Tenacity is an admirable quality that is essential for a long successful life. Anything worth doing takes persistence and perseverance. A great fisherman will keep trying until the goal is attained and a tenacious fish will keep fighting until you defeat it. There might be some differences between humans and fish (I’ll leave that to the ichthyologists) but I can comfortably say that most of us will give up before the fish do. If we lived our lives similar to fish, the overall human population might be a little healthier. Fish eat health, exercise daily, travel seasonally, fight for their lives and run when there is danger. There are some exceptions to a few of those features (hogfish and grouper) but snook, tuna, tarpon, and amberjack are undoubtedly a few very tenacious species.
First and Foremost: Do the right thing!
Right vs wrong, good vs bad and ethical vs immoral are constantly moving the seesaw of decision-making up and down. Justice and integrity are not only important in daily life, but also when you cast a line into the water. For example, there are Florida regulations on amberjack, a popularly targeted fish that is currently swarming the coastline. The minimum size limit to the fork of their tail is 30’’ on the Gulf coast and 28’’ on the Atlantic coast. There is a daily bag limit of 1 amberjack per person and the season is closed between June 1 and July 31. Laws are enacted for safety and protection. Some laws seem silly, but these particular regulations are important for spawning and population control. Without laws, certain species would have the same population number as the Dodo bird and the wooly mammoth (that would be zero).
Second: Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Almost as important as rules and regulations, we should also regulate our diets and lifestyle. It is important to eat healthy, exercise daily, and engage in regular stress relief. These are difficult tasks, but with enough willpower, determination and perseverance everyone can lead a long healthy life. Believe it or not, fruits, veggies, grilled fish, grilled chicken and daily exercise will give you more energy and stamina in the long run than fried chicken and gas-station sandwiches. This becomes important on the water. Amberjack are incredibly fun to catch, but in order to conquer this tenacious fish, you must have a combination of pumping techniques, strength and endurance. Amberjack feed on smaller bait fish such as blue-runners, grunts and threadfins. This fish is by no means lazy. You will catch more fish by jigging than you will by bottom dropping. They love a chase, so tie on a tsunami vertical jig, free spool to the bottom and then jig as fast and hard as you can through the water column. You think jigging is tiring? Just wait until you hook up to a 100lb amberjack. This fish will give a heart pumping, sweat dripping experience you will never forget! This brings me to step 3.
Third: Groom yourself
It is important to equip yourself with some heavy tackle when fishing for amberjack. A 6-1/2 foot medium/heavy-action rod paired with a high-speed 6/0 reel is a great start. The ideal line class is between 50-80lb test with 10 feet of 80lb Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon leader separated by a No. 1 barrel swivel and then tie on your Tsunami vertical jig. Make sure your knots are tight and your muscles are ready for an arm burning fight! This fish does not give up until it is laying over ice in your Grizzly Cooler©. It is not only important to prep yourself for a heavy fish, but it is also imperative to protect yourself against the beating rays of sunlight. Always apply some SPF 30 sunscreen every 2 hours. Healthy skin is the new “cool” so shield yourself by wearing long-sleeved SPF shirts, lightweight pants, a buff around your neck and a hat on your head. Skin cancer does not discriminate against your scalp so don’t forget to protect it while spending your day catching reef donkeys.
Fourth: Travel
Reef donkeys? You ask. Amberjack received this nickname because it hangs around reefs and tends to be very stubborn like donkeys. You can also find them around shipwrecks and other large structures in 100ft to 300ft of water. Since Amberjack “sight see,” why shouldn’t you? It is important to take some time away from the daily routines of work or school and take pleasure in this precious life. I used to find myself saying, “maybe one day…” all the time and then, I had an epiphany which changed my life for the good. There is no time like right now and tomorrow never gets any closer. It is ok to live free-spirited at times and do things on a whim, so if you enjoy fighting large fish and you are in need of a vacation- this is the perfect species to target worldwide. Amberjack can also be found off the coastline of Japan, China, Philippines, South Africa, Bahamas and Hawaii.
Be persistent in your search for a great fight and never give up on your goals whether it is living healthier, traveling more, or fulfilling the ultimate bucket list dreams! Remember, Amberjack are tenacious, you should be too!
Written by Amanda Gilbert
Photos by Captain Jimmy Nelson
