Saltwater · Mendocino
Bonito - Pacific
Ocean regulations can change in-season. Confirm with the 2026 Ocean Sport Fishing Guide and CDFW before you fish.
Species group
BONITO
Season
Open year around
Season notes
blue silver stripes
Depth limit
No depth limit
Daily bag limit
10 fish per person
Minimum size
Twenty-four inches fork length or five pounds except that: Five fish less than twenty-four inches fork length or weighing less than five pounds may be taken and possessed.
Gear restrictions
May be taken only on hook-and-line or by hand. Any number of hooks and lines may be used
Identification
The body of the Pacific bonito is cigar-shaped and somewhat compressed. The head is pointed and conical, and the mouth is large. The color is dark blue above, dusky on the sides becoming silvery below. There is a number of slanted darkish stripes along the back. Pacific bonito are the only tuna-like fishes on the California coast that have the slanted dark stripes on their backs.