Artificial Bonita Strips for Offshore Trolling
Fish Envy Artificial Bonita Strips are durable, reusable offshore trolling strip baits designed to replace traditional natural bonito strips. Whether you call them bonita strips, bonito strips, artificial strip baits or trolling strips, they’re designed for planer fishing and trolling for wahoo, kingfish, mahi, tuna and other offshore gamefish.
Why Use Artificial Bonita Strips?
Artificial bonita strips are a durable, reusable alternative to traditional natural bonito strip baits. They provide the flash, movement and profile offshore predators look for without the mess, refrigeration and preparation required with natural bait. We use these style of trolling strips while fishing the waters off Boca Raton, Delray Beach and South Florida for wahoo, kingfish, mahi and other pelagic species. They can be fished behind trolling lures, skirts and planer rigs and reused for multiple fishing trips.
How to Troll an Artificial Bonita Strip
One of our favorite ways to fish an artificial bonita strip is behind a trolling skirt or lure. The strip adds flash and swimming action while creating the appearance of a fleeing baitfish. For South Florida trolling, we use strip baits when targeting wahoo, kingfish, mahi and other offshore gamefish. They can be especially effective when incorporated into planer fishing setups, where the bait can be presented below the surface while maintaining its action at trolling speed.
Artificial Bonita Strips vs. Natural Bonito Strips
Natural bonito strips have been used as offshore trolling baits for generations, but artificial versions offer several practical advantages. Unlike natural strip bait, artificial strips don’t need to be frozen, brined or refrigerated. They’re easy to store aboard the boat, can be rigged ahead of time and can often be reused after a strike.
What Fish Can You Catch With Bonita Strips?
Bonita strips are an effective trolling bait for a variety of offshore gamefish. We use them to target wahoo, kingfish, mahi-mahi, blackfin tuna, sailfish and other pelagic species. Their baitfish profile, swimming action and reflective flash make them especially effective when trolled behind a lure or fished with a planer.
These aren’t products we simply put online to sell. They’re the same type of offshore trolling tackle we use while fishing South Florida. As professional charter captains, we’re constantly testing tackle, rigs and presentations under real fishing conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bonita Strips
What is a bonita strip?
A bonita strip is a long, narrow strip bait used for offshore trolling. It can be fished behind a trolling lure or skirt to add lifelike swimming action, flash and attraction.
Are artificial bonita strips reusable?
Yes. One of the biggest advantages of artificial bonita strips is that they can be reused. Unlike natural bait, they don’t require freezing, brining or refrigeration and can be rinsed and stored for your next trip.
How do you rig a bonita strip?
Artificial bonita strips can be rigged behind a trolling skirt or lure with the hook positioned through or alongside the strip. The goal is to keep the strip swimming naturally without spinning while trolling.
Can you use bonita strips with a planer?
Yes. Bonita strips are particularly useful with planer trolling setups. A planer gets the bait below the surface while the strip provides movement and flash behind the lure.
Is it spelled bonita strip or bonito strip?
You’ll see fishermen use both terms. Bonito is the name commonly used for the fish, while bonita strip has also become a widely used term in the fishing-tackle industry. Because anglers search for both, our artificial Bonita strips may also be referred to as artificial bonito strips, bonito strip baits, or trolling strips.