Fish Species Gulf of Mexico fishing charters

  Amberjack

Other Names :Amberjack, Amber, AJ, Greater AmberjackRange & Habitat :Greater amberjack are found Gulfwide, from nearshore waters out to depths of 300 feet and occasionally deeper. They come nearer to land in the southern part of the Gulf. Greater amberjacks are usually found near reefs, wrecks, artificial reefs, and in the northern Gulf of Mexico, offshore oil and gas platforms.Identification & Biology :The greater amberjack has a bluish-brown back, and a wide amber-brown stripe down the length of each side. A dark bar extends diagonally from the dorsal fin through each eye. Unless it is a very large specimen, it is easily confused with several other species. They may be distinguished from each other by the number of gill rakers, the length of the anal fin base, and the numbers of spines and rays in the dorsal fin. Gill rakers are the finger-like extensions projecting forward from the front gill arch. Greater amberjacks have 11-19 gill rakers, a long anal fin base, 7 dorsal fin spines, and 30-34 dorsal fin rays. Lesser amberjacks have 21-24 gill rakers, a long anal fin base, 8 dorsal fin spines, and 29-32 dorsal fin rays. Almaco jacks have 21-26 gill rakers, a long anal fin base, 7 dorsal fin spines, and 28-31 dorsal fin rays. Banded rudderfish have a short anal fin base, 12-16 gill rakers, 8 dorsal fin spines, and 34-39 dorsal fin rays.

Greater amberjacks are aggressive predator fish that prowl the water column near obstructions from the surface to the bottom, although they spend much of their time in the upper water column. They may occur singly or in small groups, feeding on a wide variety of fish, including herring, scads and little tunny. Crabs and squid are taken as well. The larger fish are usually females, as research indicates that males may not live much beyond 7 years of age, while females can live to 15. Both sexes grow at the same rate and are old enough to spawn at 2 to 3 years of age and 34-40 inches and 24-28 pounds. Spawning takes place offshore. Amberjacks are powerful fighters. A large one will test an angler’s endurance.Size :Most common at 20-50 pounds, but will reach 170 pounds.Food Value :Very good, especially when grilled or broiled. Amberjacks occasionally have infestations of tapeworms encysted in the muscles ahead of the tail. Although the worms are harmless to humans, these areas may be cut away and discarded.

  Barracuda

Other Names :Barracuda, Cuda, Sea Pike, Great BarracudaRange & Habitat :Great barracuda are found Gulfwide, with adults near reefs, wrecks, and oil and gas platforms in offshore waters. Great barracuda prefer waters over 68?F. Juveniles are often found in shallower waters, including bays and harbors.Identification & Biology :This is a long slim-bodied fish with a pointed head and a strong mouthful of sharp teeth. Body color is silver with a greenish back. Between 18 and 22 oblique bars can be found on the upper sides. Most noticeable are several inky-black blotches of varying sizes and shapes on the lower sides on the rear half of the fish. Juveniles are shaped like adults, but have 7 to 12 dark vertical bars on their sides.

Great barracuda are fish predators that feed on a wide variety of fishes, both open-water species and reef species. These fish, which are solitary as adults except when spawning, appear to disinterestedly float or coast among other fishes, until they strike with a short, lighting flash. They tend to be lure-shy and difficult to induce to strike. Once hooked, they provide swift runs and jump frequently. Great barracuda mature at age 2 or 3 and over 18 inches long. They spawn during the warm summer months in offshore waters. Great barracuda are known to live 14 years and almost certainly live longer, given the great size of some individuals.Size :Average size is 20-30 pounds for adults, with 50 pounders occurring fairly regularly. The great barracuda is known to grow to over 100 pounds.Food Value :Very good, although in southern Florida as well as the Caribbean, the flesh is approached with caution because of the possibility of ciguatera poisoning.

  Blackfin Tuna

Other Names :Bermuda Tuna, Football, Blackfin TunaRange & Habitat :This species is found Gulfwide, in the open ocean. It will venture closer to land than the other tunas, penetrating green water.Identification & Biology :This small tuna has the typical fusiform, tuna body shape. The back is dark metallic blue, the sides are silvery-gray and the belly is white. Many have traces of a bronze-colored line down each side. The most reliable identifying characteristic is the color of the small finlets located behind the dorsal and anal fins. In the other four species of tuna, they are yellow or yellow, edged with black. In the blackfin, they are distinctly dusky, although they may have a yellowish tinge.

This tuna seems to have less of a fish-based diet than other tunas and will actually consume the tiny larvae of stomatopods (king shrimp or mantis shrimp), true shrimp, and crabs, as well as fish larvae. It does, of course, also eat juvenile and adult fish and squid. They are a short-lived, fast-growing species, with a 5 year old fish being considered old. They reach sexual maturity at two years old and 4-6 pounds in weight and spawn in the open sea during the summer. Blackfin tuna are a warmer-water fish, preferring water temperatures over 68?F. What they lack in size, they make up for in numbers and willingness to bite. See the entry on “Yellowfin Tuna” for more information on tuna biology.Size :Usually 10-20 pounds, but may reach 40 pounds.Food Value :Excellent, however the small size of the fish often produces “medallions” rather than steaks from its loins. Flesh color is pink to red. It is oily and best prepared by grilling or broiling.

  Pompano

Other Names :Pompano, Common Pompano, Carolina Pompano, Florida PompanoRange & Habitat :The fish is found Gulfwide in the surf zone, major bays with sandy bottoms, and in coastal waters. In the northern Gulf, they are a seasonal fish, appearing in the warmer months. Preferred water temperatures are 82-98ºF and they are seldom found below 62ºF.Identification & Biology :Florida pompano are silver with a darker back and a golden hue on the belly and fins. They resemble permit, but are slightly less deep-bodied. Permit have little to no yellow on their belly and longer lobes on their dorsal and anal fins.

Pompano are schooling, bottom-feeders, focusing on small clams, mussels, and sandy-bottom crustaceans such as amphipods, crabs, and shrimp. They do not eat fishes. Pompano spawn offshore several times in the summer and early fall. The young pompano grow rapidly and reach 8 inches and sexual maturity in one year. They are thought to live 3 to 4 years. Pompano are active fishes, whose presence is revealed by their tendency to jump like a skipped stone in a boat=s wake. They are difficult to catch on artificial lures that resemble fish, which are not in their diet. They are excellent fighters for their size.Size :One to 3 pounds, but can reach 8 pounds.Food Value :Excellent

  Permit

Other Names :Round Pompano, PermitRange & Habitat :Found Gulfwide, but more common in the southern Gulf of Mexico. In southern waters they are found in the surf and other shallow waters, as well as offshore, often near obstructions. In the northern Gulf, where they are much less common, they are found offshore.Identification & Biology :Permit are deeper bodied than Florida pompano, appearing almost round. Their color is silver with little or none of the yellow found on Florida pompano. Their anal and dorsal fin lobes are longer than those of the Florida pompano and shorter than the palometa=s. Permit usually travel and feed in schools. Food items are mollusks and crustaceans, much like the diet of Florida pompano. Spawning is thought to take place offshore and growth of the young is rapid.Size :Averages 10-15 pounds, but 20-30 pounders are not uncommon. Permit can grow to over 50 pounds.Food Value :Excellent

  Cobia

Other Names :Lemonfish, Ling, Crabeater, CobiaRange & Habitat :Distributed Gulfwide, cobia are found from the major, high-salinity bays to waters 250 feet deep, although they have been observed in waters 4,000 feet deep. Cobia can be found both deep and at the surface. They are strongly attracted to floating debris, seaweed rips, channel markers, buoys and bells, offshore oil and gas platforms, and even floating sea turtles.Identification & Biology :Cobia have brown backs, a darker stripe extending the length of their sides, and are white beneath. They have several small finlets ahead of their dorsal fin. When viewed from above, they appear distinctly shark-like. Very young cobia are darker and look remarkably like a sharksucker.

Cobia are not bashful feeders, chasing down food from the top to the bottom of the sea. They seem to especially prefer crabs. Cobia raised in captivity will not grow well unless they are fed some crabs and research indicates that over 70% of their diet is made up of swimming crabs, such as the blue crab. Researchers have found very few shrimp in their stomachs, but finfish were important. By far the most common were hardhead catfish, followed by eels, and then round scad. As cobia grow larger, a greater percentage of their diet is made up of finfish. Feeding seems to slow at lower water temperatures.

Cobia spawn during the early summer months. Growth is rapid. Some fish reach 20 inches before their first birthday. By age two, the average size is about 35 inches, although some fish are up to 44 inches long. Most fish caught by fishermen are between 2 and 5 years old, although cobia can live 11 years. Females grow faster and larger than males. Research indicates that of fish over 40 inches long, 85% are females.

Extended research conducted through the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Mississippi has shown that cobia are travelers. Under this research program, well over 10,000 cobia have been tagged Gulfwide and released. The greatest distance traveled by any tagged cobia was estimated at 1,300 nautical miles. This fish was tagged off of the Chandeleur Islands on eastern Louisiana and recaptured 1,046 days later off Hardeeville, South Carolina.

Two other cobia each traveled more than 1,200 miles. One was tagged off of Pensacola Beach and recaptured at Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. The other traveled from South Marsh Island, Louisiana to Daytona Beach, Florida in only 238 days. The all-time speed record is held by a fish tagged at Port Canaveral, Florida and recaptured 700 miles and 46 days later off Aplachee Bay, Florida. The fish averaged moving more than 15 miles per day.

Overall, 81% of the recaptures in the northern Gulf were originally tagged in the northern Gulf and 57% of the south Florida recaptures were tagged there. Research seems to indicate that most cobia likely migrate in spring from south Florida waters where they have spent the winter. Movement is northward along the Florida Gulf Coast, then westward along Alabama toward Mississippi and Louisiana. A reverse migration probably takes place in the fall, although little data on the route exists.

The data does show that not all cobia migrate, as 21 winter recaptures have been made in the northern Gulf, most at depths of more than 100 feet. None of these fish were fish that had been tagged in south Florida. Some fish may stay in the northern Gulf year-round. It is also known that some cobia stay in south Florida waters year-round and do not migrate.

This program has also provided strong clues that cobia have the ability to ‘home in’ on exact locations. Thirty fish have been recovered at the exact site that they were tagged at 1 to 3 years earlier. It is very unlikely that they over wintered at these sites, as they were in shallow water (60 feet deep or less) where winter water temperatures can drop dramatically. More than 242 cobia were recaptured in the same general area as they were tagged in.Size :Common to 50 pounds, not rare to 80 pounds, and occasionally over 100 pounds.Food Value :Very good