There are many deep-sea fishing options here in the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood area of south Florida because our series of three coral reefs are close to shore, with plenty of bottomfish, and many species of pelagic fish, like tunas, sailfish, king mackerel and wahoo, patrol just off the reef edges and out to the Gulf Stream. The deeper waters also hold a variety of sharks. One of the unique fish habitats we have here are the number of wrecks we have in this area. These wrecks attract yelloweye and vermilion snapper, groupers, and most of all big fat greater amberjacks. It is the amberjack that is this weeks’ Lady Pamela II sportfish of the week. Greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) are year-round residents of our local deep wrecks, but are also found along deeper areas of the reefs. These are the largest of the jacks, with the Florida record topping out at over 140 lbs. The fish we see on the local wrecks will run anywhere from 20 lbs. up to 80 lbs. Pound for pound, these brutes will put a serious ache in your arms. We like to deep jig over the wrecks with spoons or feathers tipped with bonito strips, in areas ranging from **hidden content** feet of water. When one these monsters hits, it is like latching onto a freight train. We have not had any anglers get jerked overboard, but we have had to put multiple hands on a rod to keep from losing a rig! When the boats come back to the dock you can tell which angler has caught an amberjack because they are invariably rubbing their shoulders! While others may disagree, I find the amberjack to be excellent table fare, though larger fish are prone to have white amberjack worms embedded in the flesh of the tail. I prefer the shoulder meat from fish under 30 lbs which are generally worm-free. These worms are not a threat to humans, but cooking your fish thoroughly, or freezing it, will kill any other possibly infectious organisms, and render your fish safe to eat. My mother always regarded the amberjack as a trash fish, but in a somewhat underhanded fashion, I changed her mind. I presented her with a beautifully grilled amberjack steak that had been marinated in teriyaki. Of course, I told her it was mahi-mahi, and she said it was the best fish she had ever eaten (thinking mahi-mahi of course!) Even when I told her the truth, she was sold on amberjack, and ever since has gladly accepted amberjack fillets from me. I guess sometimes a white lie is a good thing! Give us a call at Lady Pamela sportfishing, and let’s see if we can hook you up to an amberjack! Tight Lines Capt. David Ide Lady Pamela 2 Sport Fishing