Pro Talk: Amberjack Fishing on Georgia’s Snapper Bank

15 Minutes with: Capt. TJ Cheek

www.charterfish.com

 

Here’s what we learned…

 

Location: Snapper Bank, Georgia

Tides: N/A

Approach: 45 Miles off the coast of Georgia, there is a series of breaks and live bottom, commonly referred to as Snapper Bank. These areas are well known to product great catches of amberjack, grouper and snapper. To target these amberjack, you’ll need to find some high profile structure. High profile structure is relative and can be as small as a 3′ limestone ledge or a shipwreck coming 40′ off the bottom. This day we were targeting the amberjack over well known rock piles that came up about 8′ off the bottom. Anchoring your boat up on a specific structure can be tricky, but is vital to fishing success. Often missing a spot by as little as 30′ can be the difference between a banner day and only a few bites.

Rigging Selection: The Hogy® 1oz X-Strong Jig Head

Bait Selection: The Hogy® 10inch Jigging Series

 

 

 

 

 

Why this bait?  The fish wouldn’t touch lead jigs, but he sardine like profile of this bait and wigging action were able to trigger these fish to bite.

Colors: Black, not sure why it worked, but maybe had the best contrast down 110′.

Retrieve:  Let the bait sink to bottom and begin retrieving up 10′ – 15′ quickly, then drop back down again if it didn’t get bit.

Sometimes the amberjack will follow the bait all the way up to surface and eat it right off the side of the boat. So remember to hang on and keep reeling the bait in quickly to trigger a strike wherever it may be in the water column.

Outfit

Rod: Shimano Tallus ML Extra Fast 7′ Spinning Rod

Reel:  Penn Sargus 6000

Line: 80lb Power Pro Braid

Leader: 3′ 80lb Mono Tied line to line using an albright knot.

Amberjack On Snapper Bank