How a local charter captain reeled in rare bonefish in Sarasota Bay

In 2026, it’s sometimes hard to believe what you’re seeing online.

AI is prevalent and with it, a skeptical eye is required. So when I see a captain who says he caught a bonefish in Sarasota Bay on a fly, I was a bit wary at first. That’s the stuff of dreams.

“I’ve seen them up shallow, just never had a crack at them before,” said captain Kevin Wessel, who specializes in shallow water flats and fly fishing. “I was poling my 17-foot Maverick catching redfish around mullet schools. We caught some pompano earlier in the day too, it had been a great day.”

Working the flat, Wessel pointed out four fish he couldn’t quite make out. Angler Shawn Reagan put a shrimp fly in front of the fish and found an anxious taker.

“It made a quick run and he said, ‘I’m in the backing.’ I thought that was odd,” recalled Wessel. “He worked it back in then it made another run to the backing. I thought maybe he foul hooked a bluefish or something. It wasn’t until the fish was right up next to the boat I finally saw the blue fins and knew what it was, a bonefish!”

Wessel’s catch is rare, but possible as bonefish do make the occasional appearance around the bay.

I’ve talked with anglers who have caught them on the beach fishing for pompano. I talked with an angler last year who landed one off the Skyway causeway rocks and took a picture of the fish with landmarks in the background. I’ve seen firsthand video accounts of a seine netter who got into an entire school in Sarasota Bay while trying to rein in ladyfish.

My own experience was from cast netting bait on the beach. I had a few bonefish in the net, although small and the size of a finger at best.

Many years ago, I had heard rumors of anglers around MacDill Air Force Base who targeted them, but it was so secretive that they never made it known. Could the fishery be growing? It’s extremely possible to now believe they are thriving right under our nose.

“I think it’s definitely something that could flourish. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re out around some of the same flats and Keys where there’s a lot of clean water,” said Wessel. “That’s where I’ve usually heard of them being caught.”

When bonefish do show up it is usually a sign of good, clean water around the bay and Gulf. Bonefish are highly sought after in tropical destinations around the world where crystal clear waters and miles of flats provide them with the ability to stalk their potential prey, usually crabs, shrimp and other crustaceans. Their silver sides and light reflective scales make them difficult to see unless conditions are perfect. They’re built for tropical waters.

“I’ve talked with the guys at Mote (Marine) and this is a subspecies of bonefish. They don’t get much bigger than 2.5 or 3 pounds, but they see them often around here,” Wessel said.

Getting close is never easy. They’re considered a highly sought after target because of the spooky nature they possess. Most of the time when anglers catch them on the west coast of Florida it isn’t from boat, it’s from wading or shore where stealth is easy. To catch one from a boat on a fly is the stuff dreams are made of.

“It took a day or two for it to sink in,” said Wessel. “I may never have this happen again, with a customer and a fly rod catching a bonefish in my home waters? That’s as pure as you can get.”

Captain Kevin Wessel can be reached through his website, www.barefootfishin.com.