# Jack Crevalle??



## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Never targeted them specifically, just as something to do when spotted. I'm sure there are other ways, but you can cruise along the beach looking for fish breaking up the surface, like really breaking up the surface (you'll be able to see it from quite a distance), birds will usually be diving into the whitewater, cast into or along the edges of the disturbance, any bait fish pattern should work because that's what at they're hitting. The further you can stay away from the school the longer they'll stay up top, if you get really close they'll sound and you'll have to try and find them again, eventually they'll go down anyway.

Good luck


----------



## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Chasing big jacks - haven't done that in years and years... Down along the 'Glades and in big bays on the east coast the big fish will chase a school of bait for miles... You see a blow-up and run to it only to see them blowing up a distance away... We learned to try to figure out which direction the bait was fleeing -then get ahead of them and try to get there while the party is still going on....

Big jacks (and every smaller jack...) will come to commotion in a heartbeat -so popping bugs worked like you were trying to scare every fish nearby work well... Once you're in them any fly worked erratically (like it was trying to get away....) will work just fine...

Funny thing - years ago when I held a commercial ticket and targeted dolphin offshore for the market - those exact same tactics just killed them... but back then it was light tackle gear with jigs and big chugger plugs or modified Zara Spooks to get the same effect. When I had someone with me that knew how to use a fly rod then it was popping bugs, etc. and just hang on....


----------



## THX1138 (Dec 20, 2016)

Sweet action! Sounds like this can be done DIY easy enough. I look forward to hearing any other info you guys have on the subject.

Lou


----------



## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

I love catching them here in Destin. You just have to wait for them to show up. Sometimes in the winter I can catch them right off my dock, but they are down deep. Other times, like they said above, you look for them crashing bait. They are related to the GT and if you hook a big one, it is game on. You will see your backing for sure.


----------



## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

GT can reach a larger size than the JC, but they are equals in shape and toughness. Targets of opportunity in Texas.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

THX1138 said:


> Anyone ever chase big jack crevalle? I just stumbled across an article about chasing theses on the fly. Looks like the poor mans GT to me!
> Anybody have any tips? Locations in north Florida to chase the bigger ones? I've heard destin is a place to go? Any recomendations on flies?
> 
> Lou


What area are you located/ fish and how far are you willing to travel for them. Are you shooting for a DIY trip or going with a knowledgeable guide who knows where the big boys show up. As far as the run of the mill average size jack crevelles themselves, they'll show up anywhere in Florida and along the Gulf and East coast. But getting the big bruisers is a "when and where" thing. Believe it or not, the "how" is just as important, as well. 

Personally, I have no problems targeting jacks, even regular size jacks. Pound for pound, its hard to beat them on the fly rod and those bigger "junk yard dawgs" will wear you out in short order! They are not quite as explosive as GT's, but it's hard to beat how these fish will crush a fly and sometimes, compete for the same fly. Their distinct bull dogging and rhythmic head thumping is their "calling card" to let you know that's him, even if you didn't see the fish.



Bigger fish like this one are definitely 10wt fish and sometimes you'll wish you had a 12wt in some cases.

Ted Haas


----------



## shb (Oct 29, 2013)

FFSW magazine had a good article on it.

Don't know what year or month.

Basic how to and where to go.


And of course guide Contact info

If my brain is to be trusted it was n.e. FL beaches in early spring.

Anyone with a collection of the FFSW magazines might be able to find it.

Maybe its online by now too.


----------



## rakeel (Apr 9, 2014)

Idk about Florida, but in TX jacks always seem to hang around the passes and jetties. You can usually run the beach front within a couple miles of any pass or jetty and find schools of jacks. Every now and then we'll run across schools in the bay too, but they're mostly the smaller ones. Awesome fight on light tackle though especially when you hook them in around 3-5ft of water. I hooked one this past summer that run so hard it was throwing a rooster tail.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

rakeel said:


> Idk about Florida, but in TX jacks always seem to hang around the passes and jetties. You can usually run the beach front within a couple miles of any pass or jetty and find schools of jacks. Every now and then we'll run across schools in the bay too, but they're mostly the smaller ones. Awesome fight on light tackle though especially when you hook them in around 3-5ft of water. I hooked one this past summer that run so hard it was throwing a rooster tail.


Same here in Florida.


----------



## THX1138 (Dec 20, 2016)

I will be in Florida late July/ early august. I thought about trying to hit the Destin area for reds and Jacks. Any input?

Lou


----------



## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

THX1138 said:


> I will be in Florida late July/ early august. I thought about trying to hit the Destin area for reds and Jacks. Any input?
> 
> Lou


Should be a good time for both reds and jacks and other inshore and near shore fish. As the time gets closer, message me and i'll give you a report. Maybe we could even meet up. You'll have your Cayenne by then right?


----------



## THX1138 (Dec 20, 2016)

Yes sir! I'll get home from Kosovo, get things sorted at the house for a couple days then the Mrs. and I will load up the truck and head south to pick up our new rig. I am planning a 2 week trip starting in the glades, then a couple days in the Miami area, followed by a few days at my moms in the St. Augustine area. After we leave my moms place we were gonna cut though Destin then the last stop on the way home will be Lake Guntersville (if we have it in us, lol) and end up back in Indianapolis. I've been tying flies like a fiend and researching as much as I can on-line. I've reached out to a few folks and a lot of people have been very helpful so far.

Lou


----------



## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

THX1138 said:


> Yes sir! I'll get home from Kosovo, get things sorted at the house for a couple days then the Mrs. and I will load up the truck and head south to pick up our new rig. I am planning a 2 week trip starting in the glades, then a couple days in the Miami area, followed by a few days at my moms in the St. Augustine area. After we leave my moms place we were gonna cut though Destin then the last stop on the way home will be Lake Guntersville (if we have it in us, lol) and end up back in Indianapolis. I've been tying flies like a fiend and researching as much as I can on-line. I've reached out to a few folks and a lot of people have been very helpful so far.
> 
> Lou


My best friend here in Destin used to be the manager of the Guntersville airport which is right on Lake Guntersville. He knows that lake like the back of his hand. We have a conference in Birmingham in April and were planning to fish the lake then. For sure hit me up before you hit Destin and we can hit some spots. Hit Crab Island. It will be cool to have a couple of Ankona's running around here in Destin.


----------



## THX1138 (Dec 20, 2016)

Hell yeah!

Lou


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Lou, don't rule out St Augustine. Tho April and May are the best time to find big jacks schooling on the beaches up there, there are some big ones that hang around the pass and the beach on either side of the pass, during the summer. Also inside on the intercoastal, even in the residential areas. There is also some good redfishing inside, further north. Start doing some research for that area and you can make it a family and fishing stop. You have Oyster Creek outfitters (good fly shop) in St Augustine and also Black Fly up in Jax, to pick their brain for a DIY trip up there. Also look up a local guide there called "Drum Man". He's a cool guy and should be willing to point you out some jacks spot. He's also got the reds dialed in up there on the fly.


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Here's a bruiser for you - I put my bro on this fish and it kicked his ass...










That was on a 10wt and the reel drag failed (wouldn't crank down all the way) and the rod blank separated from the cork! We still landed it - that was probably a 45 minute fight.

And here is one caught on an 8 wt with 8lb test and on a Ross Evo reel (don't ask why I was fishing that rig and hooked a big jack):









They like fast moving flies and will eat nearly anything. I've actually seen a big jack like the size of the second up in the flats head down and tailing like a permit. It wasn't a calm and smooth motion like tailing permit behavior. Think Randy Quaid dancing compared to his brother Dennis.

And here's one on a 14 wt - that's the rod weight to put some serious hurt on the fish. I was able to get this sucker in much faster. They turn sideways and sound on you - it's like pulling a bathtub off the ocean floor.


----------



## Ken T (Dec 10, 2015)

Target of opportunity around Tampa Bay. Eat just about anything in their path I tie some Baitfish and Poppers on very heavy wire hooks for these encounters. 

I Keep a 10 wt. on board for when you find them.


----------



## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

Nice jacks gentlemen!


----------



## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

There's currently a bunch schooled up in the Bights down in Flamingo. Not quite as big as some of those shown, but some nice ones in the 5-10lb range in a foot of water. You'll see them pushing huge wakes, throw a fly in front of them and they will chase and explode on the flies. We've got some on the 5wt and they are unstoppable. We've caught some on 8wt's, too. Definitely fun fish to catch on a fly rod.


----------



## redjim (Oct 16, 2012)

Backwater said:


> What area are you located/ fish and how far are you willing to travel for them. Are you shooting for a DIY trip or going with a knowledgeable guide who knows where the big boys show up. As far as the run of the mill average size jack crevelles themselves, they'll show up anywhere in Florida and along the Gulf and East coast. But getting the big bruisers is a "when and where" thing. Believe it or not, the "how" is just as important, as well.
> 
> Personally, I have no problems targeting jacks, even regular size jacks. Pound for pound, its hard to beat them on the fly rod and those bigger "junk yard dawgs" will wear you out in short order! They are not quite as explosive as GT's, but it's hard to beat how these fish will crush a fly and sometimes, compete for the same fly. Their distinct bull dogging and rhythmic head thumping is their "calling card" to let you know that's him, even if you didn't see the fish.
> 
> ...


Great photo, Ted!!!


----------



## nlesomr (Jul 18, 2016)

The big boys are in the Savannah area during the summer months. My wife put a video together for me of one I caught last year on my 8 wt. 

https://youtu.be/nx8cVrZ8YYE


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Have seen some big ones in the Tampa Bay area. Have yet to get a fly in front of them since they move through the area so quickly. Its just a matter of time though...wanna hear the Tibor sing...


----------



## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

We used to target them on deep water warm water outflows by power plants in the winter. The school would sometimes sit on the surface with their fins sticking out. The dirty work came when they decided to swim down 20'. We did quite a bit of quality control testing of rods back then.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

redjim said:


> Great photo, Ted!!!


Redjim, it's hard to beat those big jacks you have over on your side of the state, on on the beaches straight out east from where you live, when they are spawning.


----------



## Cronced (Nov 18, 2016)

I personally love catching jacks. Here are a few pictures showing the difference between ocean/beach jacks and jacks caught several miles inland. Ocean fish are much brighter and silvery. Inland fish take on that tannic/green hue of the inland water. I wouldn't go for fish like either of these with anything less than an 8 weight. And a 10 would be better for powering big flies out into the surf. Also, practice your 2 hand strip as these fish love to chase down their meals at high velocity!
View attachment 5171
View attachment 5172


----------



## THX1138 (Dec 20, 2016)

Beautiful fish bro! 

Lou


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Like I said on the fly post after that big chartreuse and white baitfish pattern with the big eyes.... That's what I would be throwing to big jacks (10wt fly for sure it seems).

Here is some patterns I throw.

Deep water places like passes, oceanside offshore, reefs, etc...


For schooling or spawning jacks, especially out off the edges of the flats or out on the beaches in April, I'll throw the following....

Scaled sardine baitfish patterns like my "Ted Haas Greenie" 3-4" profile on a 1/0-2/0 hook.


Love large 9 or 10wt size chartreuse and white clousers. 1/0 hooks, med size lead dumbbell eyes, bucktail, silver or gold crystal flash for the lateral line and I normally like to finish the head wraps with hot or fluorescent pink thread (not shown), just to give them a lil candy to look at.


Red and white synthetic mullet flies


Mullet flies


The best way to hit a schooling pod of jacks is to either throw in front of them, leading them 5-10ft away or to the side of a spawning pod (like a tangent) and throw past the pod. I personally like to throw a clear intermediate line or sink tip line for that. 

Now for the 2 handed strip..... Allow the fly to sink, put the rod handle up under your right arm pit. Lean forward/over a bit so the rod tip is pointing down to the water, or better yet, touching the water. Spread your legs apart just wider than shoulder width. Take the fly line and do a 2 handed strip, stripping downward with both hands as fast as you possibly can, throwing the flyline on the deck or into a stripping basket (laundry hamper is fine), stripping that mutha as fast as you can.... and watch the water explode behind your fly, seeing multiple fish chase and compete for it!

It's truly epic! 

Ted Haas


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

I should add that they are better to target at low tide when the bait is concentrated. They tend to spread out more at high tides. At low, they'll group up and bash the bait.

On one trip I could have sworn it was raining bowling balls. We turned a corner and saw HUGE splashes with pelicans going nuts. It was a school of a hundred huge jacks just blowing up the place. We were in a spot where there are shallow sand bars just under the water that will pop out at low tide. I looked over and mentioned that I did not recall a sand bar being in that spot before - it wasn't a sand bar, it was the huge school of jacks. They moved towards us and went right under the boat - it was like watching something out of a National Geographic show. That's where my bro hook that big one I posted earlier.


----------



## RunningOnEmpty (Jun 20, 2015)

I have been finding jack's around the freshwater spillways consistently in Naples. They look very different in the dark stained waters. The Marco river at night is a blast with a 8wt. I don't recommend using your favorite new fly line because there's a good chance it will get trashed in the docks.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

RunningOnEmpty said:


> I have been finding jack's around the freshwater spillways consistently in Naples. They look very different in the dark stained waters. The Marco river at night is a blast with a 8wt. I don't recommend using your favorite new fly line because there's a good chance it will get trashed in the docks.


I use to run the freshwater side of the Caloosahatchee River, growing up on it, running my jon boat as a kid (14ft w/15 Johnson) looking (more like targeting) for schools of jacks terrorizing the shorelines and also the spillways. It was fun to see them a 1/4 mile away, then would run up ahead of them and wait for them to come. Back then, I only used spinning rods with artificials. Prolly caught more jacks in freshwater as a kid, than a lot of fishermen had caught in saltwater their entire lives. They are pretty there with deep golds and yellows from the tannin tea stained waters.

This one was caught more recent on fly, in the evening on foot at a freshwater spillway on that river. Notice the colors, tho the lighting is messed up.



Spillways are fun to catched them at and I've caught lots at a few spillways just south of you off of 41 (south of Naples).

Ted Haas


----------



## RunningOnEmpty (Jun 20, 2015)

It's difficult for people to believe, but jack cleaned and grilled properly is very good. There was a time in my younger days I depended on catching my dinner or go to bed hungry. I always had money for food, but it went in my gas tank and towards fishing gear LOL. The good ole days before settling down.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

RunningOnEmpty said:


> It's difficult for people to believe, but jack cleaned and grilled properly is very good. There was a time in my younger days I depended on catching my dinner or go to bed hungry. I always had money for food, but it went in my gas tank and towards fishing gear LOL. The good ole days before settling down.


Cut out the red meat and the pin bone strip along the lateral line, (like a lot of saltwater fish have) and throw them in the smoker and they are not bad either.

Unfortunately, like the thread we just had on Barracuda limits, the jacks are being netted by the mullet netters during the off-season and sold down to Miami. So over the past several years, I've seen a significant drop in jacks numbers. Same thing with many other species.... Sad!


----------



## RunningOnEmpty (Jun 20, 2015)

I'm seeing less of everything. The waters can't handle the population we have now.


----------



## RG Air (Nov 10, 2015)

beach side during fall mullet run from ft pierce to ft lauderdale. Find out where the pods are thick from shops then turn your trip into tarpon and snook with a side of jack


----------

