How to Fish for Jack Crevalles
The jack crevalle is often found in the surf in warmer months, when the water is green. Pound for pound, jacks have more stamina than other fish, due to their large liver and blood supply. Jack fishing is truly a tug-of-war--a 30-pound jack can take up to 2 hours to land! You can have more fun for $5 catching jacks than you can on a $200 off-shore fishing trip.
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Instructions
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Recognize a jack crevalle by its blunt head and the black spot on the back of its gill covers. Its belly and fins are greenish-gold.
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Use a propeller-driven catamaran pedal boat, as jacks have a tendency to head out to sea when hooked. This type of boat allows you to backpedal while fighting the jack. They also disassemble and are easy to set up on the beach. If you choose to use a kayak, consider bringing a small sea anchor to increase the drag on the jack.
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Rig a short, medium or heavy action pole with 20-pound test line and 5 feet of 30-pound leader material. That much leader makes it harder to cast, but you will be trolling most of the time. It is needed because when the tug-of-war begins, the jack's tail will be constantly hitting the line. The best lure is a medium or large silver spoon. Also, replace the hook with a thick treble hook.
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Troll between the second and third line of breakers, and keep checking the off-shore side of the third line. When jacks are schooling, they will run parallel with the beach forming a concave line like an open trawler net. They swallow everything in their path and are easily spotted by the frothy water and mullet leaping high in the air.
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