Photo by Louis Cahill

By Bruce Chard

There’s only one thing better than catching bonefish. Catching huge bonefish!

It doesn’t happen by accident, it’s a cold-blooded calculation. Even if you have the perfect fly and can make the perfect presentation and even fight a perfect fight, you have to find that giant bonefish to have a shot. The Florida Keys are a great place to do just that. When you head down to the Keys for some bonefishing, here are 3 tips to help you find and land the fish of a lifetime.

#1) Check the Bottom

Softer mud bottoms often hold large bones during the winter months. Warmer water from the mud holds larger food so BIG bones come in. Shallow rocky points are also great during the summer months. Rocks around points offer great places for bigger crabs to live and still get great water flow. Big bones know this and will frequently return to these places, scavenging for larger meals.

#2) Use the Right Flies

When you open your fly box, pull out a big heavy fly for deeper mud flats. It really doesn’t matter which, just as long as the fly sinks well and is not bulky. Lighter weight flies work great in the shallow water, but keep them big.

#3) Cold Fronts

Look for larger bones during the first seasonal cold fronts that move through. These fronts, since they are the first of the season, are usually very weak and stall out. This leaves calm conditions with overcast skies and light rain. Bones love this shit as they feed heavily to fatten up for the upcoming winter months.

That should get you started. Get down to the Keys and get yourself a big bone!