Open Year-Round

Australian Bonito

Sarda orientalis

Also known as: Oriental Bonito, Striped Bonito, Leaping Bonito

DPIRD Category Nearshore/Estuarine Finfish
Peak Season Mar-Aug
Difficulty Easy
Fight Rating ★★★☆☆
Australian Bonito

Regulations & Limits

NEARSHORE/ESTUARINE FINFISH

Limits by Bioregion

West Coast OPEN
Min Size —
Individual Limit 8 fish
Mixed Limit Within 16 nearshore total
✓ Open year-round.
South Coast OPEN
Min Size —
Individual Limit 8 fish
Mixed Limit Within 16 nearshore total
✓ Open year-round.
Gascoyne N/A
Species not commonly found in this region
Pilbara N/A
Species not commonly found in this region
North Coast (Kimberley) N/A
Species not commonly found in this region

Good to Know

  • Part of bonito and albacore group

ℹ️ Regulations can change. Always verify current rules at rules.fish.wa.gov.au

Size & Weight

Typical Size40 cm
Max Size65 cm
Typical Weight2 kg
Max Weight5 kg

Habitat

Where: Coastal waters, around bait schools, structure

Depth: 0-30m

ID Features: Blue-green back with oblique dark stripes, silver sides, forked tail

Season

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Peak Available Poor

Peak: Mar-Aug | Water Temp: 14 – 20°C

How to Catch Australian Bonito

1

Trolling

Setup

  • Line: PE1.5-2 / 10-15kg
  • Leader: 30-40lb fluoro

Top Lures

  • Small bibbed minnows
  • Feathers
  • Chrome slices

Best Baits

  • Pilchards
  • Garfish strips
2

Casting

Setup

  • Line: PE1-2 / 8-12kg
  • Leader: 20-30lb fluoro

Top Lures

  • Metal slugs 15-30g
  • Small soft plastics

Best Baits

  • Whitebait
  • Pilchard pieces

Eating Quality

★★★☆☆ Fair

Flesh: Dark red

Best cooked: Smoked, curried (bleed immediately)

The Fight

★★★☆☆ 3/5

Fast and scrappy

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