OK, you've chosen a flat, your tackle's up to snuff, and a tailing bonefish or a push from a school gets your heart popping. To ensure you're ready for action and to up the odds of scoring a bonefish, remember the following suggestions. Kreh: * Don't look at the fish when casting - look at where you want the bait or fly to land. * Make a cast in front of a bonefish so it sees it; when your fly, lure or shrimp hits the water, make two long strips or retrieves and let it sit. * If you get no take after retrieving for about 6 feet, speed up or slow down the retrieve to see if something else works. * With spooky fish, cast at an object such as a clump of grass, mound or mangrove sprig 30 to 40 feet away from them. Bones often meander toward such structure, plus you have a reference point as to the location of your fly or bait. * When a bonefish tilts down, it's ready to take your offering - if you're fly fishing, extend both hands toward the fish and remove slack, barely move the fly and then give it two quick strips and repeat. If you don't get a hookup, the fly's still near the bonefish and often it'll go for it again. * If you feel a slight pecking at your shrimp or fly, the bonefish's already sucked it into its mouth and spit it out. Pflueger: * Anticipate the path of the bones and toss way in front of them - they'll hear it. If in grass, don't make the mistake of pulling the shrimp out - just tighten the line and bones will hear that and zoom right in. * When the tail sticks up and quivers, it just ate your fly or bait. * If a bonefish runs over to your bait, leave it still - it's used to eating something trying to hide in the grass rather than run away. Bonefish get wary if they have to chase after something. * Once a bonefish sees the fly, use short or long strips, and when it reaches the fly, stop the retrieve and let it eat. * With a tailing bonefish rooting the bottom, drop a fly in front of the head so the bone sees it; bait should be thrown just up-current so the bone smells it. Stanczyk: * A flat-head jig often draws a better response than bait when casting shorelines. * When casting on a shoreline or sandy flat, let the fly or jig sink and make puffs on the bottom as you work it. * Never try to set the hook! Let the fish make the first move - when you feel it's there, just reel and the hook will burrow in as the fish runs. Jerking the rod to set the hook as the bonefish runs can break the line or pull a hook already set. * Be patient and wait for the right shot - don't just cast if you're not sure where the fish may be or what direction they're heading. * With two anglers fishing, only one should cast and the other be ready if there's no take or the fish change direction - casting at the same time usually results in spooking the fish. * If bonefish change direction, some may swim into your line - which will result in the school blowing out. To avoid this, remove slack and put the rod tip to the bottom of the flat to lower the angle of the line. * Any time you see a bonefish charge to your bait or fly and stop, it's eaten your offering - they never "miss" it. * Always cast low so the bait enters the water quietly - a high cast plops loudly into the water and spooks bonefish.