Amberjack
While seeking sailfish near the gulf streams edge when I was 8 years old I hooked something big and totally unlike any of the species I had previously encountered. Failing to show above water, the fishes runs were mostly straight down, so it was necessary to stay over it. This tactic, also the best in the reef and wreck fishing, makes the line as short as possible and seems to tire fish faster while on one of our Boca Raton fishing charters.
Eventually, whatever it was came up to the gaff, and it proved to be a an Amberjack of about 40 pounds. To distinguish this species from any other jacks, it is called the greater amberjack, and the biggest taken with tackle was about 150 pounds. With a back of blue black shading downward to silver with shades of yellow and a deeply forked tail, this powerful fighter resembles an immense bluefish while on one of our Boca Raton fishing charters. Although it is a deep water denizen often frequenting outer reefs near the edge of the gulf stream, it often comes to the top to feed around patches of weeds. It’s Atlantic range is from the Carolinas to around Florida and the gulf. The vast families of jacks include the crevallel, yellowtail, rooster fish, Pompano, permit, and over 50 others. While normally a deep water resident, Amber jacks eventually move into relatively shallow inshore areas in spring for spawning and then can be taken with heavy fly fishing tackle while on one of our Boca Raton fishing charters. They can be brought up by chumming and often by making a surface commotion such as a revving the engines of a boat. They are tough fighters which strike at almost anything. Deep fishing is done by jigging or using live bait, and they are also taken when drift fishing with live bait. Greater AmberJack average about 30 pounds. Other members of the family come in various sizes while on one of our Boca Raton fishing charters.