Dig Deep for an Almaco  in the Florida Keys

This is the time of year that many anglers return to the Keys to fish away the winter, while waiting for their northern homes to thaw.  For many, the routine can get a little stale.  Chumming for yellow tail or trolling for dolphin and sailfish are the staples   of the Snow Bird.  There are times that even these tried and true techniques make you feel a little “been there done that”.  One recommendation for something new, is to try fishing some of the deep wrecks for Almaco jacks.  

Many Keys anglers have never heard of an Almaco jack, more-less seen one or caught one.  If you are one of these anglers, maybe it is time to acquaint yourself with them.  Almacos’ are relatively common on wrecks in over two hundred feet of water.  Almacos’ are often found mixed with other species of jack such as the amber jack and African pompano.  They are dogged fighters and unlike some other deepwater species they fight all of the way to the surface.  They are known for blistering runs and they really give you a chance to work on your fighting technique.  

To describe an Almaco you can start with the general appearance of an amber jack.  Next, place it in a press; give it a gentle mashing from side to side, to give it a little more height.  Finally, slightly reduce the size of the mouth and increase the length of the dorsal fin by about twenty percent.  There you have it, an Almaco.  The final description of an Almaco is in how it tastes.  Unlike the more common inshore jacks, the Almaco tastes light and flaky.  The flavor is similar to its relatives the pompano and the permit.

 To coax one of the deep water denizens from the bottom you must first find their habitat.  The deep wrecks off of the Keys are a perfect place for them.  Wrecks such as the Wilksbar and the Kendrick are popular habitat.  These wrecks have given up more than a few world record fish.  By the way, for any women out there who would like to see their name in the I.G.F.A. world record book, a little work studying the record book will reveal a few opportunities for breaking records with Almacos’. 

 To connect with these fish you should present bait while drifting over the wreck.  The drift can be determined by finding the wreck and then allowing yourself to drift off of it.  Next find your bearing back to the wreck.  Follow this bearing until you cross the wreck by a few hundredths of a mile, and then proceed to drift back over the spot.

 Almacos can be caught on a variety of live and artificial bait.  The typical live bait rig would consist of a main line of about thirty pound test.  A four ounce egg sinker is usually sufficient to get you to the bottom while drifting these wrecks.  Connect your main line to about twelve to fifteen feet of sixty pound fluorocarbon leader with a barrel swivel. Allow your sinker to slide free on your main line.  Finish your terminal tackle off with a circle hook appropriate for the size bait you intend to use. 

 The most common bait for Almacos’ is the medium sized pinfish.  Other live baits’ that work well include small blue runners, pilchards, finger mullet and ballyhoo. The bait should be hooked so that it can swim as naturally as possible along with the drifting boat.  This usually means lip hooking these baits.  For the pinfish, blue runners and mullet, placing the hook in the bottom jaw, and exiting the upper jaw will produce the best results.  \For pilchards it means hooking in the clear spot forward of the eyes.  With ballyhoo, it is best to use some rigging wire to fasten the bill to the hook shank after placing the hook through the lower jaw.     

 When using the circle hook it is important to remember to let the hook do the work of setting itself.   If you strike as you would with a conventional hook you will often miss the fish.  Simply let the fish pull the line until there is a bend in your rod.  Start to reel steadily until your drag starts to slip, only then should you continue to fight normally. 

 The other method of connecting with an almaco is to use an artificial like a deep jig.  Until recently the Jigs used to plumb the depths were simply heavy versions of jigs used in shallow or surface applications.  These jigs were at best back breaking to impart a proper motion to, and would tire an angler quickly.  In recent years there has been a new entry into the deep water jigging arena.  Vertical jigs have made great inroads into local fishing techniques.  It does take some different rigging to get started but it is worth the effort.  First and foremost, to impart the proper action to your jig you should spool up with a spectra fiber line like Power pro.  This line offers two distinct advantages.  First, it has no noticeable stretch.  This allows the angler to feel every little bump, even in very deep water.  Secondly it has a significantly smaller diameter than monofilament of similar pound test.  For example fifty pound power pro has a diameter equivalent to twelve pound monofilament.  This allows for less bow in the line as you drift through the water.  Less bow in the line allows for a more vertical jigging action to be imparted by the angler.  Both Williamson and Shimano have introduced vertical jigs to the market.  Williamson offers a cost effective series called the Abyss, while Shimano’s is the Butterfly, at a little more of a premium price tag.   Jigs of around five inch have been working well. 

 Rigging the jig is relatively simple.  Simply splice about fifteen feet of fluorocarbon directly to your spectra fiber line using a Uni knot splice.  The Uni is tied as usual with three to four turns in the fluorocarbon side of the splice; however it is tied with eight turns in the spectra fiber side.  The jig is then tied as usual to the leader.

To fish these jigs, you simply let them drop to the bottom and then retrieve with a fast and full up sweep of the rod then reeling as you lower your rod tip until you meet your jig at the bottom of the motion. Repeat this action until you have retrieved through your target area.  Then without having to retrieve all of the way to the surface, simply drop your jig back to the bottom.      

When a fish hits your jig it is simply unmistakable.  On the strike, your rod instantly stops its upward motion, and the fight is on.  Please be extra cautious when fighting any fish with spectra fiber line, as it will offer a deep cut to the angler who tries to handle the line while under that kind of pressure. 

Almacos’ are currently not under any seasonal or size restrictions.  With a little common sense and by releasing those fish that we are not going to eat right away we might be able to keep them that way.  When landing an almaco you do not even have to employ a gaff.  They have a handle built right in, in the form of an easy to grip tail.  To release any unwanted fish after the obligatory photograph, simply drop them with a head first shove and they should have no trouble returning to their preferred depth.      

When using either of these techniques for almacos’ you will also have opportunities to catch the full spectrum of other fish found on the wrecks, including several species of grouper, snapper, other jacks and of course the ever present barracuda.  With this much to look forward to you may just start to bypass the shallow reef and near shore trolling and immediately head for the deeper home of the almaco.

Captain John Sahagian
FunYet Charters

(305) 872-3407