# Large Amberjacks



## feelin' wright (Oct 7, 2007)

We have began jigging alot more in the last year but have never been able to come up with that one large AJ (50 lbs or greater). Anyone have any advice on how to target these large AJs on jigs? We have hit the common places (tenneco cheveron antares etc) and only come up with 30-35 inch amberjack. Should we start focusing more so on the edge with high relief or maybe just go west to the rigs. 

We fish out of Pensacola Pass..Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

Joey


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## CAPEHORN 31 (Jan 13, 2011)

Depending on what size boat you have makes a difference. If you can make it out 60 miles, go to the mp255 oil rig and drop down a Squidtail Lure and you will catch 40-60 lb AJ's every drop!


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

The places you mention get hit pretty hard by spear fisherman. They take the ones they want, and i am sure thay would take the larger ones when they swim past. I don't know but I have seen plenty of divers on these spots.... from time to time. does not mean bigger ones arent there though


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## DreamWeaver21 (Oct 3, 2007)

Depends on what you are trying to do. 

If you are targeting LARGE AJs then I would switch over to live bait. Large live bait. A 7lb bonito is not too big, neither is a whole live chicken dolphin, but both will have to be caught on site because they don't stay alive worth a damn. Putting a big bait down will help to keep the smaller ones away but it isn't fool proof. A pretty small jack will try a pretty big bait.

If you are targeting large AJs ON JIGS, then just go somewhere that there might be big AJs and catch a ton of them until a big one bites. I don't know a way to keep punk jacks off a jig.

I don't know everything about AJ fishing but I have caught a couple big ones over the years. The first fish was caught fun fishing on a commercial boat and was 91lbs GUTTED OUT. Caught it on a TLD 20. The second fish was 88lbs whole weight. Caught it on a Penn 8500ss.


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

200 + ft of water, and really large live bait. Although we caught one a couple of years ago on my boat that weighed 128 lbs on a jig, so who knows.










it was one of those 14 oz williamson jigs. 25 lb test.


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

FenderBender said:


> 200 + ft of water, and really large live bait. Although we caught one a couple of years ago on my boat that weighed 128 lbs on a jig, so who knows.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is that the one that sat on ice for a year or so?


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

Mr. Fish yeah I think it is still in the freezer at Outcast, it was last time I checked. The guy that caught it still hasn't finished his paperwork for the line class world record on it.


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

Realtor said:


> The places you mention get hit pretty hard by spear fisherman. They take the ones they want, and i am sure thay would take the larger ones when they swim past. I don't know but I have seen plenty of divers on these spots.... from time to time. does not mean bigger ones arent there though


I honestly stay away from the BIG AJs while spearfishing. The medium sized ones woop me if I don't get a kill shot. I've had 33"-35" woop my rear end underwater. So I usually don't pick a fight with the bigger ones. But there are others that love to go on the big AJ rodeo underwater. But for me, I let the big ones swim right on by and pick out the medium sized ones.


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

I have caught huge ambers on live chicken dolphin.


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## my3nme (Oct 9, 2007)

The largest one's I've caught have been on live bait. Bigger the better. Great advice above.


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## SteveFL (Aug 2, 2010)

Telum Pisces said:


> I honestly stay away from the BIG AJs while spearfishing. The medium sized ones woop me if I don't get a kill shot. I've had 33"-35" woop my rear end underwater. So I usually don't pick a fight with the bigger ones. But there are others that love to go on the big AJ rodeo underwater. But for me, I let the big ones swim right on by and pick out the medium sized ones.


Glad you added to the discussion; I was just trying to imagine a diver trying to hold on to a big, angry AJ. We've caught a few around the 50 lb size and to be honest, they just don't taste as good as the smaller ones.


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## feelin' wright (Oct 7, 2007)

Thank you for the advice. Seems simple enough to just fish a large live bait. Hopefully we can put it to good use on our next trip out.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

feelin' wright said:


> Thank you for the advice. Seems simple enough to just fish a large live bait. Hopefully we can put it to good use on our next trip out.


 
You do not need live bait to catch big Ajs, they catch hundred pounders out of North Carolina all the time on jigs. You just have to be where the big boys are, they will inhale a jig. I can say a big jig will produce bigger Ajs.


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

lobsterman said:


> You do not need live bait to catch big Ajs, they catch hundred pounders out of North Carolina all the time on jigs. You just have to be where the big boys are, they will inhale a jig. I can say a big jig will produce bigger Ajs.


I agree it is proven that a big AJ will eat a big jig, no doubt. First, you definitely need to be in deeper water where the big boys are.

The theory about using a BIG live bait (like a 6 or 7 lb bonita, or mahi) is that only a BIG jack can inhale it, and it weeds out catching all the smaller ones. Personally, I like jigging but if I was exclusively trying to catch a monster AJ I would try a big live bait. Even at places like the 255 we have caught most of the biggest ones off live bait, though we've had some monsters on jigs too.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

Here is precisely what I am talking about.


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