# Amberjack is a trash fish?



## Finn Maccumhail (Feb 16, 2009)

I've always heard amberjack to be considered excellent table fare and seen it at a number of good seafood places. However, in Florida a couple weeks ago some guys were adamant about it being a total trash fish.

Are they talking about the same fish as what we call amberjack in Texas or are they just ill informed? Or am I wrong in what I've heard?


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## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

That is how it is on the east coast. I could not believe Texans eat Amberjack when I moved.


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## speckcaster (May 5, 2012)

I've eaten and seen more amberjack on the menus in Florida than anywhere else I've ever been!

so I have no idea what those knuckle heads are talking about!

speckcaster


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## Part Timer (Jul 2, 2012)

people eat croaker in florida while we use them for bait here lol im still waiting to catch a big enough one to eat. 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## coastman (Apr 18, 2013)

I just ate some amberjack I caught and it was good!


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## GunDog (Jun 6, 2006)

When I was in South Carolina a couple of subcontractors went off shore and caught quite a few amberjack. They brought them back to the job site and grilled them the next day.....they were pretty tasty to me.


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## LPTXGUY03 (Jun 8, 2011)

It's good....for sharkbait. If I had to eat it id remove the bloodline and clean it like a kingfish. They also eat Mullet in Florida too! :headknock


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## matterboy123 (Aug 24, 2011)

They also eat Mullet in Florida. They use to say that about Sheephead as well and Sheephead is mighty fine tasting table fare.


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## Quepos1 (Jan 21, 2011)

When I was growing up we caught amberjack for the sport but did not eat them. This was in Florida. I was surprised to discover they are now considered table fare. I still would not eat amberjack. 

Sure you didn't catch and eat a Jack crevelle.

BTW, redfish are a member of the Croaker family. Croaker are good eats.


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## Big K (Oct 16, 2009)

My experience with Amberjack we caught off the Florida Keys was that they were often filled with very large parasites / worms in the meat. That may be where the trash fish perspective is coming from.


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## Txredfish (Oct 27, 2010)

Maybe they are confused between the Jack Crevalle and Amberjack.


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## Reel Cajun (Aug 1, 2006)

Amberjack are absolutely fine table fare, not sur why anyone would think otherwise. Sheepshead are a pain in the *** to clean for very little meat. Just my 2 cents.


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## speckcaster (May 5, 2012)

Txredfish said:


> Maybe they are confused between the Jack Crevalle and Amberjack.


they should turn in their "rods" if they made that mistake.....


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## matterboy123 (Aug 24, 2011)

*Agreed*



Reel Cajun said:


> Amberjack are absolutely fine table fare, not sur why anyone would think otherwise. Sheepshead are a pain in the *** to clean for very little meat. Just my 2 cents.


They are a pain to clean but well worth the effort in my opinion. It is like anything else you get out of it what you put into it! :whiteshee


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## Finn Maccumhail (Feb 16, 2009)

Reel Cajun said:


> Amberjack are absolutely fine table fare, not sur why anyone would think otherwise. Sheepshead are a pain in the *** to clean for very little meat. Just my 2 cents.


Yeah, that's been my experience.

I've never caught amberjack but I've had it at seafood places and it was good.

The mullet they eat in Florida taste pretty good though. It's the cleaner water.


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## ComeFrom? (May 21, 2004)

Amberjacks are chunked and smoked down in the Keys. They put them out to munch on at bars instead of those cracker goldfish. The idea really went over BIG!


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## FriscoDad (Jul 25, 2010)

I grew up fishing in FL in the 60's and 70's and Amberjacks were always considered as trash fish as far as eating goes. Some people would have them smoked but most just didn't bother. But then again they didn't eat Red Drum back then now referred to Redfish.


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## Reel Cajun (Aug 1, 2006)

I have always heard there are a lot of Qu**rs in the Keys.


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## TexasCub (Jun 11, 2011)

That's how it is in south Florida (born and raised there by an avid offshore fishing family). They are tourist fish, a charter would take tourist clients out to 250 ft of water and drop a live pin fish on a wreck and let a tourist wrestle with it for an hour and then they wouldn't want to fish for the rest of the day. Lots of parasites in the ones we caught down there (and even a few I have caught here). Its hard to overlook an abundant and tasty snapper and grouper population for the dark meat of an AJ, but they are fun to catch. We don't have the population of different snapper and grouper and the type of reef or wreck structure that S. Florida and the Keys has, so AJ's are targeted cuz theres only so much you can catch on a given spot out here.


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## rc10j1 (Jul 15, 2010)

Part Timer said:


> people eat croaker in florida while we use them for bait here lol im still waiting to catch a big enough one to eat.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


Never heard of the croaker run at roll over pass back in the day? Lots of people in tx eat croaker.


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## Kenner21 (Aug 25, 2005)

rc10j1 said:


> Never heard of the croaker run at roll over pass back in the day? Lots of people in tx eat croaker.


 We still catch bull croaker every fall and they eat great.

My understanding is the Ajs' on the east coast have a lot more worms than the ones in the GOM. I don't care for them and usually let them go. They are fun to catch and will put a hurting on you.


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## rat race (Aug 10, 2006)

I love AJ and Croaker!!


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## Finfisher (Jul 20, 2008)

Part Timer said:


> people eat croaker in florida while we use them for bait here lol im still waiting to catch a big enough one to eat.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


I'll take a cooler full of eating size croaker any day!!!
YUM


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## gman1772 (Jul 15, 2012)

A.J.'s are fine table fare. Mighty fun to catch too! As for Croaker. I saw a article in a TX fishing rag a while back that described them as "a meal fit for the Governor". I concur. Ever heard of a "Croaker sack". The big freezes in the '80's and way too many shrimpers in the '90's knocked the Croaker population way down. I remember catching Coleman coolers of them in the '70's with my Granddaddy. Those were great days on the water.


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## MWP (Mar 30, 2005)

TexasCub said:


> They are tourist fish, a charter would take tourist clients out to 250 ft of water and drop a live pin fish on a wreck and let a tourist wrestle with it for an hour and then they wouldn't want to fish for the rest of the day.


That's what we normally do up in Destin. Catch some live bait at the jetties and hit some structure in about 200' or so of water. God help you if the AJ's were holding shallow. Like hooking on to a bus. After everybody is good and trashed, then go hit up Snapper/Grouper. However, most could give a rats arse about catching much else after a good fight with an AJ.

I actually like AJ.


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## Bozo (Jun 16, 2004)

Finn Maccumhail said:


> I've always heard amberjack to be considered excellent table fare and seen it at a number of good seafood places. However, in Florida a couple weeks ago some guys were adamant about it being a total trash fish.
> 
> Are they talking about the same fish as what we call amberjack in Texas or are they just ill informed? Or am I wrong in what I've heard?


They eat mullet over there. So, take it with a grain of salt what they consider good and not fit to eat.


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## patwilson (Jan 13, 2006)

I just left Florida on a boat delivery. Every port we pulled into had charter boats loaded with Amber Jack....


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## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

All you mullet haters should taste it before you hate on it. Mighty good food if your are on the east coast.


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## Finn Maccumhail (Feb 16, 2009)

whistlingdixie said:


> All you mullet haters should taste it before you hate on it. Mighty good food if your are on the east coast.


Truth.

I'm told it's got a lot to do with them leaving in cleaner, clearer water over there.


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## JFolm (Apr 22, 2012)

Who is going to taste test a Texas Mullet for us?


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## tamucc04 (Jun 21, 2011)

Does it have anything to do with what they eat?

On eating mullet the biggest difference is they eat white mullet where we have predominately black mullet. Black mullet eat out of the mud mostly so taste much like mud. White mullet way higher in the water column thus a much cleaner fish this taste better. 

Many on Florida also consider specks trash fish. Back to what they eat taste like ****. Feed a avid Florida fisherman a GC speck and they won't be able to tell you what it is.


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## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

In south Carolina we get striped and white mullet. We still have mud but our waters are a lot cleaner. All of the mullet I have ever caught and ate were out of a marsh throwing a cast net off my dock. The trick to eating mullet is to fry it right after you cut the head off and scale it. I would imagine all the mullet out at the jetties would be edible and you have to eat the mullet that is over 12" for meat purposes. We never ate Amberjack due to all the worms and parasites.


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## HuntinforTail (Mar 29, 2011)

Growing up fishing the piers in Galveston they called Jack Crevalle, Amber Jacks. Maybe the guys thought you were talking about crevalle.


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## Bearwolf34 (Sep 8, 2005)

just wrap it up in bacon and grill it...bacon will make just about anything worth eating. Might add a 6 pack of your finest along with it to smooth out the taste a bit.


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## baitbig (Jul 20, 2010)

Let's think of where this info is coming from...Florida???? Really??!!! I lived in florida and have family there and know how fisherman are. However, "amberjacks" have to be one of my favorite eats. I've deckhanded offshore for four years and never once cleaned a wormy or dirty AJ. The meat was always white and clean. I do think they are getting confused with the Almaco jack, not jack crevalle, cuz those look completely different and i would hope they'd know the difference. But almaco jacks look extremely similar to amberjacks however from what i hear they are bloodier and gamey like a crevalle. You can guarantee i will never toss back an AJ, the filets are like ling (cobia) in my opinion.


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## Quepos1 (Jan 21, 2011)

My parents liked mullet and said if fried it had to be extremely fresh. However, they, and most others in Florida, seemed to prefer smoked whole mullet. I never ate mullet either way although smoked mullet looked good.

My parents also ate chittlin's and I could get past the smell of them cooking to find out if they were good to eat.


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## Main Frame 8 (Mar 16, 2007)

speckcaster said:


> they should turn in their "rods" if they made that mistake.....


Along with them fellers that catch yellowfin tuna off the jetties. :rotfl:


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## MWP (Mar 30, 2005)

Main Frame 8 said:


> Along with them fellers that catch yellowfin tuna off the jetties. :rotfl:


Yep, known more than a few dudes who caught jacks and thought they were tuna.


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## Cool Blue Kid (Apr 26, 2010)

rat race said:


> I love AJ and Croaker!!


x2


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*Jacks*

Amberjacks I eat are white meat VG caught wayout of Freeeport TX..Jack Cervalle close in POC That I tried to eat look like horse meat(red bloody) strong fishey taste...As for mullet in florida its ok I think cause there water is so clean/ clear..Mullet I tried around here taste like mud hole..I guess its the muddy silty water we got..my 2c ..cva34


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## TXXpress (May 23, 2004)

TexasCub said:


> That's how it is in south Florida (born and raised there by an avid offshore fishing family). They are tourist fish, a charter would take tourist clients out to 250 ft of water and drop a live pin fish on a wreck and let a tourist wrestle with it for an hour and then they wouldn't want to fish for the rest of the day. Lots of parasites in the ones we caught down there (and even a few I have caught here). Its hard to overlook an abundant and tasty snapper and grouper population for the dark meat of an AJ, but they are fun to catch. We don't have the population of different snapper and grouper and the type of reef or wreck structure that S. Florida and the Keys has, so AJ's are targeted cuz theres only so much you can catch on a given spot out here.


I was also in South FL during the 60-70's. AJ's and Jack's were used as entertainment. Heck of a fight, but the worms on the AJ's wasn't worth the effort for the table. It was mostly C&R.


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## RUFcaptain (Aug 12, 2011)

When I lived in Miami the charter captains said they sold the AJs for cat food, strange there was usually a crowd of immigrants at the dock waiting to buy it...
I've had AJ several times in Texas, I think it's pretty good.


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## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

Texas AJ is one of my favorites to grill. One inch or thicker steaks are the Bomb!


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## msf62000 (Aug 24, 2007)

I ate mullet in Pensacola last year after hearing all the rave on forum discussions like this. I have to say I was not impressed. Seemed like a waste of good bait to me.


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## stuckinfreeport (Sep 13, 2012)

I just happen to be in Florida as I write this. I had fried chicken last night at a local(Ft.Lauderdale) eatery. Like the Amberjack, they can't make fried chicken. As a matter of fact, I ate at Cocoa Beach night before last, right on the water. O.K. , I'm thinking " in Florida, right on the water, gotta be good seafood". I had a flounder stuffed with crab meat that I ate because I was hungry, not because it was good.

My point is, maybe they were thinking Crevalle because the Amberjack is one of the best eating fish , IMO, that comes fromm the gulf, or like my experience, they can't cook.


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## El Primero (Jun 14, 2008)

My buddies from S. LA had some amberjack from a fishing trip in Venice, they cooked up mighty fine every time we have made any. Nice texture with great taste and wasn't fishy what so ever, even when pulled from the freezer.


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## Friendswoodmatt (Feb 22, 2005)

When I lived in the keys AJ's were not considered good table fare we released all of them as trash fish. The first time I went to a restaurant in TX and saw it on the menu (Watermans in Corpus) I thought it was a misprint. One of the people we were with got it and gave me a bite-- it was good. Been eating it ever since. It is possible that they are not considered good due to worms, and ciguatera down there. A lot of reef fish (especially bigger ones) are subject to this poison.


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## dfreeman998 (May 5, 2012)

Wouldn't call AJ's trash fish. They certainly arent on the same plane as jackfish and I think they taste a lot better than mackerel. However, I can see their lack of appeal also. Croaker taste good. Just a small drum is all they are. Table fare in Louisiana too.


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## SSST (Jun 9, 2011)

dfreeman998 said:


> Wouldn't call AJ's trash fish. They certainly arent on the same plane as jackfish and I think they taste a lot better than mackerel. However, I can see their lack of appeal also. Croaker taste good. Just a small drum is all they are. Table fare in Louisiana too.


I'm with you on this, edible, but not one of my favorites. Different strokes for different folks i guess.


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## Totally Tuna (Apr 13, 2006)

The key to eating mullet here in Texas is to catch them in the surf, not bayous or bays. Also, they need to be prepared, cooked and eaten right away. Had a cajun catch and cook some for me one time. He thought he was going to fool me on what kind of fish it was, but by the shape and size I guessed mullet and was correct. Tasted as good as most fresh fried fish I've eaten and I'm picky when it comes to eating fish. I believe it is best in late September and October when they are large and rafting up in the surf.


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