Species › Mediterranean › Atlantic Bonito

Saltwater

Atlantic Bonito

Sarda sarda · Bonito, Palamida, Pelamide

Water temp
61–73°F
Peak season
Aug–Oct
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
18 lb 4 oz (8.3 kg)
Atlantic Bonito (Hyla sarda (Torregrande).jpg)

Photo: Hans Hillewaert · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Atlantic bonito are compact, torpedo-shaped scombrids with dark oblique stripes along a steel-blue back and a mouth full of small sharp teeth. They range the warm temperate Atlantic from Norway to South Africa and the Americas, and are especially abundant in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, where they migrate in schools following anchovy, sardine and sprat. They feed in daylight, often blitzing bait at the surface within sight of shore. Anglers love them because they arrive in numbers, hit lures hard, run fast and are easy to fish for from boats, breakwaters and beaches.

Typical size2–6 lb (1–3 kg); 16–24 in
Trophy10 lb+ (4.5 kg+)
Table fareGood — dark, rich meat; best bled and iced immediately, excellent grilled or smoked

Where & when

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Mediterranean peak is August–October as schools migrate and bait concentrates inshore; the Black Sea run is autumn, and Atlantic Iberia fishes best in summer.

Bosphorus Strait, TurkeyFamous autumn "palamut" runGulf of Lion, FranceSummer schools off Sète and MarseilleStrait of Gibraltar, SpainMigration corridor; trolling and jigging

How to catch

Casting metals to breaking fishRun or drift to birds and surface splashes, then cast a 1–2 oz slim metal jig past the school and retrieve fast with the rod low. Bonito turn off quickly if the boat crowds them, so stay on the edge.
Light trollingTroll small feathers, skirted lures or 4–5 in diving minnows at 5–7 knots along temperature breaks and over bait. Stagger lures at 50–150 ft back and use light drag; bonito hook themselves on the strike.

Gear

Rod7–8' medium spinning, fast action
Reel3000–4000 spinning
Line15–20 lb braid; 20–25 lb fluorocarbon leader

Lures

Slim metal casting jigSmall skirted trolling lure or featherSinking stickbait

Baits

Sardine stripsLive anchovySquid strips

Regulations

Mediterranean countries generally require a recreational sea-fishing licence and set daily catch limits by weight or number for pelagic species; Turkey enforces a minimum size during the autumn run. Rules differ by nation and region.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 18 lb 4 oz (8.3 kg) — Faial Island, Azores, Portugal, 1953 (D. Gama Higgs). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

Is Atlantic bonito good to eat?

Yes, if you handle it right. Bleed the fish as soon as it is landed and get it on ice, because the dark red meat spoils fast in heat. Grilled fresh, smoked, or cured as in Turkish lakerda it is excellent; left warm in a bucket it tastes strong and metallic.

Bite forecast — Atlantic Bonito

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Atlantic Bonito.

Pin: