Greater Amberjack
The greater amberjack is the largest of the jacks — a deep-reef bruiser found in warm temperate and tropical seas worldwide, from the Atlantic and Mediterranean to the Indo-Pacific and Hawaii.
It earns its nickname 'reef donkey' honestly: when hooked, it makes a slow, grinding run straight for the bottom, using every foot of depth and every piece of structure to its advantage. Average fish run around 40 pounds, but they can push past 100.
Scientific Name: Seriola dumerili
Also known as Reef donkey, AJ, Coronado
- Brownish to bluish-grey back fading to a silvery-white belly, with an amber stripe running along the lateral line — that stripe intensifies when the fish is actively feeding.
- A dark amber band runs from the nose through the eye to the base of the first dorsal fin, the clearest field mark for separating it from lesser amberjack and banded rudderfish.
- Deeply forked tail similar to a tuna's, with mirrored second dorsal and anal fins that peak near mid-body and taper toward the tail.
- Juveniles look completely different — yellow-bodied with five or six dark vertical bars; adults average around 40 lbs, with fish over 100 lbs possible and females growing larger than males.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Circumglobal in warm temperate and tropical seas: the western Atlantic from the Canadian Maritimes to Brazil (including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean), the Mediterranean, and across the Indo-West Pacific to Hawaii.
- A reef-associated species that spends most of its adult life in saltwater from about 60 to 240 feet deep, though it can be found anywhere from the surface to over 1,000 feet.
- Juveniles often drift with floating debris and sargassum mats in open water before settling onto structure as they grow.
Specific Spots
- Shipwrecks and artificial reefs are the most reliable holding spots — amberjack stack up on hard structure because that's where their forage concentrates, and because it gives them a place to run when hooked.
- Rocky ledges and deep reef drop-offs hold fish year-round; the sharper the depth change, the better the odds of finding a school hovering just above the bottom.
- Offshore oil platforms and navigation buoys attract amberjack for the same reason wrecks do — structure creates a food chain, and AJs sit near the top of it.
Greater Amberjack FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Greater Amberjack?
Live bait, pinfish, blue runners, grunts, or mullet, is the most effective presentation; rig them on a circle hook and drop them straight down to the structure.
What do Greater Amberjack eat?
Adults eat whatever baitfish are present around the structure, pinfish, blue runners, grunts, mullet, which is why live-lining one of those species directly over a wreck is the most consistent way to get bit.
Where do Greater Amberjack live?
Circumglobal in warm temperate and tropical seas: the western Atlantic from the Canadian Maritimes to Brazil (including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean), the Mediterranean, and across the Indo-West Pacific to Hawaii.
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