Striped Bass Bluefish Bonito

©2008, 2009 David M Cronin

Striped Bass, Bluefish, or Bonito: Which is it? How to identify common schooling game fish in Massachusetts and Rhode Island waters Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)

Striped Bass are most often found in schools of 5 to 250 fish. Schooling fish tend to be in the range of 5 to 30 pounds. When Striped Bass feed at the surface they usually make slurping, gulping, and popping sounds. It is common to see large swirls in the water as they turn to dive. Their large caudal fins let them maneuver quite well and push a lot of water. Striped Bass may show their mouths at the surface but it is unusual to see much of the body of the fish when they feed. Striped Bass will sometimes school up tightly when they surface feed but just as often will be found in larger, low density schools of 5 to 50 metersdiameter. They stay up on the surface longer than Bonito and Little Tunny and sometimes as long as bluefish. It not uncommon for Striped Bass and Bluefish schools to mix together. When they are mixed is it usual to find bluefish at the surface and the bass below them. Striped Bass are found surface feeding in almost any depth of water. When feeding in shallow waters (meaning less than about five feet) they will stay near a deeper location to have a quick means of exit. They will feed day and night in cooler waters and become more nocturnal as waters warm in summer months.

©2008, 2009 David M Cronin

Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix)

Bluefish are most often found In schools of 50 to 1000 fish. Schooling fish tend to be in the range of 5 to 20 pounds. When Bluefish feed at the surface they usually make chaotic splashes and spray water. They move fast and sometime flop partially out of the water making lots of varied disturbances. Some bluefish will come partially or all the way out of the water. When they do it is often on their sides and they make large splashes as they hit the surface. Surface feeding Bluefish with stay concentrated in a small area for extended periods of time if the bait stays concentrated. It is not uncommon to see a school of bluefish crashing the surface in a 50 foot circle for several continuous minutes. Bluefish will surface feed at any depth and are less shy than Striped Bass and Bonito and Little Tunny. They tend to be found in water deeper than five feet and are found in schools offshore in hundreds of feet of water. Bluefish will feed both night and day but in our waters they feed more heavily during daylight hours, particularly at dawn and dusk.

©2008, 2009 David M Cronin

Bonito ( Sarda sarda) & Little Tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus)

Bonito and Little Tunny are most often found in schools of 3 to 50 fish. Schooling fish tend to be in the range of 8 to 15 pounds. When Bonito and Little Tunny feed at the surface they usually make smaller splashes and often come out of the water part of all of the way. Bonito and Little Tunny will arc out of the water headfirst and reenter the water headfirst in a single, clear motion. It is common to see several at one time come out like this all heading the same direction. Their distinctive shape is very recognizable as the whole fish is often out of the water at one time. They do not tend to fall onto their sides. Their splashes are less random than bluefish and their distinctive sickle-shaped tail is a good identifier when they completely leave the water. Bonito and Little Tunny crash the surface for very brief periods, usually well under one minute. They then speed away and may erupt hundreds of meters away a few seconds later. These fish are always moving fast and will often follow loose patterns along a rip, crashing the surface in small groups at sometimes predictable intervals of time and location. Bonito and Little Tunny do not often feed in shallow water under five feet in depth. They prefer deeper water and if they come into the shallows will stay for only the briefest moment before returning to deeper water. Find an area with at least a foot depth, moving water, significant baitfish, and near a rip, shoal, or inlet and you will find ideal water for Bonito and Little Tunny. They also prefer clear water so avoid areas that have cloudy or disturbed water. They tend to feed mostly during daylight in our area.