The wrecks and reefs offshore in the Atlantic are pretty well covered up with greater amberjacks this time of year. We call them the charter captain’s friend, because when nothing else is biting, they can always count on a big AJ to provide a thrill to their customers. On a recent trip, we were looking for some good bottom fishing, but, when the bottom bite left us, we opted for some light tackle, live-baiting for the amberjack that were schooled up under our boat.
1. Light Tackle was the Key
Photo © Ron Brooks Click picture to enlarge
When I say light tackle, I compare it to the bottom fishing equipment we had on board. We had seven foot medium action casting rods, one with an Abu Garcia 7000, the other with a Shimano Tekota 300. The Abu was spooled with 20 pound braided line; the Tekota had 17 pound monofilament. Both outfits were easy to use pitching 1ive bait to the fish.
2. A Good Leader was a Must
Photo © Ron Brooks Click picture to enlarge
The leader we used - as I almost always use - was 60 pound test fluorocarbon. We used a surgeon's knot to tie the leader to our line and then to a 6/0 circle hook. We actually had no problem with the lighter line because the leaders held up well - even to catch a big cuda in the mix. The circle hook worked perfectly on every fish, and because it hooked the cuda in the corner of its mouth, we were able to get him to the boat. He did make one really spectacular jump while hooked.
3. Live Bait Made the Difference
Photo © Ron Brooks Click on picture to enlarge
Ordinarily, we stop on the beach and net some menhaden shad for bait before we head out, but the menhaden were not to be found this day. So we stopped at a couple of artificial reefs on the way out to the 21 bottom and caught Spanish sardines, and other small baitfish on Sabiki rigs. These live baits were just the ticket for the amberjack school.
4. Bottom Line
The beauty of offshore fishing is that when one type of fishing proves to be dead, there are a number of other options. In this case, we could hardly buy a bottom bite. But when we saw another boat double up on AJ's, we followed suite quickly and started wearing them out. Actually, they pretty much wore us out as well! And - that’s a good thing!
