Atlantic Bonito: season, lures and limits

We picked these fish for Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay mouth, VA, the region closest to Columbus, Ohio, based on the approximate location of your internet connection (IP geolocation, looked up on our own server). It is about 436 miles away; FishOS covers the coast from Maine to Florida and the Gulf of America, and adds regions as they are checked. Pick another region if that is not where you fish.

Fishing region

FishOS has not charted atlantic bonito in Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay mouth, VA. The regions where it is charted are below.

Season by region

Long Island	JFMAMJJASOND
North Shore MA	JFMAMJJASOND
Cape Cod	JFMAMJJASOND
Rhode Island	JFMAMJJASOND
Connecticut	JFMAMJJASOND
North Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
South Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
Delmarva	JFMAMJJASOND

Where to find them

Out east: Montauk, Shinnecock Inlet, the rocks at Hampton Bays and the eastern Sound, wherever silversides, bay anchovies, peanut bunker or sand eels are being pushed.

Schools that jump while chasing small bait, usually beyond casting range from New York beaches.

What to look for

Fish jumping and slashing through small bait; birds over rainbait.

What to throw

Metal casting jig (diamond, Hopkins or Stingsilver style)1 to 2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Fast steady retrieve for mackerel; let it sink and rip it up for blues; jig near bottom for weakfish.

Epoxy jig3/8 to 1 oz, Small, matched to silversides, bay anchovies and sand eels. Fast steady retrieve through the school.

Silver casting spoon (Clarkspoon or Drone style)1/2 to 1 oz, No. 0 to 1 / 2.5 to 3.5 in. Burn it. Fast, steady, just under the surface.

Swimming minnow plug (Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow style)3/4 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in. Steady medium retrieve with occasional twitches and pauses.

Leader

Common mistakes

Lures too large for the micro bait they are eating
Casting into the middle of a moving school instead of ahead of it

Landing

Net or lift by the tail; they fight hard to the end.

Handling

Sharp small teeth
Treble hooks on jigs while it thrashes

Use pliers to unhook.

Keep or release

A good food fish (Bigelow and Schroeder); mild flesh that can be grilled or eaten raw (On The Water). Bleed and ice quickly.

Recipes for atlantic bonito

Typical: 2 to 4 lb close to shore (Rhode Island and Massachusetts, 2024). Large: Over 10 lb. NY record 13.45 lb (2020).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the VA limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission before you keep a fish.

Sources

The Fisherman: Too Warm, Or Too Cold? Species' Preferred Temperature Ranges (Aguiar, 2023) (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: The Epic Bonito Run of 2024 (Fee, 2025) (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: Long Island and New York Fishing Report, August 13, 2020 (Angler knowledge)
Bigelow and Schroeder, Fishes of the Gulf of Maine (online text): Atlantic bonito (Official source)
NYSDEC Marine Recreational Angler Records Program (Official source)

All the fish of Virginia Beach

Atlantic Bonito