AS SEEN IN THE NOV/DEC 2005 ISSUE

Statewide, anglers are returning to port beaten & bruised.

 We made our way to a set of GPS numbers I dialed in for a beat up wreck sitting in the sand over 200’ below. We reviewed the game plan and once in position, instructed my anglers to pop their reels in free spool and drop their baits to the bottom. Not to my surprise, it didn’t take long before John, the least experienced of the four, abruptly blurted “I think I hooked the wreck!”

The words barely left his mouth as his six foot stand-up rod doubled over. He wasn’t hung, I knew better as line spurted from the shiny International under the strain of what pulled below. Something big had gobbled up his pinfish and it was far from a piece of structure. After only seconds, John too realized he was tight to something very much alive. Ten minutes of grueling huffing and puffing later, the golden figure finally emerged from the dark depths below. The broad shouldered beast put up an awesome fight, never easing up for even a moment. Nobody else had any idea, but I knew all along it wasn’t a big gag or hefty mutton. This turbo charged bruiser pulled way too much drag. It completely destroyed the poor guy, not too mention the remarks his buddies put him through. What was it, a very ticked-off, bad ass amberjack, known by most as an AJ.

We weighed the beaten bully, carefully punctured his air bladder and set the 38 pound fish free to fight again. Drained and exhausted, John claimed this was the toughest fish he had ever fought, which came as no surprise considering he was in town from Minnesota. I took one look at the color machine and assured him and his three com-padres this was just the beginning. For the rest of the afternoon each took turns going head-to-head with these brutal adversaries, the four guys even went as far as tag-teaming a few of the fish. Every single pinfish they fed into the depths stood no chance against the crushing jaws of what lay below. Line would scream off the reel, they would lock up and set back, and immediately get pinned to the gunwale under the strain of the powerful fish racing for cover. After hundreds of yards of lost line, a mess of busted leaders and lost terminal gear and a bunch of released fish, my bruised and beaten charter had an unforgettable appreciation for these merciless eating machines.

A favorite for bottom fishermen in the Panhandle, the fabulous Florida Keys, and even my home waters off Miami/Dade County, today, greater amberjack are a prominent sportfish along all of Florida’s 1200 miles of ocean front real estate. Primarily pursued for their grueling fighting ability, relentless AJs will bring even the hardiest of anglers to their knees, quickly wearing down even the most experienced angler. Their coloration ranges from brownish to golden with reflective silvery bellies and purplish hues. They wear a distinguishing mask running from their dorsal fin down through their eyes to their crushing jaws. Juveniles range to twenty pounds while mature females can exceed four to five times that weight!

The Florida State Record greater amberjack tipped the scale at an awe-inspiring 142 pounds! Almost twice the largest ever landed on Free Spool, which was far from a slouch at a mind-boggling 78! A fellow charter boat at my dock weighed one that hit an even 110. I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it for myself. Still, that monstrosity was over 40 pounds short of the behemoth 155 pound all tackle world record landed in Bermuda back in 1992. That’s bent-butt 80 material!

Not only a popular local species, greater amberjack, not to be confused with their smaller cousins the lesser amberjack, are found throughout the Western Atlantic from Nova Scotia down to Brazil, including Bermuda, the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. They also inhabit portions of the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, favoring tropical, warm temperate climates. Anyone who has any level of experience reef or wreck fishing knows all too well AJs will roam every level of the water column, though they prefer to hover directly over natural and artificial reef formations - basically anywhere along either coast out to around 300 feet where there’s some form of high profile structure. Not known to most, bloodthirsty hunting packs amberjack will quickly convert calm surface waters into a confused wash of white water as they plow through schools of unsuspecting baitfish and squid.

Anyone who has ever had the privilege of being tied to an AJ will swear they’re the meanest members of the jack family, which includes permit and crevalle. I know they’re the most sought after among recreational anglers for their back-alley reputation as one of the dirtiest of fighters. I’ll tell you something else that make’s the attraction to the species even more appealing; its common for fellow members of a school to follow their hooked sibling to the surface, making them excellent targets for surface plugs, spoons, jigs and even flies.

For many years amberjack were frowned upon as nothing more than a back-breaking nuisance when targeting sought after grouper and snapper. It’s no wonder; when a pack of these ferocious fiends takes up residency over a deep water wreck, rarely will any type of bait or jig make it past them without getting nailed!

During the mid to late 80s, amberjack were so heavily commercially fished; the species was well on its way to complete annihilation. Thanks to Chef Paul Prudhomme, Gulf Coast redfish stocks had plummeted. To fill the void, commercial fishermen turned to amberjack. With the potent seasonings, diners feasting on blackened fish fillets couldn’t tell the difference. Fortunately after years of management, amberjack are making a healthy come back. Although they are relatively good eating, they do get worms in the tail section which turns most recreational anglers off from harvesting them for the dinner table. Cutting out the shoulder section is usually the safest bet leaving you with a large chunk of meat for the smoker. Being conservation minded, on Free Spool the majority of amberjack are released to attack again.

If you haven’t already gotten the message, when looking for a bar room brawl, search for amberjack action around high profile bottom in deep water. Take wind and current into consideration, and position just ahead of your intended target while keeping one eye glued to the sounder for those familiar blobs. Most amberjack will hang directly over the wreckage or not far from it, so don’t bother looking too far away from the debris field.

Tackle requirements for even standing a chance at beating these powerhouses should be Penn Internationals topped off with 50lb. monofilament. If you think that’s overkill, you’ve never experienced a full-on amberjack attack. An easy-to-tie fish-finder rig with fifteen feet of 80lb.monofilament leader material and sufficient lead to carry your offering toward the bottom will be all you need, while hook size should correspond with bait size.

As far as menu items, amberjack anywhere will have a hard time resisting live pinfish. Wiggly blue-runners, goggle-eyes, herring, pilchards, mullet and speedos also work well as do fresh chunks of baitfish and squid. If bait’s in short supply, don’t hesitate deep-jigging with big bucktails or metal jig/glow worm combos. While getting beat up from the bottom up, keep a 20lb. spinner handy rigged with a heavy duty top-water plug. When fellow AJs chase hooked fish to the surface you can usually entice savage surface strikes and land them on lighter, more sporting tackle once they’re far enough away from the unforgiving structure.

Over in the Bahamas where amberjack frequently roam shallower banks, anchoring and chumming often invites packs of aggressive AJs into casting range. One of my most memorable excursions occurred just off Bimini while set-up right next to legendary Captain Bouncer Smith. We were hooking monster AJs in the 40 to 60 pound class on a pair of Penn Slammers. Needless to say, we quickly found ourselves outgunned. Finally, it took a 50 2-speed loaded with 80lb.PowerPro to subdue the ferocious beasts.

The party really started when Bouncer’s crew broke out the fly gear.
Anchored just a hundred feet away we had a clear view of the chaos that was taking place right behind his outboards. As the flies were stripped back to the boat you could see the large shadows chasing them down. The big AJs waited until the fly was just feet from the transom before exploding on the feathers with the velocity of a runaway freight train. Time after time the unstoppable fish would explode of the fly and charge straight back toward the cover of the reef. I don’t believe they ever landed a single one. Nonetheless, witnessing the explosions and hearing the excitement from his anglers was well worth the price of admission.

Pound for pound amberjacks could very well be the hardest pulling bottom fish in the Atlantic. For years the masked marauders were dismissed as nothing more than by-catch, but their tenacity, in conjunction with conservation minded angling, which today ranks species more for their fighting ability than their table fair, have solidified the AJs reputation as one of the most prized bottom fish in all of Florida.

Bent rods & tight lines!!! Captain Dennis Forgione

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Almaco jacks, slightly smaller versions of amberjack, are also prevalent in our waters. They’re often confused for AJs because of their similar coloration and body shape, though a closer look will reveal they have a slightly wider body and longer dorsal. They also fight as hard as their heavyweight relatives and make formidable opponents. Over the year’s I’ve managed to accumulate five female angler records for almaco. I believe one is still holding strong.

  __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Almaco Jack

______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Lessser Amberjack

  __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Greater Amberjack

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

BIO; Captain Dennis Forgione has established himself as a leading captain in southeast Florida. His father, Frank Forgione, owned and operated a party boat out of Haulover Marina from the late 50s to the early 90s, the same marina Dennis fish’s from today. Frank Forgione was one of the most well respected captains of his day and Dennis is doing an excellent job at following right in his footsteps. Unlike other ‘life-long’ fishermen, Dennis has truly been fishing for a living out of Haulover Marina his entire life and nobody can argue that. He has guided many of his clients to numerous tournament victories and world records. Today, Dennis is one of the most well respected captains in his field.

Capt. Dennis Forgione
305-947-8844 -- 305-582-5445
www.FreeSpoolSportFishing.com

---

Save and Share this Article: