while fishing with light (bass) tackle for specks and reds (in a 14 jonboat, no less), i hooked a 31 lb jack [whats really scary is they grow over 125 lbs in louisiana.] that took my brother and i for a ride that lasted over an hour, literally pulling the boat from shore into the deeper water of lake bourgne/lake pontchartrain. i guess i should be embarrassed, cuz jacks arent really known for long fights, but moreso for short fierce battles that wear a fisherman out. other than billfish (and big bull bream), and some tarpon ive caught on fly rods, it is the hardest fighting fish ive ever hooked…and that includes reds, sharks, bass (granted, ive never caught a smallmouth), peacock bass, alligator gar, and barracuda. tuna comes close, too. of course, the tackle you are using plays a big role in each experience.and as folks have mentioned, if prepared correctly, it is a really good eating fish…especially on the grill (skin on). its been a while, but id marinate mine in some homemade italian dressing, and grill over med heat (lid closed as much as possible) with a lemon/butter/garlic concoction that you brush on. when the fish starts to flake with a fork, its ready to eat.as far as tackle, the lighter you go, the more likely you are to lose a fish, but your “fun” quotient goes way up with smaller rods and line…so bring at least one 7 med/hvy bass rod with 15-17 lb test and a reel with a good drag. and be prepared to lose some fish, as you more than likely will be fishing around some sort of structure, full of barnacles, no less (and remember to rinse your rod and reel with fresh water when you get home) however, my guess is youll be offshore a bit, so you need to be prepared primarily for deep water requiring stout tackle, heavy weights, and large reels.check this out if you wanna know what to expect. http://www.youtube.com/wa…1-zdrg or http://www.youtube.com/wa…ksHM&feature=relatedyou, my friend, are in for a treat if you get on some! its cool hearing folks who are going fishing specifically for amberjacks, as it is usually a sidebar to a fishing trip for another species. have fun.Last edited by cajun catter on July 25th, 2011, 3:26 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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