Are Jack Crevalle Good to Eat?

Jack crevalle are probably not one of the best fish to eat. Any angler will be repulsed by the idea of cooking them and you can understand why. Jack crevalle is known for its pungent fishy taste. Nonetheless, the question are jack crevalle good to eat comes down to how you cook this fish. We would recommend a lot of spices in there to get rid of that fishy taste.

Try to put some lime or lemon juice in the mix to fully enhance the jack crevalle taste. That way, you can enjoy the meat. But even then, there are still a lot of people out there who will be put off by this.

Can You Eat Jack Crevalle?

Yes, eating jack crevalle is possible. In fact, that’s not even the point of contention here. The biggest question is whether or not you’ll actually enjoy it.

Here are a few tips that could help unlock the flavor of this fish and make it an enjoyable meal.

• It’s important to bleed out the fish immediately after you catch it. This will make the jackfish edible. Remember that jack crevalle are some of the fastest swimmers in the world. In order to maintain this high performance underwater, they will pump blood all over their body at very fast speeds. You can’t allow the blood to keep flowing when the fish is out of the water. It may just affect how edible the catch is.
• Secondly, keep the fish fresh. This is a no-brainer, to be honest. Nobody wants to eat stale fish regardless of the species. So, ensure the jack crevalle is stored in a lot of ice once the fish has completely bled out.
• Finally, avoid the fish’s bloodline which is found around the lion area. We know that there are some people who actually enjoy eating it but to be fair it really looks darker than what you’d expect from an average fish. The bloodline also has a gamey taste which may not go well for some people.

How to Clean a Jack Crevalle Fish?

In case you plan to fillet the fish to enjoy later, there are a few steps you should take. Besides, anyone asking are jack crevalle good to eat should read this. Start by bleeding out the fish the moment it’s caught. Simply cut off the gills and let the blood flow out until there’s no more left.

Once the fish is bled out, take a knife and insert it deeply into the backbone. Run it down gently along the dorsal fin line. The knife will cut off the backbone and carve out the lions.

Thirdly, head back to the pectoral fin and perform an angled cut through the fish’s belly all the way to the tail. Please note that jack crevalle has a lot of scales so the cut won’t be easy. Nonetheless, once you’re done, free up the loins from the body of the fish and cut the bloodline while you’re at it.

Finally, rinse all the cut meat using a salty water hose. Don’t use freshwater as this may affect the flavor of your fish.

What Does Jack Crevalle Look Like?

It’s time to check the appearance of the fish. Well, to put it simply, jack crevalle actually looks like smaller amberjack. Nonetheless, the crevalle tend to have a thinner V-shaped tail.

Here’s a complete breakdown of how the fish looks:

Color

When it comes to color, jack crevalle actually come in huge varieties. The fish can either be blue or light silver but they tend to have sheens that color differently.

Typically, the fish will also have a dark dorsal fin while the rest of the fins will maintain a light-yellow color. The belly is also yellowish.

Range

If you want to fish crevalle, you’ll find them from spring to fall in Florida.

They are generally migratory fish but during these periods, you can catch them from the shore using a surf fishing rod or reel. Once the winter season kicks in, the fish will move back to the deep waters in the south.

Length

When fully matured, jack crevalle will be about 4 feet long. The weight will vary though but the fish hit a maximum of about 70 pounds. The variation in weight is actually very huge. We have heard stories of anglers catching crevalle weighing as low as 10 pounds.

So, it really depends on the ecosystem and the nature of the food chain available. Despite this, regardless of the size, crevalle are known to be very aggressive.

Diet

Jack crevalle are predatory in nature so they will feed on a wide range of small fish. It’s, however, believed that the crevalle develop a taste for specific fish and would target them in their hunt for their entire lifespan.

For example, if the crevalle starts off eating mullet from a young age, they will maintain that diet for as long as possible. Nevertheless, crevalle are also known to prey on crustaceans, squid, and other small fishes in the water.

Habitat

Jack crevalle aren’t really picky when it comes to their habitat. As long as there’s warm water somewhere, they will easily fit right in. The fish don’t have any preferences when it comes to water depth.

You can find them either in shallow or deep water. Nonetheless, the fish will typically hide out in large numbers around rocky structures.

However, since the fish prey on baitfish, expect them to make an appearance on sandy waters every now and then. For these reasons, jack crevalle should be quite easy to find.

Why Target a Jack Crevalle?

There’s nothing more exciting than saltwater fishing. It’s the main reason why over and over again anglers will head to the open sea to try to catch a wide range of saltwater fish. Nonetheless, one thing that you can be sure about jack crevalle is the fact that it’s not that easy to catch.

Yes, they are easy to find. But before you reel them in with your surf fishing reels, you’ll have a good fight on your hands. Catching crevalle requires finesse and skill.

And as many anglers will tell you, if you’re not careful the fish will easily damage your gear as it fights to get free. There are also certain things that you need to know as you head out fishing for jack crevalle. First, big fish shouldn’t be eaten.

If you catch a big one, treat it nicely, take some pictures if you want, and then release it back into the water. Smaller catches, on the other hand, can be eaten and the recipe we have given above should come in handy.

And finally, make sure you always have the right gear with you. As noted above you won’t find a more stubborn fish than jack crevalle. Think of it as catching a mackerel only that the crevalle are more stubborn and fast.

So, if you head into the sea with substandard gear, it will end in disappointment. Learn to respect the sea and the fish that it brings as well. This is the true mark of any good fisherman.

Conclusion

It’s always fun and exciting to go out fishing but there are certain fish species that will give you one hell of a fight. Jack crevalle is one of them but there will always be the question are jack crevalle good to eat?

After all, if you will be spending time trying to catch this saltwater beauty, then it’s only fair if you get to taste its meat. As we have explained above, eating jack crevalle is possible.