How To Catch Any Fish
  How To Catch Any Fish
  • Home
  • Species Guides
    • Saltwater Fish >
      • Barracuda >
        • Great Barracuda
        • Pacific Barracuda
      • Barramundi
      • Bass >
        • Calico Bass
        • Sand Bass
        • Spotted Bay Bass
        • White Sea Bass
      • Billfish >
        • Black Marlin
        • Blue Marlin
        • Pacific Sailfish
        • Striped Marlin
      • Black Drum
      • Bonefish
      • Groupers >
        • Broomtail Grouper
        • Goliath Grouper
        • Leopard Grouper
        • Tropical Cods
      • California Sheepshead
      • Dorado
      • Emperor Fishes
      • Giant Needlefish
      • Halibut (California)
      • Halibut (Pacific)
      • Lingcod
      • Mackerels >
        • Cero Mackerel
        • King Mackerel
        • Pacific Sierra
      • Pink Salmon
      • Redfish
      • Rockfish
      • Snappers >
        • Barred Pargo
        • Golden Snapper (Fingermark)
        • Green Jobfish
        • Mullet Snapper
        • Mutton Snapper
        • Pacific Cubera Snapper
        • Red Bass
        • Red Snapper
        • Yellow Snapper
        • Yellowtail Snapper
      • Sheepshead
      • Silver Salmon
      • Snook
      • Speckled Trout
      • Tarpon
      • Trevallies and Jacks >
        • African Pompano
        • Amberjack
        • Blacktip Trevally
        • Bluefin Trevally
        • Brassy Trevally
        • California Yellowtail
        • Giant Trevally
        • Jack Crevalle
        • Longnose Trevally
        • Queenfish
        • Rainbow Runner
        • Roosterfish
      • Tuna >
        • Albacore
        • Bonito
        • Dogtooth Tuna
        • Skipjack Tuna
        • Yellowfin Tuna
      • Wahoo
      • Yelloweye Rockfish
    • Freshwater Fish >
      • African Tigerfish
      • Arapaima
      • Arctic Grayling
      • Arowana (South American)
      • Bass >
        • Hybrid Striped Bass
        • Largemouth Bass
        • Peacock Bass
        • Rainbow Bass
        • Smallmouth Bass
        • Striped Bass
        • White Bass
      • Catfish >
        • Blue Catfish
        • Channel Catfish
        • Redtail Catfish
        • Sharptooth Catfish
        • Suribim Catfish
        • Vundu Catfish
      • Clown Knifefish (Featherback)
      • Dolly Varden
      • Golden Dorado
      • Jacunda
      • Jaguar Cichlid
      • Machaca
      • Muskellunge
      • Nembwe
      • Panfish >
        • Bluegill
        • Crappie
        • Central American Cichlids
        • Yellow Perch
      • Payara
      • Pike
      • Piranha
      • Sardinata
      • Sheefish
      • Taimen
      • Tilapia
      • Trout >
        • Brook Trout
        • Brown Trout
        • Lake Trout
        • Rainbow Trout
      • Walleye
      • White Sturgeon
      • Wolf Fish
  • Tackle Tips
    • Lure Reviews >
      • Bomber Fat Free Shad
      • Heddon Super Spook
      • Heru Bobara Lure Review
      • Sebile Stick Shadd
      • Heru Cubera Popper
      • Surface Iron Review
      • Yo Zuri Crystal Minnow Review
    • Gear Selection
  • Fishing Tips
    • Why Do Fish Bite?
    • Fishing Knots
    • How to Release Fish
    • Lure Fishing
    • Bait Fishing
    • Intro to Fly Fishing
    • Pound for Pound Fight Ratings
    • Miscellaneous Tips
    • Seasickness
    • Getting Kids Into Fishing
    • California Party Boat Fishing
    • Float Tube Fishing
    • Fishing Travel Tips
    • Preventing Insect Bites
    • How Not To Catch Fish
  • Trip Reports
    • US and Canada >
      • San Diego 10 Day Long Range Trip
      • 100 Trout in Montana
      • God's Lake Canada - Pike, Trout, and more
      • Colorado Trouting
      • Admiralty Island, Alaska Lings and Things
      • Lake Tawakoni - Catfish and Stripers
      • Shallow Water Bull Redfish - Louisiana
      • Lake O the Pines Texas Crappie
      • Cocodrie Louisiana Marshes
      • Alaska Sportsman's Lodge - Rainbows, Salmon, and Bears
      • South Florida Freshwater Exotics
      • Aniak River, Alaska - Trout, Salmon, Sheefish
      • Calcasieu and Venice Louisiana - Redfish and Trout
      • Southern California - A Summer of Party Boat Fishing
      • White River Arkansas - Brown Trout
      • Dry Tortugas, Florida - Massive Reef Variety
      • Boca Grande - Goliaths and Much More
      • Hawk Lake Ontario - Bass, Pike Walleye
    • Central America >
      • Quepos Marlin and Roosterfish
      • Drake Bay, Costa Rica - Inshore Quick Trip
      • Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica and Punta Burica, Panama - Offshore and Inshore
      • Osa Peninsula Costa Rica - Inshore Pargo and Roosters
      • San Quintin, Mexico - Yellowtail and Calico Bass
      • Cebaco Bay, Panama - Inshore Popping and Jigging
      • Rio Indio Nicaragua - Tarpon, Rainbow Bass, and More
      • Lake Agua Milpa Mexico - Family Bass Trip
      • Puerto Vallarta - Marlin, Mahi, Tuna, Pargo
      • Puerto Vallarta - Big Offshore Giants and Pargo
      • San Quintin, Mexico - White Seabass and Barracuda
      • Puerto Vallarta - Roosterfish Mania and Freshwater Bass
      • Puerto Vallarta - Inshore/Offshore Slam
      • Puerto Vallarta - Summer Inshore Monsters
      • San Evaristo Mexico - Baja Inshore Variety
      • Rio Parismina, Costa Rica - Tarpon
      • Mariato Panama Fall Giants
      • Mariato, Panama Inshore Bonanza
      • Mariato, Panama - Wind and Tuna
    • South America >
      • Jurassic Trout in Patagonia
      • Amazon Arapaima and Peacocks in Brazil
      • Parana River Argentina - Golden Dorado
      • Colombia - Amazon Peacocks and Payara
      • Trinidad Tarpon Madness
      • Colombia Pacific Coast
      • Amazon Bolivia - Big Payara and Variety
      • Amazon, Brazil - Peacock Bass, Wolffish, and Catfish
      • Amazon Brazil - Peacock Bass and Exotics
    • Asia and the Pacific >
      • Mongolia - World's Largest Trout
      • Burdekin, Australia - Big Barramundi and Reef Variety
      • Great Barrier Reef Australia - Insane Reef Variety
      • Aitutaki, Cook Islands - Giant Trevally Popping and Napoleon Wrasse
      • New Caledonia - Popping Giant Trevally
      • Marshall Islands- Remote Reef Exotics
    • Africa and the Middle East >
      • Malagarasi Tigerfish
      • Zambia - Floodplain Tigers and Bream
      • Madagascar - Wild Reef
      • Tanzania Offshore
      • Tanzanian Tigerfish
      • Oman GTs and Inshore Variety
  • About/Contact
  • Videos
    • How To Videos
  • Best Places to Fish
    • Aitutaki
    • Amazon
    • Bolivia
    • California
    • Costa Rica
    • Florida
    • Great Barrier Reef
    • Mexico Fishing - Baja
    • Panama
    • Puerto Rico
    • Puerto Vallarta
  • Trophy Gallery
Picture
A hefty Amberjack caught near my home in Texas. Quite a fight on a medium spinning rod.
Amberjack
Seriola dumerili
Home
Other Species
Amberjack Description

Amberjack, or “Reef Donkeys”, are not a great looking fish but they sure pull hard.  In many parts of Latin America they are called “Pez Fuerte” which literally means “Strong Fish”.  They are found in tropical reefs in both the Atlantic and Pacific.  They sometimes come up to the surface but are generally found nearer to the bottom anywhere from 60-250 feet.  They are structure-oriented, so natural and artificial reefs are good places to find them.  Larger ones are generally found deeper, but fish of any size can sometimes come up to the surface.

Some Amberjack migrate, while others stay in the same area all year long.  They spawn in spring, whatever time of year that is in the place they are living.

Amberjack Pound for Pound Fight Rating - 8 out of 10 on the Saltwater Scale

Like all Jacks, Amberjacks pull very hard for their size.  As one of the largest members of the Jack family, they have a lot of size to pull with.  They are not as likely to brick you in the rocks as, say, the Cubera Snapper, but they will bust you off if you let them get into the wrecks and rocks where they live.  Landing a few big Amberjack in a row will tire you out quick even on heavy tackle.  People not used to pulling on big fish run the risk of getting rag-dolled by these reef donkeys.


Amberjack Culinary Rating - Medium

Unlike many members of the Jack family, they are actually pretty tasty to eat.  They have very firm meat that holds up well when cooked a variety of different ways.  Unfortunately, their flesh sometimes contains parasitic worms.  These are rendered harmless by cooking, but are unappetizing to say the least.  They also can carry ciguatera toxin in some areas.  That said, all the ones I've eaten have been delicious.

Amberjack Tackle

If you are targeting large adult specimens (and what else would you target really?) I recommend conventional gear with 50lb braid lines or more.  They don't have teeth, so wire leaders are not necessary.  Although they are not as adept at bricking you in the rocks as Snappers or Groupers, you do need to pull hard to ensure that doesn’t happen.  An Accurate BX2 or BX reel is an excellent choice.  Click here for tackle recommendations.

Amberjack Techniques

Amberjack readily eat lures and bait fished either at the bottom or at whatever depth they happen to be at.  They can sometimes be coaxed to the surface with chum.

Amberjack Lures

Amberjack readily eat metal jigs, both the butterfly jig-type and the traditional West Coast Iron like Salas 6X.  If you can chum them up near the surface they will take a variety of topwater and subsurface lures including spoons, jerkbaits, plastics, etc.

Amberjack Baits

Any decent sized live baitfish should work.  These guys are not that picky.  Small fish in the jack family such as blue runner type baits are always good.  Pinfish work in Florida and other parts of the Caribbean.  Squid work well also.  They will not hesitate to attack large baits.  I once had a 65lb Amberjack attack a 10lb Yellowfin Tuna I was reeling in during a trip to Panama.  We dropped back a Skipjack and caught it.

Where to get the big Amberjack

These guys are pretty widespread.  Panama has some big ones on the Pacific side and there are some big ones in Kona.  They are found all over the tropics and as long as an area doesn't get too much fishing pressure there should be some big ones.

Other Amberjack Resources

The above barely scratches the surface on how to catch Amberjack.  The resources below will help you catch them:

I've never fished with them, but I understand these guys can put you on them in Panama:  www.pescapanama.com

These guys can put you on them in Florida:  www.anotherkeeper.com,
www.majesticseascharters.com
Picture
Amberjack caught in Dry Tortugas, Florida on a pinfish
Picture
A beautifully colored specimen caught on a streaker jig in Oman
Picture
Amberjack caught in Mariato, Panama

Click on a pic below to enlarge