Rick Crawford
You know the saying, “fish live in the most beautiful places,” right? I absolutely agree, but I would take that one stop further and argue that it is bonefish that actually live in the most beautiful places. Bonefish can be found in such enchanting locations as: the Florida Keys, Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico, Belize, Hawaii and the South Pacific. If there are bonefish, you can pretty much guarantee that the water is clear and a various shade of aqua blue and green, there is white or pink sand beaches and lush palm trees swaying in the breeze, all of which check my boxes for paradise.
And because I love to catch bonefish on fly, and I do my best to to spend as much time as I can in Bonefishville, I feel a sense of responsibility to protect what I love. I mean the Bahamas are beautiful, but what do we know about their behavior that can help to guard them and ensure they will always be there? Well our 1% for the Planet partners, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT), are doing exactly that by conducting economic impact studies, acoustic tagging-recapture studies to better understand their home range and spawning habits and also created a great brochure Best Practices for Catch & Release. You may be asking, what can I do to protect bonefish? Properly handling them while practicing catch and release is something everyone can do, and below are a few tips from BTT’s website for how to safely handle a bonefish:
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Always use barbless hooks.
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High water temperatures may negatively impact bonefish survival after release; in warmer water, reduce fight time and handling time.
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Avoid exposing bonefish to air, even when taking a photo; if they must be held out of the water, limit it to a maximum of 15 seconds.
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When predators become abundant and appear to be attracted to your fishing activity, consider moving to another fishing location.
For a more complete list of Best Practices for Catch & Release Fishing for Bonefish, please click HERE or watch this great video from BTT and KeepEmWet fishing:
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Take Action
Looking for another way to protect what you love? Please consider becoming a Bonefish & Tarpon Trust member to support the amazing work they are doing to protect bonefish, tarpon and permit by taking a science-based approach to conservation.
