Black Skipjack and Bonita are often found feeding together. We get the largest Skipjack in winter when fishing deep for Yellowtail. At this time they can be close to twenty pounds and quite a nuisance if you're targeting Yellowtail. They tend to hang in schools just above the water column from the Yellowtail and if you're fishing bait they'll likely hit it first.
When Skipjack and Bonita feeding at the surface, they behave like mini Yellowfin Tuna but their schools resemble the riffling of a stream rather than the splashing of tuna schools. Skipjack schools will move from place to place. You can get them to take a fly on the cast if you allow your boat to drift and wait for the schools to come to you. If you close your eyes, that riffling becomes very familiar, it sounds exactly like you're fishing a swiftly flowing freshwater stream!
Cast your fly out and use a fast, two-handed retrieve. They'll hit quickly and proceed to run very hard. Set the hook with the drag of your reel and by palming it and pulling straight back on the rod. They hit and run so fast, that if you set by pulling with your hand, your fingers have a good chance of being sliced.
