by Eric Henson
Most people who fish, do it for many different reasons. Some do it to escape from the everyday grind, some do it just for the pure beauty of being on the water, and others for the shear thrill of hunting different species of fish. But, if you are out there to find the best fishing challenge, when it comes to saltwater fishing the fish that comes to mind for pound for pound hardest fighter would be the Jack.
There are many different species of Jacks all over the world and are they are all known for their long hard fights. The Jack Crevalle is one of the most popular species that lives here in our local waters. Generally, they travel in large groups and don’t discriminate on what they eat. Look for schools of bait getting blasted in every direction and most likely it’s them. They will eat anything from bait fish to crustaceans. My favorite thing that I like to pitch at them are top water lures like the Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil. Their top water assaults are ferocious and if the first one misses it, keep on working it because there is going to be another one right behind waiting to explode again! Then the second thing I like throw are Monster 3X Paddle-X soft-plastics with a 1/8 oz. jig head. Swim it very fast with slight twitches and hold on when it hits! These fish pull like a freight train as you start to look at your reel wondering if you have enough line. When they start to swim in a circle in either direction, this means they are starting to slow down but, even when they start to slow down you still have a good fight ahead of you. The last but definitely not last way I like to target them is with a fly rod. Once you’ve hooked one these fish on a fly rod, you will be hooked for life. They will have you into your backing in seconds! Most of the time it doesn’t really matter which fly or what lure you are throwing as long as you work it fast.
You can find these fish from deep in the backwaters all the way out to the gulf. Just make sure your tackle is up to par when playing with these guys because they will surely test it. I hope that on your next trip you run into these tackle testing machines and have some fun. As always please be safe! Take care of your local waters and respect all the anglers on the water. There is plenty enough water out there for everyone to enjoy. Tight Knots and Tight Lines to all!