I hope you find this fish info helpful on Charter Fishing on the Gulf Of Mexico out of Johns Pass Madeira Beach Florida. Please call me if there are any other questions I can discuss with you.
Captain Bob Poteshman 773-682-1888
Jacks and Mackerel
Greater Amberjack: Seriola dumerili
Appearance:
- Olive green or brownish back and silver sides
- Dark stripe from nose to front of dorsal fin that “lights up” when fish is in feeding mode
- Anal fin is about 2/3 the length of the second dorsal fin
- 11-19 gill rakers present on each gill arch
- No scutes (bone-like projections) on body
Size: Up to 60 inches (176 pounds); common around 40 inches and under 40 pounds
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Lesser Amberjack: Seriola fasciata
Appearance:
- Olive green or brownish black and silver sides
- Dark band (variably present) extends upward from eye
- Juveniles have split or wavy bars on sides
- Proportionately larger eye and deeper body than greater amberjack
Habitat:
Lesser amberjack are found nearshore and offshore. Thes fish are typically found in deeper waters than other Seriola (commonly 180 – 410 feet deep).
Behavior:
Lesser amberjacks are the smallest of the amberjacks. It is believed they spawn offshore. Adults eat fish and squid.
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Crevalle Jack: Caranx hippos
Appearance:
- Color bluish-green to greenish-gold back and silvery or yellowish belly
- Soft dorsal and anal fins almost identical in size
- Prominent black spot on operculum (gill cover)
- Black spot at the base of each pectoral fin
- No scales on throat
Habitat:
Crevalel jacks are common in both inshore waters and the open sea.
Behavior:
These fish can tolerate a wide range of salinities. Typically, schools will corner a school of baitfish at the surface and feed with commotion that can be seen at great distances. Crevalle jack feed mainly on small fish. Peak spawning occurs offshore from March through September.
Additional Information
State Record: 57 lb, caught near Jupiter
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Rainbow Runner
The rainbow runner, also known as the rainbow yellowtail, Spanish jack and Hawaiian salmon, is a common species of pelagic marine fish of the jack family, Carangidae.
Elagatis bipinnulata
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Almaco Jack: Seriola rivoliana
Appearance:
- A deep-bodied amberjack
- Sometimes they appear darker in coloration and their front dorsal and anal fins are high and elongated
- The body is more flattened than the banded rudderfish or greater amberjack
- No bony scutes are found on the caudal peduncle
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Banded Rudderfish: Seriola zonata
Appearance:
- Fish that are less than 11 inches long have a dark band from the eye to the first dorsal fin and six prominent bars on body
- Larger fish are bluish, greenish, or brown
- Soft dorsal base about twice the length of the anal fin
- The tail-lobe is white tipped
Habitat:
These fish are found nearshore and offshore over hard bottom, generally in shallower water than other amberjacks. Young banded rudderfish are associated with weed lines or floating debris and may follow sharks and other large fish.
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Florida Pompano
The Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) is a member of the jack family and supports a highly important commercial and recreational fishery in the state of Florida.
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African pompano
The African pompano is a widely distributed species of tropical marine fish in the jack family, Carangidae. Alectis ciliaris
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Spanish Mackerel: Scomberomorous maculatus
Appearance:
- Color of back green, shading to silver on sides with golden yellow irregular spots found above and below the lateral line
- Front of dorsal fin is black
- Lateral line curves gently to base of tail
Behavior:
Spanish mackerel are a schooling fish that migrates northward in spring, returning to southerly waters when water temperature drops below 70 degrees F. They spawns offshore from spring through summer and feeds on small fish and squid.
Additional Information
State Record: 12 lb, caught near Ft. Pierce
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King Mackerel: Scomberomorus cavalla
Appearance:
- Color ranges from black iridescent to bluish green with silvery sides
- The body is streamlined with a tapered head
- No black pigment present on the front of the first dorsal fin
- The lateral line starts high and drops sharply below the second dorsal fin
- Young fish often have yellowish spots, similar to the Spanish mackerel
Additional Information
State Record: 90 lb, caught near Key West