
- ● Walking/wading with a guide on shallow marl flats
- ● Poled skiff fishing on the edges of mangrove creeks
- ● Shrimp patterns (Gotcha, Crazy Charlie, Bonefish Junk)
Gear Notes
7- or 8-weight rod, 9 feet. Saltwater reel with 200+ yards of backing and a sealed drag. Tropical saltwater line — bright color helps the guide track your cast. 9-foot tapered leaders to 12-15 lb tippet. Wading flats boots (Sims, Patagonia Foot Tractor) essential.
Where to Catch Bonefish
25 vetted experiences across 6 countries.
Bairs Lodge, Bahamas
Bairs Lodge is located on the southern part of Andros Island in the Bahamas. A Nervous Waters property, Bairs exudes the style and comfort for which Nervous Waters has become known.
Boca Paila Lodge, Mexico
Boca Paila Lodge is a relaxing hideaway far from today´s busy world. It was founded by the Gonzalez family in 1964 and has earned a reputation as one of the finest fishing lodges in the world.
Cape Santa Maria, Long Island, The Bahamas
Cape Santa Maria is located on Long Island in the Bahamas. It is a tropical oasis nestled on Long Island in the South Bahamas.
Captain Cook Hotel, Christmas Island
Captain Cook Hotel on Christmas (Kiritimati) Island is in the Indian Ocean and is a territory of Australia. The year-round wade flats fishing for bonefish on Christmas Island has brought more anglers to this destination than any other location in the world.
Casa Blanca, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Casa Blanca is on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and is as close to an angler paradise as you will find. The lodge sits on the northern tip of a small coastal island in the western Caribbean called Isla Punta Pajaros.
Costa De Cocos Lodge, Xcalak, Mexico
Costa De Cocos is set among Coconut Palms; there is a rich Mayan cultural charm. It is located at the 'end-of-the-road'.
Crooked Island Lodge, Bahamas
Crooked Island Lodge is Located on a beach at Crooked Island's extreme northwestern tip, this hotel is so isolated that you'll forget all about the world outside. For most of its early years, it was a well-guarded secret.
Deep Water Cay, Bahamas
Deep Water Cay Club is on a private island southeast of Grand Bahamas , seemingly created as a paradise just for truly AVID Anglers. With over a half century of tradition, this is where you can live the fishing life to the fullest.
Delphi Club, Abaco,The Bahamas
The Delphi Club opened in 2009 as a luxury bonefishing lodge and hotel located in Rolling Harbour on Great Abaco Island, Bahamas.
El Pescador, Ambergris Caye, Belize
El Pescador is for you, whether you’re dreaming of the angler’s Grand Slam, diving in and around our world famous barrier reef, or just relaxing in a tropical paradise. The atmosphere is congenial oriented to service for the guests in this family owned and operated lodge.
Grand Bahama Bonefishing, Grand Bahama
This fishing operation opened in the spring of 1999, on the northwest flats around Grand Bahama Island. It is owned by the Pinder brothers who many consider to be the best guides in the Bahamas.
Grand Slam Fly Fishing Lodge, Mexico
Grand Slam Fly Fishing is located in Ascension Bay, one of the most pristine fisheries in this hemisphere. It is just a 1 1/2 hour drive south of Tulum, part of the Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve UNESCO World Heritage Site.
H2O Bonefishing, Bahamas
H2O Bonefishing Lodge is a perfect destination whether you are an ardent angler seeking fine bonefishing on some of the productive flats in the Bahamas, or you wish to provide a good vacation for your non-angling companions.
Kamalame Cay, Andros, Bahamas
Kamalame Cay is in the Bahamas, but worlds away from Nassau's trendy, resort-lined beaches. It presents a lush oasis on 96-acres with private white-sand beaches and colorful coral gardens.
Los Roques & El Chico, Venezuela
An angler's paradise for bonefish, tarpon, permit and snook among others — Venezuela's two premier fishing destinations with pristine flats and lagoons.
Machaca Hill Lodge, Belize
Machaca Hill Lodge in southern Belize is renowned for one of the healthiest permit fisheries in the world, offering luxury accommodations and the chance at a grand slam.
Mangrove Cay Club, Andros Island, The Bahamas
Premier saltwater fly fishing lodge on Andros Island offering access to the world's largest bonefish habitat with luxury beachfront accommodations and gourmet meals.
Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge, S.Andros, Bahamas
Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge offers accessible bonefishing on South Andros Island in the Bahamas with pristine flats teeming with unpressured bonefish.
North Riding Point, Grand Bahama, Bahamas
North Riding Point is one of the finest bonefish lodges in the Bahamas, providing access to one of the best trophy bonefish fisheries in the world on Grand Bahama Island.
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Outpost Expeditions, Bahamas, Florida Keys
Yacht-based fishing expeditions offering flats and off-shore fishing in the Bahamas and Florida Keys with luxury lodge-style accommodations aboard a 61-ft Hatteras.
Posada Acuarela
Posada Acuarela at Los Roques, Venezuela offers remarkable flats fishing for bonefish averaging 4 pounds with numerous fish in the 6 to 10 pound class. The lodge features 12 rooms with a Mediterranean feel and tasteful accommodations.
Stella Maris Resort Club and Marina Long Island, Bahamas
Stella Maris Resort Club and Marina on Long Island in the Bahamas is an intimate plantation-style out island hotel providing the perfect Bahamas resort getaway for leisure travelers and active water sportsmen.
Three Amigos, Belize
Three Amigos Flyfishing explores remote, unpressured waters offering Permit, Bonefish, and Tarpon fishing along Belize and Honduras coasts aboard a 50+ foot live-aboard vessel.
Turneffe Island Resort, Belize
After forty years, the private island Turneffe Island Resort is still recognized as one of the top saltwater flats and fly fishing lodges in Belize and the Western Caribbean.
Victoria House, Belize
Victoria House on Ambergris Caye, Belize is a gorgeous, small and exclusive resort offering excellent saltwater fly fishing in a top Caribbean location.
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