Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk AL Fishing Talk I've met my match...

I've caught a lot of species on the fly, both fresh and saltwater varieties. Nothing compares to the absolute voracious nature and drag screaming pull of the jack crevalle. Many encounters with this fish result in broken rods or lines, bent hooks, or simply a lack of will to continue the fight.

Once spotted, they can be approached, cast to, and you better get ready! They will absolutely annihilate any fly thrown in their path.



Once hooked up, you better settle in. You're going to be that way for a while. 20 minute fights are the minimum for an experienced fly angler, but 30 minute fights are not uncommon. 45 minutes are the normal for a newcomer. That was me.



I had caught red snapper, bull redfish, and other species on the fly, but nothing, and I repeat NOTHING compares to the sheer power of a jack crevalle. The fish pulled into my backing no less than 6 times, each time dishing out a crushing blow to my anticipation that it was almost over.

Eventually, I prevailed and the fish tired. There were runs under the boat requiring intense tactics of dipping the rod into the water and pointing it at the fish, drag screaming runs into the next ecosystem, and close-quarter feats of strength and exhaustion by both angler and beast.



The lil sipper fly....



I said I'd never do it again. "If I ever see another, I'm pulling my fly out of the water", I told people. I meant it. A few weeks later a slow day on the water offered a renewed opportunity as a massive school of jacks cruised into sight. Neighborhood bullies looking to smash anything in their path. I just couldn't resist.....



For real this time, I'm not going to try again. Although I've said that before....

Also, there was also so many of these around that I simply got tired of catching and unhooking them. Spanish mackerel can be an easier target right now. They give their locations away by their airborne antic on schools of anchovies and other bait fish. Diving birds often alert anglers to these feeding frenzies.



What a blast this time of year is on the coast of Alabama!

nothing quite like watching a 30# Jack blast a big popping bug....

That’s cool

Very

we used to find big(30-40#) Jacks schooling off the river mouth at Stuart Fl. They would be in big daisy chains going round and round. You'd throw a big popper right in the middle and the whole school would implode on it, look like someone dropped a washing machine on top of yer fly!!! 20 min to an hour fight on even big saltwater fly rods.

Nice

One of the hardest fighting fish. Theyll wear you out

Years ago we used to try and catch crevalle on 2 and 4lb test to try and break the igfa line class world records. Needless to say, I didn’t have the patience to finesse one that long. One of my buddies did hold a few line class records out of Pensacola Bay.

Impressive.

I caught a 27 lb Jack crevalle several years ago. It was about like trying to fight a Volkswagen Beetle out of the water. But after a long (very, very long) fight, I prevailed.

I was a deckhand for a bit. We always lived hooking a jack. Usually made the trip for the clients

That's just cool, thanks for sharing.

Very cool story and pics! A little different from catching a redeye.

I hate em. Bloody suckers that you can’t eat and takes forever to get in and get your bait back. I know a lot of people that like to fight them. They are about like an amberjack to me. The juice ain’t worth the squeeze. Around here all you have to do is drift a live croaker behind a shrimp boat. It’s almost an automatic catch if you want it.

>>>I hate em. Bloody suckers that you can’t eat and takes forever to get in<<<

You have just described all saltwater fish.

Give me a redeye bass or a crappie any day. Then you got something worth eating.

I can see where you are coming from… but there’s bloody, and then there’s BLOODY. And I would put a blackfish up against those two any day. I don’t turn down many fish. But jack crevalle is one that I do.

The jack crevalle is the baddest sob in the gulf when it comes to hard fighting and tearing up tackle. Love those brutes. Have caught dozens of them one of which may have been a state record. Years ago we kept our boat and Fort Morgan Marina aka Navy Cove and one afternoon a school of those 20-30 lb jacks came into the dock area tearing up bait. A bunch of people were watching them and I happened to have a rod rigged in the docked boat and cast into them with a speck rod and one of them grabbed it and friggin smoked me! 10 pound line and what he did to my drag should be illegal. Just took off and never stopped til he spooled me. Everybody including myself laughing. Caught one behind a shrimp boat one time that was the biggest I have ever seen, had to be pushing 40. Took me 45 minutes to get him in.

The fly with the mackerel; is that essentially a clouser tied further back on the shank? Never seen that, but I know nothing about saltwater flies.

Jack crevelles are the bully’s of saltwater. They will kick you azz and take your name with them.
Only other fish close, at least around here are anberjacks, aka “ reef donkeys”.
While I’ve caught some giants of both including a 49# A J on fly out of Key West back in the 70’s, I’ll take the smaller ones now.
AU great job on a couple of stud jacks, especially on fly💪

I am with Pwyse, never seen the point in wasting time or equipment on trash fish, which pretty much includes all forms of Jack.If u just want to destroy a reel just tie the line to your truck and hit the gas.