Thread: Leader for bonito

What kind of leader is best for bonito? Mono florocarbon or wire?

Best leader for "bonita" is no leader.
We used to fish for them at Navarre Pier with just a hook tied straight on to mono.
Or chase schools of them in boats in the open gulf. Casting a Looney jig near the spool on 6# mono spinning.
Talk about FUN!

The best case is for you to have a rod rigged for bonito in case a school shows up. If you're just arbitrarily casting with occasional big Spanish and/or King mackerel being caught, you're going to be cut off if you don't have wire and one of the toothy critters hits.

Back in the day fishing off OIP we never used a leader for Bo's or Jacks, only Mackerel, we used what was called a "Bo' hook back then, it was a very small but wide hook, looked like circle hooks of today without the extreme curl and barb.

During Snapper season going out the pass we always look for Birds diving on bait. That's a good sign Bonita are there I usually cast the same rig I use for Spanish off the pier. My Chugger or Straw rig to me Bonita strips are best bait you can use for Snapper.