Bonito
A pocket rocket of the Sydney coast. Australian bonito school up around the harbour entrances and coastal washes through the warmer months, and they hit a fast-moving lure with a jolt that belies their size, brilliant, accessible sport on light spin gear.
About the bonito
Compact, torpedo-shaped and dressed in silver with dark oblique stripes, the bonito is a small relative of the tunas and mackerels, and it is built for speed. They hunt in fast-moving schools, smashing bait balls and slashing at lures near the surface. Pound for pound they are one of the hardest-pulling fish you will hook on light gear.
Bonito are caught around Sydney Harbour’s entrances and along the nearby coast, and they run best from spring into autumn when the bait schools push in. They are often the fish that fires up a quiet session, and because they are willing and hard-fighting, they make a great target for newer anglers.
Bonito at a glance
| Name | Bonito |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Sarda australis |
| Best season in NSW | Nov–Mar |
| Habitat | Coastal |
| Where found in NSW | Sydney Harbour entrances |
| Size and bag limits | No min, bag 10 |
| Average size | 40–60cm |
| Max size | 80cm |
| Fishing method | Spinning |
| Best bait / lure | Metal lures |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Eating quality | Average |
| Taste | Strong oily |
| Recipe ideas | Smoked |
Spinning fast lures
Bonito are all about speed, and a couple of simple methods will get you connected when they are around.
The proven methods
Bonito are suckers for a fast-moving lure. Cast small metal slugs and spin them back at pace over the washes and current lines, or troll small skirts and minnows around the harbour entrances. When they are up and busting bait on the surface, it is fast, visual fishing and the strikes are savage. All the spin gear is on board and ready to go.
How Wahoo puts you on them
Bonito follow the bait, so knowing where it is holding is half the battle. George Aslanian has spent more than 30 years reading the harbour entrances, washes and current lines where the schools gather, and we will get you casting into the thick of it, then coach you through the retrieve. A great warm-up or a whole session in its own right. Ready to go? Book a Sydney sport fishing charter.
Other Sport & pelagic fish
Australian Salmon
Australian salmon (Arripis trutta), also called kahawai: hard-running schools in the Sydney surf and harbour. Season, size, methods and eating quality, plus how to catch them.
Silver Trevally
Silver trevally (Pseudocaranx georgianus): hard-pulling schooling fish on Sydney Harbour and coastal reefs, year-round. Season, size and bag limits, methods and eating quality.
Tailor
Tailor (Pomatomus saltatrix): a fast, slashing surf and harbour predator off Sydney. Season, size and bag limits, methods and eating quality, plus how to catch them.
Yellowtail Kingfish
Sydney's premier sportfish. Brutal, fast and famous for busting anglers off in the reef, the yellowtail kingfish holds right around Sydney Harbour and along the coast, and going toe to toe with a big model is a genuine rite of passage.
Keen to chase a few bonito?
Tell us your dates and crew and we will get you spinning for Sydney's speedy bonito, all gear supplied, every level welcome. Browse the full species guide, or mix it up on our sport and jigging charters.