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| Bruiser of a Jack Crevalle |
My time on the Caribbean side of Panama was plagued with strong winds which is actually quite normal for the time of year. The trade winds blow strong across the Caribbean during December and January. This brings the surfers in their droves to the Bocas Del Toro archipelago where we were based. With swells that can reach 10 feet or more they are in heaven but it's not great for us anglers wishing to get out on the open ocean for a spot of fishing.
Every now and then the winds would relent and the swells would drop, giving the occasional chance to get out there and see what's biting. The hot spots were where two large estuary systems emptied out, the predators could often be found here smashing the bait shoals.
It's common to find Tarpon, Jack Crevalles and King Mackerel at these locations and one particular day I found myself attached to the monster Jack at the top of this post. I caught this fish by casting a bucktail jig towards a shoal of Tarpon. This Jack must have been swimming with them as it hit the lure and treated me to a fantastic fight. They really do pull hard and the runs were incredible as can be seen in this video here:
BIG JACK CREVALLE VIDEO:
It's a very good specimen and certainly the biggest I have ever caught. Estimated a little over 20lb it's a fine fish. I don't think Jacks get the credit they deserve as pound for pound there really isn't much that pulls as hard as them. They're always a thrill to catch and never disappoint. You can really appreciate the bulk of the fish from the photo below....I will never tire of catching these fish. You've got to love a 'Jack Attack'!
