Pound for pound, the jack crevalle pulls as hard as anything that swims off this coast. They come in packs, they smash a surface plug, and then they refuse to quit long after you would like them to. They are also poor eating. So we take the photo and put them back.
In the eastern Pacific our jack crevalle is Caranx caninus, a close relative of the Atlantic crevalle that anglers in Florida know. Blunt-headed, deep-bodied, built entirely for pushing water. Everything about the shape of the fish is about applying force sideways.
They hunt in packs along the beaches and around the rocks and river mouths, and when a school of them corners bait against the shore the water boils. That commotion is worth turning the boat around for. It is one of the more exciting things you will see inshore.
This is the part nobody exaggerates. A jack crevalle fight is brutal and it goes on. There is a long first run, then a series of them, then the fish gets underneath the boat and turns its body flat against you and simply refuses to come up. A twenty pound jack will take twenty minutes and leave your forearms shaking.
People who have caught bigger fish elsewhere routinely underestimate them and then go quiet halfway through. If somebody on your boat wants to know what a hard-pulling fish feels like without going offshore, this is the one to hand them.
Inshore. Beaches, rocky points, the mouths of arroyos after rain, and around any structure holding bait. They will also follow a boat and turn up around the marina entrance and the harbour mouth.
We catch them through much of the year in this region, with the warm months generally best along the beaches. They are opportunistic and adaptable, which is why they are one of the more dependable inshore fish when other things are not cooperating.
Live bait is the reliable method, fished the same way we fish for roosterfish, and jacks frequently eat the bait meant for a rooster. That is a normal part of an inshore day.
The better option, if the fish are up and feeding, is a surface plug. A big popper worked fast through a feeding school gets an aggressive, visible strike, and several fish will chase the same lure. It is the most fun way to catch them by a distance.
Jack crevalle are poor eating. The flesh is dark, bloody, oily and strong, and there is a heavy red muscle running the length of the fillet that carries most of that flavour. Some people trim it back hard, bleed the fish immediately and make something decent of it. Most people try once.
We do not keep them. There is no need to, and there are far better fish to take home from the same water.
A jack that has fought hard for twenty minutes needs a proper revival, and the mistake is being in a hurry. We keep the fish in the water, hold it upright alongside with the boat idling gently forward so water moves over the gills, and wait until it is genuinely ready to swim off rather than until we are ready to let go.
Handle them with wet hands, keep fingers away from the gill plates, and get the fish back over the side quickly for the photo. Done properly, a released jack swims off strongly and will be back on the same beach terrorising bait the following week.
The short version of how a trip with Indigo Adventures works. Licences, deposits, boats and what happens to your catch. The full FAQ has the rest.
Read the full FAQ→Indigo Adventures is based in El Pescadero, on the Pacific side of Baja California Sur, a few minutes south of Todos Santos. Boats launch from three points: Punta Lobos beach in Todos Santos, San Jose del Cabo, and the Cabo San Lucas Marina. Which boat runs your trip decides where you meet us.
Custom fishing and spearfishing charters, freediving excursions, whale watching from mid December to April, and kayaking. Every trip is built around your group, your dates and the conditions rather than a fixed timetable, and almost every one goes out private.
Book online on the Book Now page, where availability is live and a 50 percent deposit holds the date. If you would rather we picked the trip, send an enquiry with who is coming, when you are here and what you want out of the day, and we will say which trip fits and which one does not.
No. Everyone fishing in Mexican waters needs a Mexican sportfishing licence, and each angler buys their own. We help you arrange it before the day so nobody is sorting paperwork on the dock. The same licence covers rod and spear.
Rarely. Almost every trip goes out as a private boat for you and your group. If a split makes sense for a small party we will say so when you enquire.
Three on the 24 foot Punta Lobos panga, up to four on La Ruca and La Morita, and up to six on Don Pancho and El Wahoo King. Whale watching numbers run a little higher because nobody is swinging a rod.
Yes. The catch goes home with you. Filleting at the dock, vacuum sealing and freezing are available, and most guests fly home with a cooler. Marlin are mostly released, with judgement on the day.
Yes, on fishing days. The crew rigs and handles the gear and hands you the rod when something eats. Guided spearfishing needs breath-hold experience and runs on a strict buddy system, which is the only legal way to spearfish in Mexico. Water, ice and snacks are normally aboard.
