What’s the first phrase that comes to mind when you hear someone talking about catching a crevalle jack (a.k.a. jack crevalle, crevalla or just plain ol’ jack)? If you’re from the northern Gulf of Mexico, chances are you’ve heard the crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) referred to as a “trash fish.”
In the past, anglers have been equally dismissive of other fishes, even species we now hold in high regard, like Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus). So, my question is this: Why are species like tarpon so revered, while the lowly jack is disregarded? Perhaps it’s time we give jacks the respect they deserve.
Once referred to as “trip savers” (i.e., fish that are reliably caught anytime, even when more desirable species are absent) by fishing guides in the Florida Keys, jacks have slowly been disappearing from South Florida. In fact, a recent study determined that jacks in Florida are overfished (the population biomass is too low) and experiencing overfishing (the population removals are too high).
These results are puzzling for two reasons: there is virtually no commercial fishery for jacks, and the recreational fishery is largely catch-and-release. In other words, something other than fishing may be causing this population to decline. Regardless of the cause, it’s increasingly clear that the population of jacks off Florida is not as healthy as it used to be.
A school of small jacks off Destin, Florida. (Photo courtesy of Matthew Jargowsky)
Thankfully, jacks off the coast of Mississippi and Alabama appear to be in better shape than jacks off Florida. This may be good news for Florida jacks; tagging efforts by researchers at Florida International University have revealed long-distance movements previously unknown for this species. For example, jacks originally tagged in South Florida have been detected by networks of acoustic receivers as they move through coastal Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and even Texas! Ongoing efforts to tag and track jacks should reveal more insights into this unexpectedly high population connectivity across the northern Gulf.
Given this information, actions can be taken now to hopefully prevent further population declines. Showing conservation-forward thinking, the Mobile Jaycees have removed the traditional jack category from the 91st Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo (ADSFR), which will be held on Dauphin Island in July. Rather than weighing in (and then discarding) their jacks, ADSFR anglers can participate in the inaugural catch-and-release jack category. I applaud the ADSFR for proactively taking steps to ensure that these fish are not needlessly wasted, and I look forward to seeing videos of monster jacks at the ADSFR this year.
Meet the author
(J.) Marcus Drymon, Ph.D.
Marine Fisheries Extension Lead
Marcus is a marine fisheries ecologist, and his research interests are in applied fisheries ecology. The bulk of his research has focused on coastal sharks. He works on many commercially and... Read more
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