Amberjack Fishing in Sarasota, FL
Reef donkeys. Pound-for-pound bruisers over wrecks that test tackle and forearms alike.
Typical season in Florida
- January: also fished
- February: also fished
- March: peak
- April: peak
- May: peak
- June: also fished
- July: off peak
- August: peak
- September: peak
- October: peak
- November: off peak
- December: also fished
Peak months: March to May and August to October. Also fished: June and December to February.
On the Gulf side, recreational greater amberjack is closed in federal waters in June and July.
Peak months are general guidance for the region, not regulations. Always check your state's current rules and ask us before you book.
Species guide
Amberjack (Seriola dumerili)
- How to identify
- Olive-amber stripe running diagonally through the eye to the first dorsal fin.
- Size
- Up to 6 feet and 200 pounds; typically around 40 pounds
- Lifespan
- 17 years
- Habitat
- Juveniles school around floating sargassum; adults gather around reefs, rocky outcrops and wrecks at 60 to 240 feet.
- Range
- Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; in the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Brazil.
- Diet
- Crabs, squid and other fishes
Did you know? A female can release between 18 and 59 million eggs during a single spawning season.
Source: NOAA Fisheries