For some people, April 15^th is a day of reckoning because it is tax day and they have to deal with sending forms to the Internal Revenue Service. I prefer to look at life from the bright side and think of April 15^th as a good day because it marks the season full of many pleasant things. It is time for spring bird migrations and the spring turkey season.  Fish are feeding, the cobia are running the gulf beaches and the pompano are showing up. Last but not least, the Jack Crevalle are making their appearance on the gulf beaches.

Every year on tax day I try to do something pleasant, and this year I kept up the tradition.  All conditions were perfect for kayak fishing on the gulf beaches. The wind had been blowing out of the north for three days so I knew the beach would be calm with very little surf. It seemed to be a perfect day for paddling the beaches fishing for pompano: I might even get a free ride from a big Jack Crevalle.  The “Jacks” cruise the beaches in large schools like packs of wolves about this time, putting the fear of death into any baitfish along their way.

Jacks are very powerful swimmers, one of the toughest game fish that you’ll encounter along the Gulf Coast. Once hooked, they use their broad profile and flat sides to their advantage and make you fight against their resistance. It is important to put as much pressure on them as your tackle will allow, for they will dog it out with you and do not give up.   In fact, they seem to be able to call on an extra energy reserve just as you think you have them whipped. Think of it this way: if you are resting they are resting, and you do not want to get in to a psychological battle with a big Jack. If they get a second wind, you will be in for a lengthy encounter.

Their flesh is extremely bloody and have a strong flavor when cooked, so are not considered a good fish for the table (Fortunately, this reduces their value to the commercial fishing industry.). Many years ago, however I found myself fishing down on the jungle beaches of Yucatan with a Mayan Indian who cooked a Jack Crevalle such that it was actually palatable.  Of course, it could have been because of the law of diminishing returns, for I was really hungry. He began by building a fire in a hole in the beach until he had produced some hot coals.  He wrapped the Jack in banana leaves, placed the whole package on the coals, covered it with sand, and cooked it for hours.  After uncovering the fish from the pit and removing the shroud of banana leaves, I was surprised to find that the fish was very tender and juicy with a pleasant taste.

Back to today.

The beach was beautiful with a slight ground swell breaking on the outer bar.  The water was crystal clear to allow for great visibility. I was paddling along looking for pompano when I saw a large dark spot on the edge of the sand bar. It was a school of Jack Cravalle moving up on the bar.  I made a cast in front of the school and had an immediate hookup. I was off to the races with the Jack towing me down the beach!

I realized that he was still traveling in the school of Jacks and probably did not realize that he was hooked so I started putting some real pressure on him. I was able to slow him down and get him out of the school, but he started to tow me offshore.  I turned the kayak broadside to him and sat sidesaddle with my feet over the edge of my Redfish 12. This created enough drag to allow me to put more pressure on him and to get him coming my way.

I finally had him to the kayak, and after a little dance around the kayak was able to grab him by the tail and land him. After releasing him (I was not hungry enough to keep him) I paddled back to the beach to search for pompano.  They taste a lot better than Jack Crevalle, believe me.

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