A deep-bodied, blunt-headed, hard-fighting jack with a dark blotch on the gill cover, a steeply
convex forehead and the row of bony scutes along the tail base that all jacks share. Texas fish
average two to five pounds; the state record is 50.25 pounds and 52.25 inches, from 1976. Juveniles
are abundant in the surf and later move into the bays; smaller fish school around bay structure while
larger ones school offshore near pass and river mouths, pushing into the bays in September and
October. Best fishing is May through August. TPWD's verdict on eating them is tactful — edible, but
not considered very desirable — which is precisely why crevalle jack are among the best catch-and-
release sport fish on the coast.
Source-backed field notes
- The Texas state rod-and-reel record crevalle jack weighed 50.25 pounds at 52.25 inches, caught June 26, 1976 by Francis Lyon. (State Saltwater Records: Rod and Reel — TPWD)
- The Lower Laguna Madre water-body record crevalle jack is 20.31 pounds, 40.00 inches, caught July 11, 2014 by Marco A. Ramirez. (All-Tackle Records for Lower Laguna Madre — TPWD)
- Texas fly-rod state records for this sub-topic: crevalle jack 30.00 lb / 40.00 in (Sep 17 2009, Ronald Cruse, Clouser); Spanish mackerel 6.60 lb / 30.88 in (Jul 29 2007, Christopher Golla); African pompano 8.60 lb / 30.00 in (Aug 28 2006, Stan Nabozny, white chum fly); Gulf kingfish 0.88 lb / 12.50 in (Nov 10 2001, Thomas Sheehan); southern kingfish 1.19 lb / 14.25 in (Jul 9 2000, Galveston Bay, Kenneth Thyssen). (State Saltwater Records: Fly Fishing — TPWD)
Observe responsibly
Wildlife, tides and access conditions change. Keep a respectful distance, do not feed wildlife, stay out of dunes and marked nesting areas, and use current official rules before fishing or handling any catch.