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Scombridae
Pacific Bonito
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Field guide · §4.8

Pacific Bonito

⤳
Sarda chiliensis
Scombridae (tunas + mackerels)
Water
62-72°F
Best time
Dawn
Tide
Outgoing
Bag 10
Robert's pick

How to catch a pacific bonito

Bait
Live anchovy on a 4/0 single siwash; surface poppers
Rig
Tady 45 or Salas 6X iron, blue-and-white or scrambled-egg
Technique
Fast, steady retrieve — no pause. Bonito are aggressive but suspicious of unnatural action.
When they bite
Tide preference
Outgoing, incoming — active hunter, water movement helps
Time of day
Dawn and dusk strongest; mid-day boils when bait is in
Pressure
Any
Moon bias
Any
Sources
  • · CDFW Bonito species page
  • · NOAA highly migratory species data
Full citations in SPECIES-EVIDENCE.md §4.8.
← All species·§4.8 in SPECIES-EVIDENCE.md

Pacific Bonito

⤳
Sarda chiliensis
Scombridae (tunas + mackerels)Prefers 62–72°FBag: 10
Habitat & range

Where they live

CA range
Chile → British Columbia (warmer water)
Habitat types
Inner harborSandy pier (deep)Open kelp beds
Water temp
62–72°F preferred
Life history

Biology

Lifespan~6 years
Growth rateFast — 12"/year first 2 years
SpawningSpring–summer, offshore
SchoolingTight schools of 50+ fish during feeding boils
DietAnchovy, sardine, juvenile mackerel. Schooling pelagic hunter.
Behavior

When they bite

Tide preferenceOutgoing, incoming — active hunter, water movement helps
Time of dayDawn and dusk strongest; mid-day boils when bait is in
Pressure biasAny
Moon biasAny
Field ID

How to identify

Tuna-shape, dark blue-green back with several longitudinal dark stripes (only striped tuna-family fish in SoCal nearshore), silvery sides, deeply forked tail

Look-alikes

Skipjack tuna (lower stripes, no upper stripes); Pacific mackerel (smaller, wavy bars not stripes)

Robert's pick

How to catch

Best baitLive anchovy on a 4/0 single siwash; surface poppers
Best rigTady 45 or Salas 6X iron, blue-and-white or scrambled-egg
TechniqueFast, steady retrieve — no pause. Bonito are aggressive but suspicious of unnatural action.
California regulations
Bag limit10
No size minimum

Always verify current regulations on the CDFW site.

Where to fish for Pacific Bonito

SoCal hotspots

Top spots from the doc: King Harbor (Mole D rocks legendary) · Belmont Pier · Newport Pier · Stearns Wharf · every SoCal harbor during summer runs
All spots in the TideRead catalog that target Bonito (17):
22nd Street Landing
San Pedro · Los Angeles
Belmont Pier
Long Beach · Los Angeles
Cabrillo Pier · San Pedro
San Pedro · Los Angeles
Dana Point Harbor
Dana Point · Orange County
King Harbor
Redondo Beach · Los Angeles
Malibu Pier
Malibu · Los Angeles
Mission Bay Jetty
Mission Bay · San Diego
Newport Pier
Newport Beach · Orange County
Ocean Beach Pier
Ocean Beach · San Diego
Oceanside Pier
Oceanside · San Diego
Point Loma Kelp Beds
Point Loma · San Diego
Port Hueneme Pier
Port Hueneme · Ventura
Redondo Beach Pier
Redondo Beach · Los Angeles
Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica · Los Angeles
Shelter Island Pier
San Diego · San Diego
Stearns Wharf
Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara
Ventura Pier
Ventura · Ventura
Did you know

Pacific bonito are warm-bodied like tuna — they can maintain core temperature 5–10°F above ambient water, allowing higher metabolism and burst speed during chase.

Sources
  • · CDFW Bonito species page
  • · NOAA highly migratory species data
Full citations + cross-references in SPECIES-EVIDENCE.md §4.8.