Saltwater · Warm months; in the far eastern Pacific it pushes south mainly during El Niño events

Striped Bonito

Sarda orientalis

A wide-ranging Indo-Pacific bonito that reaches the eastern Pacific around Baja and mainland Mexico, extending south in El Niño years. It schools with small tunas in coastal water and takes trolled and cast lures readily.

Seasons · Peak

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Striped Bonito — Photo: (Temminck and Schlegel), Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

Identifying features

Narrow, oblique dark stripes along the upper back, with a plain white belly
Mouth relatively large for a bonito, reaching back to about the eye
No stripes or spots on the belly — separating it from skipjack-type tunas
Streamlined Sarda body with a strongly forked tail and small finlets
Larger than most local small tunas — can exceed 1 m

Habits

Coastal schooling species, often mixed with small tunas
Feeds on clupeoids (sardines and anchovies), other small fish, squid and prawns
In the eastern Pacific its southern push to Peru is linked to El Niño warm events
Fast, surface-oriented predator of bait schools

Distribution

Baja California Pacific Coast · Baja California & Baja California SurCommon

Mazatlán & the Mainland Pacific Coast · Sinaloa to OaxacaCommon

San Diego, CA · CaliforniaOccasional

Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) · Baja California Sur, Sonora & SinaloaOccasional

Pacific Coast, Guatemala · GuatemalaOccasional

Pacific Coast, Costa Rica · Costa RicaOccasional

Panama — Pacific, Canal & Caribbean · PanamaOccasional

Where to find them

Coastal bait grounds off Baja California and mainland Mexico
Around offshore islands where small tunas school
Surface feeding frenzies under birds

Where they live

Coastal watersAround offshore islandsOpen water with small tuna schools

How to catch them

Trolling for bonito schools Boat

Rig: Light-medium trolling outfit, feather or small diving plug

Bait/lure: Tuna feathers, small plugs, spoons

Key tip: Work bait schools and bird flocks along the coast; in El Niño years watch for this species mixed with small tunas far south of Baja.

Casting jigs to surface feeders Boat

Rig: Medium spinning outfit, 20-30 g metal jig

Bait/lure: Metal jigs and small stickbaits

Key tip: Cast past the frenzy and retrieve fast through it; bonito punish slow retrieves and light leaders, so check for abrasion after each fish.

Best baits & lures

Trolled feathers and small plugsLive sardinesCast metal jigs and spoons

Techniques for Striped Bonito →

Baseline setup

Rod: Medium 7' spinning / light trolling rod
Line: 20-30 lb braid
Terminal: Metal jigs, feathers, 40 lb fluorocarbon leader

Recommended gear for this species

Rod · Best value

9' medium-heavy surf spinning rod

≈ US$110-170

Casts plugs and bait past the breakers and handles stripers, drum and bluefish in the wash.

Reel · Best value

5000 size sealed spinning reel

≈ US$120-180

Salt spray and dunkings kill cheap reels — a sealed body and 30 lb braid capacity are the surf standard.

Terminal · Budget

Topwater plugs, soft-plastic jigs and fish-finder rigs

≈ US$25-40

Plugs for blitzes, jigs for the trough, bait on a fish-finder rig when they won't chase — the inshore trio.

Picks are never paid placements. Prices are guides; price links are coming soon and none is an affiliate link yet.

Typical size

Common about 55 cm; maximum 102 cm fork length and 10.7 kg

On the table

Good eating fresh like other bonitos; also sold dried-salted, canned and frozen in parts of its range.

Similar species

Skipjack TunaSkipjack tuna carries its dark stripes on the belly below the lateral line; striped bonito carries narrow oblique stripes only on the back, with a clean white belly

Regulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →

Plan a trip for Striped Bonito

Build today's plan

⚠ Heads-up: Striped Bonito doesn't occur around Vancouver, BC (or is very rare there), so it's not a sensible local target. Your plan stays in Vancouver, BC and is built around the fish that actually live there.