By Caitlyn Gatrell
Every angler has different preferences when it comes to what’s considered a “good catch”. Most think of lengthy gamefish and some might think of anything that’s big. For me, I look at it as a mix of both. One species in particular we’ll focus on is jack crevalle. They might not be considered a gamefish, but one fact about them is they are very strong, no matter the size! So, when I hook up to a large one and I feel my arm muscles get tight, I think of that as a good catch. Do you?
Recently I was able to get a new personal best Jack while out fishing. My fiancé and I brought our pups out for our German Shepherd’s birthday, and I always say, they are our good luck charm. We were able to catch snook, redfish, trout, tarpon, goliath, and my new best jack that day!
The jack was the first catch of the morning and boy did it put on a show. After we loaded up on mullet at our favorite bait spot, we were making our way towards one of our honey holes when we came across a school of rolling tarpon. We came in slowly and quiet and threw out our bait. Not only could we see a bunch gulping air around us, but there was a lot of topwater action also.
As we quietly sat and waited, soon I felt something hit my bait hard, and the line started to take off. I jumped up hoping it was a tarpon but after no jumps and a specific tug, I knew it wasn’t a silver king. I could feel the fish digging and it would take off when it would get closer to the boat. My gut was telling me jack or shark and sure enough with that first surface movement I could see it was a pretty nice sized jack. Of course, it took off a couple times, so I had to fight it for a bit before I was able to bring it into the boat. I was a bit nervous with all the action as we have seen plenty of sharks over there! But I was able to get it in, take a few photos, and release it without the tax man showing up.
I felt great after fighting that fish and my arms felt like they had a little workout! While jack may not be as hype as a trophy snook or a feisty tarpon, I still love when I get to hook up to a big one and I encourage others to look at it the same!