The Best Jack Crevalle Charters

Our Damn Good Guides currently offer 271 jack crevalle trips, and the most popular trips are Tavernier Backcountry Fishing guided by Ben, Big Redfish on the Jetty guided by Brandon, and Tampa Bay Fishing Classic guided by Christopher.

Our guides are rated a 5 out of 5 based on 5081 verified reviews on Captain Experiences.

All guides on Captain Experiences are licensed, insured, and vetted by our team. You can access their reviews, click through trip photos, read bios to get to know them, and preview trip details like species, techniques, group sizes, boat specs and more.

Inshore fishing is the most popular for jack crevalle as well as nearshore fishing, flats fishing, and deep sea fishing.

The most common fishing techniques are light tackle fishing, live bait fishing, and bottom fishing but trolling and artificial lure fishing are popular as well.

for jack crevalle prices can range anywhere from $250 to $3,000 and up, but the average price for a half day for jack crevalle is $809. The average price for a full day for jack crevalle is $1,866.

The most popular season for jack crevalle fishing is spring, and most anglers book their trips 21 days in advance.

See here for more information on jack crevalle fishing licenses, jack crevalle bag limits, and fishing season regulations for jack crevalle. When in doubt, your fishing guide will always know the right jack crevalle rules and regulations.

The crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) is a large marine fish within the jack family, described and named in 1766 by the Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus. You may recognize them from another name like the common jack, blacktailed trevally, couvalli jack, black cavalli, or yellow cavalli. Jack crevalles are found in tropical and temperate waters in the Atlantic Ocean from Canada, to Uruguay, to Portugal. The young fish migrate from the eastern Atlantic to tropical waters before winter.

The coloring of a jack crevalle can range from a brassy green, to bluish-black dorsally, becoming silvery white or golden ventrally. There is a dark spot on the pectoral fin and another near the face, on the operculum. Juveniles will have five dark, vertical bands on their side, which fade into adulthood.

As their latin name suggests, jack crevalles can be compared to marine horses. They are said to have quite the attitude, and pack a punch when it comes time to reel them in. Voracious eaters, they will kill nearly anything smaller that’s in the way and are known as bullies of the sea. A strong fight is in store if you get one on the line, as jack crevalles are some of the toughest pound for pound.

As one of the largest fish in their genus, jack crevalles can grow up to over 40 inches and weigh over 55 pounds. However, an average size is closer to 23 inches long, and are considered mature at 21 inches for males, and 25 inches for females.

There are unverified reports of jack crevalle reaching lengths of over 60 inches, although I think we’ve all caught fish that somehow got bigger and bigger by the time we reach shore.

The current world record jack crevalle weighs in at 54 pounds and 7 ounces. It was caught in Gabon, Africa on June 14th, 1991. However, there are claims of bigger that have been caught. Florida Fish and Wildlife lists the Florida state record at 57 pounds, caught in Jupiter, Florida.

Jack crevalle are found in the Atlantic Ocean, ranging extensively along both the eastern American coastline and the western African and European coastlines. One of the best places to go for crevalle jack is the Gulf of Mexico around the oil rigs. Take a trip out of anywhere along the coast and you’ll find them, peak season being from May until August.

Adults that move offshore are usually found around 100 meters deep in continental shelf waters. There, they live on outer shelf edges, sill reefs, and deep reefs. They can also be found nearshore by reefs and even inshore areas. Depending on the depth and maturity of the fish, they will move in large schools or roam in solitude.

Jack Crevalles can generally be caught year round inshore. They use coastal estuaries to spawn and grow in, as well congregating there during times of cooler water temperatures. The best time to catch a larger jack inshore is in the fall.

These fish in general are highly migrational. On the Atlantic Coast, they will move further north in the summer, towards Port Orange, Florida, and back down towards Palm Beach in the winter. On the Gulf Coast, you’ll have luck year round from the Panhandle to the Keys.

When jacks are hunting, they will drive baitfish to the surface to feed, which attracts birds to the area. This will give you a hint on where to head out once you hit the water. You can catch them with both artificial and live bait, whether you’re trolling, spinning, fly-fishing, or surfcasting. The more natural and active whichever bait you’re using looks, the more likely they will bite.

Though they aren’t as selective as other fish, they are specially noted for their ferocious fights. Due to this, you’ll need to scale your tackle to the size you’re targeting. A 20 to 40 pound monofilament leader is recommended. Jacks will often compete with each other for bait, so be sure not to set the hook until you’re sure they’ve got a good bite, then hang on tight and get ready for a battle!

Jack Crevalles are notorious for the fight they put up while fishing, but unfortunately do not make great table fare. If you do choose to keep them for the meat, it is recommended to bleed them upon capture, and that smaller fish tend to taste better.

Though, some will argue that if prepared correctly, they are a delicacy! After bleeding, be sure to soak the fillets in either milk, buttermilk, or beer for several days to remove the fishier taste. Then fry or grill them up, and serve!