Amberjack Fishing

Greater Amberjack are also called Sea Donkey's in the northern Gulf of Mexico because the fight hard and give anglers one of the best fights of any reef fish.  If you want to catch one of these fish, you need to book a full day fishing trip that gets you way offshore or south of Orange Beach or Gulf Shores.   These fish are fun to catch and pull like a freight train when hooked.   The best time to catch these fish is from August to October each year.  That is when they are in season.  You need to book a full day charter so the captain has time to get you far enough offshore or to deeper water.   Don't be expecting these fish on any trip less than a full day or a trip within 40 miles of shore.

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Even though the scientific name for Amberjack is Seriola Dumerili, we simply just call them Jacks or AJ's. These reef fish are identified by a dark stripe that extends from their nose to through their eyes and up to their dorsal fin.  When feeding agressively, this stripe lights up. The Dorsal Fin base is less than twice the length of the bottom fin base or anal fin. Amberjack live in 50 to 300 feet of water and are often high in the water colum. They run in packs like dogs and are often together and swim in schools. Amberjack eat other smaller fish that they can catch and a legal size 30 inch fork length fish weighs from 13 to 15 pounds. The Amberjack reach sexual maturity at about 35 inches fork length. Some of the largest Amberjacks caught off of Alabama's waters are 125 pounds.

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