Expert-Guided 4HR Inshore Fishing in Fajardo

Atlantic Bonito

## Atlantic Bonito (Sarda Sarda) ## Fish Description This is a huge mackerel-like fish of the Scombridae species. They are mainly silver with blueish-green dorsal fins and have black stripes along their body. They are shaped similar to tuna but with a thinner, compressed body and a very narrow caudal peduncle. The caudal peduncle helps the fish move quickly through the water. These fish are capable of reaching a speed of 40 mph. The Bonito can grow up to 12 pounds and 30 inches. The world record, 18 lbs 4 ounces was caught in the Azores. The average age is approximately 15 to 18 years. ## Atlantic Bonito Distribution Atlantic Bonito can be found as far north as Nova Scotia, Canada, and all along the eastern seaboard coast. They continue as far as Argentina, South America. However, they will be scarce in the Gulf of Mexico.  They are also found in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea where they are a popular food and often used as canned tuna. They are a very oily fish and not used for consumption in the United States. Atlantic Bonito have no size or bag regulations in the United States. ## Atlantic Bonito Fun Facts They are associated with the tuna family but are not used as an edible fish in the United States. They can be known as a false albacore or a little tunny. The schools of Atlantic Bonito swim with their dorsal fin raised out of the water, like a school of small sharks. People often confuse them with white tuna. ## Atlantic Bonito Diet The Atlantic Bonito is a ram ventilator, meaning they cannot bite. They must eat their prey whole which are mostly smaller fishes like mackerels, menhaden, alewives, sardines, and sand lance. Predators of the Atlantic Bonito are larger fish like tuna, marlin, and wahoo. ## Atlantic Bonito Method and Lures Atlantic bonito group in large schools in the hundreds. These schools feed on the surface, chasing their prey and sometimes jumping above the surface of the water in their pursuit. This draws the attention of seabirds looking for food which is easy to catch the angler's eye on where to find this fish. Atlantic Bonito are frequently caught by tuna anglers when trolling for bigger game using pound nets. Not considered too valuable, many fishermen just use them as baitfish. Fishing methods for this species are pretty straightforward; once a school is feeding they will take almost any lure thrown in their direction. Use the method of trolling fast-moving lures or live bait such as menhaden, mackerel, squid pieces, or sand lance. If it is very windy we recommend a metal lure, otherwise, it is hard to beat the specialized finishes and flexibility of plastic lures. Soft, plastic lures don't sink as fast as metal, which allows you to be in the strike zone longer. If the lightweight plastic isn't strong enough, an epoxy jig may be the best of both metal and plastic worlds. ## Atlantic Bonito Habitat Atlantic bonito can occasionally be found in brackish saltwater areas but this migratory species is generally found in the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They are a pelagic species, meaning they are not found on the bottom of the ocean rather in the middle. They adjust to gradual changes in degrees as opposed to sudden changes in the environment. They can survive in water temperatures in the 50's but much prefer the 60's.

Cero Mackerel

About the Cero Mackerel (Scomberomorus regalis)

The Cero Mackerel is a saltwater fish and can be found in abundance in the western Atlantic, typically near Florida and the Caribbean. They have several similar characteristics to the more popular Spanish Mackerel. What makes the Cero distinct is they have both the yellow-orange dots and the unique bronze streak along their body, scales that reach the pectoral fin, and their anterior dorsal fin is bluish-black.

Quite common along inshore patch reefs, the Cero Mackerel prefers warm coastal surface waters. They have finlets (small non-retractable fins) between the second dorsal and anal fins and are generally silver-white, but can appear as green-blue when looked at from above.

This torpedo-shaped species is muscular and has razor-sharp teeth, making it equipped to hunt smaller fish in the warmer coastal surface waters of the Western Atlantic. It is known as good game fish because of its speed, agility, and mediocre stamina.

Their diet usually consists of clupeoid fish such as herrings and small schooling fish such as sardines and anchovies. They also feed on silversides, squid, and shrimp.

Interesting facts about the Cero Mackerel

• Often referred to as the best of the mackerels, for their sport rating and food quality
• The cero mackerel has been reported to host 21 documented parasites
• It is a sushi-grade fish, often used in sashimi and ceviche.

Size & Speed

The common market size of Cero Mackerel is often five to ten pounds, with eight pounds being the average size. When they reach maturity, they are approximately 12-15 inches in length. However, The all-tackle world-record scaled in at 17 pounds, 2 ounces.

Often categorized as one of the thinner small fish, their streamlined bodies make them highly adept to move at swift speeds, and they have been reported to reach a maximum of up to 30mph. 

Habitat & Distribution

Cero mackerel are typically found in tropical and subtropical waters in the western Atlantic. Their range extends from Massachusetts to Brazil, but they are most common around the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and the West Indies.

They are both nearshore and offshore fish, favoring clear coastal waters over coral reefs and shipwrecks. They are not schooling fish, and typically travel solitary or in very small groups. They are usually near the water’s surface or mid-surface deep at depths of about 3-66 feet.

They spawn offshore in deeper waters in the midsummer but do not migrate or stray away from their natural habitat. This is April until October near Jamaica, but year-round near Florida, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. The females release between 160,000 to 2.23 million eggs each, with eggs that are highly buoyant.

Cero Mackerel - Fishing Techniques

Cero mackerel are generally slender in relation to their weight, and while they can be fast, they lack stamina. Anglers should not have a difficult time and just have to be wary of these fish biting through the line with their sharp teeth.

Cero Mackerels can be caught year-round and do not need a complicated tackle. Generally, a 20lb braid line and a spinning reel would serve anglers well. However, these fish have great eyesight as well and can spot a thicker line, so generally, a balance between the visibility of the line and its strength against the mackerel’s teeth is key.

Chumming with ballyhoo, pilchard or any baitfish over patch reefs will lure the cero mackerel easily, and once they are primed up, they will take almost any bait or lure. Topwater lures are the most adventurous way to catch them, as they often feed off the surface and will jump at the lures. 

Great Barracuda

Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) Fish Description

The Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) is one of the well-known apex predators in the ocean. In fact, because of their large size, blinding speed, and tenacious behavior, this fish doesn’t have that many predators except for sharks and dolphins. There were also some documented attacks on humans, including a couple of deaths that happened a few decades back off the coast of Key West and North Carolina. But even though it happens quite rarely, the mere fact that there have been deaths attributed to them makes the Great Barracuda one of the most feared fishes in the ocean.

The Great Barracuda, as the name implies, is quite big, often reaching five to six feet in length. Aside from its size, it’s also a well-known speedster of the sea thanks to their long, tubular body and pointed snout that allows it to swim fast with top speeds reaching thirty-five miles per hour in short bursts. With its size, strength, and speed—not to mention it’s equipped with a large mouth containing two sets of razor sharp teeth—the Great Barracuda is an extremely successful predator. It also swims in groups during a hunt, often circling and trapping preys swimming in schools. It mostly feeds on herrings, sardines, and small tunas; but can also eat shrimps, octopi, and other marine animals given the opportunity. A mature barracuda also can blend well with the shimmery open waters because of its gray, silvery color, which they use to either ambush prey or to protect themselves from other predators.   

Interesting Facts About Great Barracudas

• Great Barracudas can grow as much as six feet long and can weigh up to one hundred three pounds.
• They could swim at blinding speeds of up to thirty-five miles per hour
• Great Barracudas don’t have many predators except sharks and dolphins.
• They can live up to fourteen years in the wild.
• They hunt mainly by sight and are naturally inquisitive.
• They hunt in small groups, often trapping their prey as they swim in circles.
• They often approach divers and snorkelers not to attack but either to check for food or they were attracted by the shiny object the diver might be carrying or wearing.
• Despite its fearsome reputation, Great Barracudas rarely attacks humans.
• The last recorded death due to barracuda attack was off Key West and North Carolina that happened way back in 1947 and 1957 respectively.
• Attacks are said to be easily prevented with a few simple precautions.
• The Great Barracuda is a popular gamefish not because of its meat—which is rarely eaten due to some cases of food poisoning—but because anglers find catching them quite challenging.

Great Barracuda Size and Swimming Speed

Because of their slender, streamline body, the Great Barracuda can swim fast, with some recorded to swim as fast as thirty-five miles per hour. They can also grow huge, with some reaching up to six feet long; although average size tends to be between two to four feet.

Great Barracuda Habitat and Distribution

The Great Barracuda can pretty much be found anywhere in the world, with most occurring near shore in tropical and subtropical seas, but rarely in the eastern Pacific Ocean. In the US, you can find it along the coasts of our eastern seaboard—from as far up north as Massachusetts down to the Gulf of Mexico and the Keys.

Great Barracudas are also found near the surface of the water, especially the mature ones. Although they mostly tend to swim nearshore in coral reefs, seagrasses, and mangroves, they can sometimes wander to the deeper parts of the open ocean, often in search of food. They are also mostly found swimming alone, except when aggregate during spawning season (which is said to happen during the spring) or when they form a hunting group.

Great Barracuda Fishing Tips

Finding and hooking a Great Barracuda are not that hard given their widespread distribution as well as their veracious eating behavior. The fun begins when you hook one as it’s known to be a rather tenacious fighter, although it’s known to have a very limited stamina. If you’re lucky enough to hook a large one, you should also watch out for its last attempt to fight for survival as huge ones are known to jump and would even attempt to bite, which, as you could imagine, can do serious damage if those razor sharp teeth come in contact to your bare skin. So we highly suggest using a landing net and gloves.

Greater Amberjack

Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili) Description

The greater amberjack is a saltwater game fish that can reach 6 feet in length. The fish’s body is a bluish-grey or dark grey color, with a silvery-white stomach. You can also identify this species by the amber stripe in the middle of its body. The dark amber strip on their head extends to its first dorsal fin becomes a darker color when the fish is feeding or excited.  It is a slender fish with a pointed head and small eyes. 

Interesting Facts 

• The Greater Amberjack is a popular recreational game fish in North America because of its size. However, being at the apex of the marine food chain also means that this fish carries a considerable risk of ciguatera poisoning.  
• It is greatly prized for its high quality meat and commercial value.   
• Currently, it is considered one of the most important species in the commercial production of fish around the Mediterranean, and in North and South America. 

Size  

This fish grows to 6.2 feet in length and on average reach a weight of 39 pounds. They live up to 17 years, reaching sexual maturity at around 4 to 5 years old. Typically, females grow larger and live longer than their male counterparts.  

Fishing Habitat and Distribution 

The Greater Amberjack can be found on the eastern coast of the United States in the Atlantic Ocean the Gulf of Mexico to the Caribbean Sea.

Diet and Spawning

The Greater Amberjack primarily feeds on smaller fish and marine invertebrates. Their diet includes squid, crustaceans, sardines, and bigeye scad.  

The spawning period is from April to May. 

Fishing Technique - How to catch Greater Amberjack

Anglers can use trolling, casting or drifting techniques.  

 Amberjacks are most often caught aboard boats with heavy rods and reels with lines testing 50 pounds or more.  An experienced angler with light tackle can be successful with spinning and baitcasting rigs, and even fly rods.  Plugs, spoons, jigs, or even fly streamers and poppers can be used. Both metal jigs or live baitfish are effective in Amberjack fishing since the species is not that picky when it comes to its prey.   The best bait with heavy tackle though is live fish.