To catch the eye of the big bonefish that cruise Florida's Biscayne Bay, throw a substantial meal their way. Captain Rob Fordyce (www.robfordyce.com) uses three- to four-inch shrimp. A Bimini twist absorbs hard strikes, and a bullet weight keeps the bait in the strike zone without changing its profile-critical for success with heavily pressured bonefish.
Step 1 Double 18 inches of eight- to 12-pound mono with a Bimini twist. Slip a 1/16- to 1/8-ounce bullet weight onto the doubled line, crimping it slightly with pliers. Tie a 1/0 to 3/0 Owner SSW hook on the end of the doubled line with an improved clinch knot. Break the tail off a live shrimp.
Step 2 Thread the hook into the end of the shrimp tail and out the bottom. Pull the hook out, so it swings free of the tail.
Step 3 Turn the hook to point toward the shrimp's head. Draw the eye and hook shank back into the tail with the leader. Push the point up into the tail, piercing the shell on the side near the top. Slide the sinker down against the tail.
