Many fish along the Alabama Gulf Coast will provide any angler with a great fight, but few will match the might of the crevalle jack (otherwise known as a jack or a kingfish). While many people travel across the globe to fish for Giant Trevally (the larger cousin to the jack), we are lucky enough to find their green and yellow cousins in our local inshore waters and along the beaches.
When & Where to Find Crevalle Jack on Alabama Beaches
Being that crevalle jack is a migratory species, the timing of their arrival changes year-to-year, depending on air and water temperatures, but typically, the peak season for jacks is during the summer and fall months, peaking between August and October.
If you can, one of the best ways to target them is by boat or kayak. At sunrise, look for schools of baitfish like pogies or mullet and diving birds. A dead giveaway of a school of crevalle jacks is cannonball-sized blowups on the surface. Another great way to find them is to find a local shrimp boat pulling its catch. The schools of jacks will often hang behind these boats looking for an easy meal.
Land-Based Crevalle Jack Fishing Tips
From land, you still have plenty of options to get on these hard-fighting fish. Some of the best surf fishing spots for crevalle jack are near local passes or land cuts, such as Perdido Pass, Little Lagoon Pass, or Mobile Pass at the tip of the Fort Morgan peninsula. Walking these areas in the summer and fall can be very productive for jacks, and you may also find yourself hooking into other species like bull redfish, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and many other species.
Topwater Tactics for Crevalle Jack Strikes
Some of the most exciting hookups you can get from jacks come from topwater baits like poppers and chug baits. Nomad tackle and Halco poppers are great, but there are plenty of other valuable options for topwater baits — as long as the hooks hold up!
Beyond the Surface: Swimbaits & Paddle Tails
If the fish are not on the surface, another good option is to throw large swim baits or paddle tails. As they say, it’s best to match the hatch, so rig up your paddle tails around four or five inches and in bone or white color, but silver, gray, and chartreuse work well too. Other lures in that size range work well, too. However, be aware you may lose some baits to sharks and the teeth of the jacks.
Gear Up for the Fight: Reels, Rods, & Responsible Releasing
When fighting these fish, it’s best to use 4500-6000 sized reel with a seven-and-a-half to nine-foot rod that is medium-heavy to heavy action from a boat or an eight-to-10 foot rod from the beach. The longer length allows for further casts, which is helpful from the beach but can be challenging to store in a boat.
It’s essential to ensure you don’t fight the fish too long and give them plenty of time to revive in the water upon release, so they can swim off for the next fisherman to catch. And for less experienced anglers looking to snag a crevalle jack, consider booking one of Alabama Beaches’ professional fishing charters.