Hooking a bonefish is just step one—keeping it pinned is where most anglers struggle. Bonefish have hard, rubbery mouths, and if you don’t drive the hook in properly or maintain the right tension, you’ll lose a lot of fish.

• Set hard, but not with your rod: A proper strip-set is everything. A quick, firm pull straight back with your line hand is what sinks the hook. A trout-set (lifting the rod tip) will pull the fly away before it has a chance to dig in.
• Use the right hook: If you’re losing fish on the run, check your hooks. Some bonefish flies use thin-wire hooks, which bend out under heavy pressure. Use a strong, chemically-sharpened hook designed for saltwater.
• Keep your rod tip low on the run: After the hookset, your first instinct might be to raise the rod. Don’t. Keeping the tip low reduces slack and maintains pressure as the fish takes off.
• Let them take line smoothly: A bonefish’s first run is blistering. If your drag is too tight, you’ll break off. If it’s too loose, the hook can wiggle free. Adjust your drag so the fish can run, but with steady resistance.
• Bow to the fish on jumps: If a bonefish makes an unexpected jump, briefly lowering the rod (like with tarpon) can keep it from throwing the fly.

Final Thought

Bonefish are built for speed, so the key to landing them is a solid strip-set, steady pressure, and controlled drag tension. The better you get at managing hook penetration and line control, the higher your landing ratio will be.