Giant Yellow Jack Caught Offshore
The variety of species biting right now out of Fort Lauderdale continues to impress, and this trip delivered something you don’t see every day—a giant yellow jack that had everyone on board fired up.
Trophy Yellow Jack Steals the Show
While fishing offshore structure, we hooked into a powerful fish that immediately made long, stubborn runs and stayed deep—classic jack behavior.
After a solid fight, we brought to the boat a true trophy yellow jack (Carangoides bartholomaei), one of the biggest we’ve seen in a while.
Yellow jacks are known for:
- Their strength and endurance
- Fast, hard runs in open water
- Traveling in small groups around reefs and wrecks
This fish checked all the boxes and gave the angler an unforgettable fight from start to finish.
How We Caught It
This giant yellow jack was caught using live bait, presented naturally around offshore structure.
Key factors that led to the bite:
- Fishing over productive reef/wreck areas
- Live bait in the water column
- Clean blue water pushing in tight to the coast
Yellow jacks often cruise just off the reef edges, and when conditions line up like this, they become aggressive and willing to eat.
Underrated but Hard-Fighting Species
While many anglers come to Fort Lauderdale targeting sailfish, tuna, or mahi, species like the yellow jack are often overlooked—but they shouldn’t be.
Pound for pound, they are:
- One of the hardest fighting fish on the reef
- Extremely fun on light tackle
- A great bonus catch on any offshore trip
When you hook a big one, you know it right away.
Consistent Multi-Species Action Offshore
What makes Fort Lauderdale deep sea fishing so unique right now is the variety.
On any given trip, anglers have a shot at:
- Sailfish
- Blackfin tuna
- Mahi-mahi
- Grouper and snapper
- And powerful reef species like this giant yellow jack
There’s always something biting, and you never know what the next drop or drift might produce.
