Boaters.com
Magazine - Fish Files
Coo-Coo for Crevalle Jacks
Bob
Newman
As a boy growing up in Florida (when I wasn't growing up in
Maine), I would catch some shrimp and scamper down to the
inlet at Port Canaveral, my fiberglass spinning rod with my
Mitchell 300 reel and shrimp bucket in one hand, tackle box
in the other. I would fish the jetty at the mouth of the inlet,
where an amusing variety of gamefish prowled: redfish, spotted
seatrout, ladyfish, snook, and those powerful prowlers of
inshore waters, the crevalle jacks, which everyone called
jack crevalle or simply jacks.
It was heaven on earth for a boy who wanted nothing more to
smell and feel the salt air, and catch fish until the sun
went down. The jacks I caught would run from a pound or so
to the occasional whopper in double digits, and I always could
tell if it was a jack I was fighting by the way it refused
to jump and how it constantly shook its head while fighting,
the rod tip throbbing with every shake.I've loved fishing
for jacks ever since those long ago halcyon days…never
you mind how long ago.
Natural
Born Killers
Crevalle jacks, Atlantic or Pacific (they are separate
species but look just about identical), are true natural born
killers that all forage species fear greatly. Once you have
seen a school of marauding jacks crash a school of bait, you
begin to understand the terror the scattering baitfish must
feel, even though they have a brain the size of a pea. The
jacks' proclivity for mashing and gnashing and thrashing through
a school of their intended victims is one of the factors that
make them a very worthy gamefish, even though many anglers
shun them because they are not good eating. Me? I never shun
a jack because I am not interested in eating them; I am interested
in fighting them.
Tackle
and Tactics
The tackle you select will depend on the average size
of the jacks you are after, but keep in mind that many jacks
are caught as incidentals, i.e., anglers catch them while
fishing for other species. I prefer light spinning tackle
and fly tackle when specifically targeting jacks. A 6- to
7-foot fast-action graphite rod designed for 8- to 15-pound
test line is right for jacks ranging up to 20 pounds. For
the larger jacks, such as those found in Charleston Harbor
and the behemoth jacks of Costa Rica's Golfo Dulce, upgrade
a bit by using a rod capable of handling 12- to 17-pound test.
Whatever reel you select, do make very sure it has a dependable
drag.
For jacks under 20 pounds on the fly, an 8-weight fast-action
graphite fly rod that is 9 feet long, such as St. Croix's
Legend Ultra, one of Steve Abel's beauties, or Orvis' Trident
TL is needed. Make sure you do not sell yourself short on
the reel. I have excellent results with the Phos Yukon Big
Game, Harris Solitude V, Abel Super 8, and Orvis Battenkill
Large Arbor 7/8. For larger jacks, I usually go with a 10-weight,
with Fly Logic's FLO+ 9310/3 (a 9-foot 3-inch, 3-piece) or
St. Croix's UFT9010 (a 9-foot 3-piece) being top choices.
The Ross Gunnison 5 reel is perfect for both of these rods.
Tactics for jacks can be quite simple: Find the jacks and
show them something they might like to eat. Sounds too easy,
but in many cases that is precisely what you do. Thing is,
jacks are where you find them, meaning that they cover a lot
of water and can pop up just about anywhere. I've found them
in the surf, in inlets, around bridges and pilings, near jetties,
cruising in rivers, on flats, and many other places. You can,
however, increase your odds by watching in the distance for
signs of their feeding, which often is revealed by sudden
attacks on schooling baitfish on the surface, followed by
just as quick a disappearance, only to reappear a short distance
away moments later. Watch for birds working these attacks,
too.
Most recently I found Pacific crevalle jacks in the waters
of Costa Rica. Some were working inlets and the surf on the
Caribbean side and others were in waters around the Golfo
Dulce on the Pacific side, such as the Rio Tigre and Rio Platanares.
(For information on a lodge in this area, visit the Crocodile
Bay Lodge online at www.crocodilebay.com.) Jigs (bucktail
or plastic), spoons (the Krocodile is tops), and crankbaits
of all kinds work well. Flies like Deceivers and Clousers,
and loud, flashy poppers are outstanding. Whatever you are
using, make sure you use a shock leader or tippet of 20-pound
test or more to prevent bite offs and abrasions.
Let
'Em Go
Jacks should be revived and released so that you can fight
them again and again, as can other anglers. Take care of them
at boat side and set them free so that we can all enjoy them
for many years to come.
Crocodile
Bay Captains: Secrets of the Pros
Crocodile Rock - Trophy Costa
Rican Sailfish Tactics
Boaters.com: Raving Roosterfish
in Costa Rica
Boaters.com Magazine: Dueling
with Dorado
Boaters.com Magazine:
Coo-Coo for Crevalle Jacks
Boaters.com Magazine: Working
surface structure to find more fish
Sport Fishing Magazine: Costa Rica
Sport Fishing Magazine:
Costa Rica Revisited
Sport Fishing Magazine: Outstanding
Osa
Orvis Travel: Costa Rica's Crocodile
Bay Lodge
