The bigger the fish, the bigger the fight

Amberjacks are an underrated species. They are abundant in our nearshore waters. They grow large. They fight hard. They are reasonably easy to catch. Around here, most people don’t eat them. However, in Florida, you will often find them on restaurant menus. Whether you eat them or not, if you are spoiling for a tough fight, amberjacks are right up your alley.
 
Recently, my son Elliott and my brother Dave joined Brody and me on a nearshore fishing trip. Our plan was to explore a series of ledges in 80 feet of water. It was our hope to locate some new areas to slow pitch jig for grouper when the season opens. Upon arrival, we deployed a spread of DTX Minnow lures and trolled along the ledge. When we passed over a promising section of the ledge, we would mark it with a GPS waypoint. This builds our “book” of highly probable grouper spots. When the season opens, we will have lots of places to fish for grouper and snapper.
 
After trolling for about an hour, one of the DTX Minnows got slammed. The fish made a long punishing run. Elliott picked up the rod and began fighting the fish. Based on how it was fighting, we guessed it to be a big wahoo. When fighting a big wahoo that is hooked on a DTX Minnow, it is important to keep the boat moving forward. This makes the fight more difficult, but it helps to keep the fish hooked up. Thirty minutes into the fight, Elliott was beginning to sweat. The long and scorching runs made by the fish had us convinced we had a giant wahoo on the line. Forty-five minutes into the fight, Elliott was dead tired, but he pressed on. A few minutes later, we could see the outline of a long fish in the depths. We were all disappointed when a huge amberjack came to the boat. It was so big, we had trouble
lifting the behemoth to take a picture before releasing it.
 
Back at the dock, I plugged the amberjack’s length and girth measurements into the IGFA fish weight calculator. The calculated weight of the fish was 93 pounds. This prompted me to check the South Carolina state record. The state record amberjack is 123 pounds. If you want a tough fight from a big fish, in nearshore waters, the amberjack is for you.
 
Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call 843-224-0099.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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