This may sound dumb, but here goes. I am going to Port A next month to fish offshore and do a little wade/surf fishing. If and when I catch an AJ what do I need to do for table prep? Are these things good to eat? Meat looks very dark and they get the gaff it looks like crime scene.Should I keep one to eat or should it be photographed and released? If they are tableworthy any recipes would be appreciated. Thanks all

If it is a Greater Amberjack then have at it! Great to eat. But i doubt you will catch one in the surf. I'm pretty sure they live aff shore a little ways. You could catch a crevelle jack (sp) but i dont know how good they are to eat.

Grill like a good steak, salt, pepper, and olive oil or butter. Do NOT overcook!

U will not catch an amberjack in the surf, u would have to hit up some deeper water for them. They are excellent eating though. Dont eat the jack crevelle that I was talking about in an earlier post, they are not good to eat.. I was joking about frying them up. NASTY..... I like amberjack so much that they dont even have to be cooked all the way. Excellent.

Thanks everybody,I can't wait to get one. Glad to hear they are good on the grill,I do likes me some grilled fish.mmm mmm good. Is a particular bait I need to use and what depth should I try.Thanks

By deep we mean deep! You would have to take a charter boat out and I believe you will have to be in atleast 60 ft of water to catch one. All I know is it will be a looooooooong wade.

For Amberjack, I wouold imagine that you would need to get out at least 30 miles. You need about 150 of water. A live piggy perch is as good as it gets for bait. A beeliner live is great too. Hold on.

Rob

I agree with Rob, i think just about anything live 5"-12" will intrest an AJ. Use heavy leady if Possible to prevent breakoffs. GOOD LUCK

Agree with both posts above...I think your "bloody" posts are more directed at Jack C's that can be caught in surf. AJs are "very offshore" and best caught(almost only caught) on live bait-type fish. I would: Get away from the crowd up on the bow; put on live bait (crew will set you up); and drop to about count of 10-15...let sit a few minutes and continue to lower bait a few feet at a time until you get bit. On a rig, you will only drop to about the count of 5-10...no deeper and they will nail your "piggie" and pull you overboard if not ready. Ajs and Ling are the best offshore eating fish IMHO. NOTE: You will not catch AJs on the bottom...this is only for some shark, snapper and grouper. Also, the biggest snapper are NOT on the bottom...hint, hint!! Tight lines and post how it goes.

Bobaloo,

My 2 cents worth. I will disagree to a point with the comment that AJ are not on the bottom. In fact I have caught them in all stages of the water column, including when dropping for Red Snapper with large cigars and had them grab 2 cranks off the bottom.

As for the best bait, anything alive. Bigger the better. Last time out on Elliots 48 tuna run, I talked a guy into sending his 2 Lb vermillion snapper back down after re-rigging. He thought I was crazy until a monster AJ about pulled him over board. He could not believe that such large live bait would work. I have seen small red snapper 10-12" inches used as great bait. The best though was on another Elliots 48 hr trip, we dropped live piggies down. Every piggy was slammed either by big AJs or creatures that were to big to bring back up. We saw AJ upwards of 100 Lbs on that trip, but mostly in the 40-70 Lb class.

Point being. AJ much perfer live bait to anything else

You should be in good shape on AJ's with all the great advice. If you have a sabiki rig, just jig it down until you start getting tugs. Slowly reel it up until you have some sort of small fish on. Whatever comes up, put it on a hook and send it down. That's what they are eating. Do this in the event that there is not already live bait on board. They can be a big hastle, but fun.

Rob

Flounder is right, AJ's are all over the water collum and all of the few AJ's that I have caught have come from either bottom fishing a blue runner or piggy. I have also caught them at mid depth with carolina rig.

AJ bite is cooling off. You'll need to be at a rig or rocks in 150+ feet of water.

i heard there really good the greater ajs no crevelle too dark