Fish for amberjacks around artificial reefs

Amberjacks don’t get much respect from South Florida anglers, but they should.

They’ll bite throughout the spring when other species won’t. Getting amberjacks to the boat is challenging because they fight like mixed martial arts heavyweights.

AJs, as they’re known, gather around local artificial reefs to spawn from March through early June. That makes them easy to target, but it also makes them difficult to land because they’ll head straight for the wreck when they’re hooked. If they make it, that’s pretty much the end of the fight, because it’s next to impossible to pull them out, and usually the fishing line ends up breaking on the wreck.

Local amberjacks range from 20 to 50 pounds, but they can be bigger, like 60 or 70 pounds. To give their anglers a fighting chance, most charter captains use 50 pound outfits spooled with monofilament or braided line. Leaders range from 80 to 130 pound monofilament and are tied to a big circle hook.

Those captains use a variety of live baits, with goggle eyes, small blue runners, and small bonitos-their favorites. AJs also willbite ballyhoo, mullet,  speedos, pinfish, and grunts.

The basic rig has a three-way swivel tied to the main line with a 10-foot or longer leader tied to the swivel along with a sinker on a short piece of monofilament. Sinker weights can range from 8 to 16 ounces depending on the strength of the current.

Hooks used with bait for amberjacks cannot be made of stainless steel in state waters off South Florida and anglers must have a de-hooking device aboard their boats to aid in the release of fish. As soon as you hook an amberjack, you need to reel as fast as possible to get the fish away from a wreck, although a big AJ can pull enough drag to get back to its hangout. A good boat driver can help by pulling away from the wreck after the fish is hooked.

Even then, the fight is far from over, because the fish will circle and dig all the way to the surface, then take out line just when you thought it was about to give up.

Another way to catch amberjacks is by jigging for them. Butterfly or flutter jigs can be dropped around a wreck and then worked almost to the surface by lifting the fishing rod up and down as you reel.

If the jig, which darts and flutters as it sinks, doesn’t get bit, let it fall back down and jig it up again. Bites can come on the fall or after the lure hits bottom and is jigged up.

Conventional or spinning outfits spooled with 50 to 65 pound braided line tied to five feet of 80 pound monofilament or fluorocarbon leader can be used to jig.

The only downsides to jigging: Even if you don’t hook an amberjack, it can be tiring after doing it several times. It can also be expensive if the AJs you hook get into the wreck and break the line. The jigs typically cost from $10 to $25, so a good day jigging wrecks for AJs can easily cost you $100 in lures.

Among the pluses: You don’t have to mess with live bait and the jigs also catch cobia and grouper, as well as almaco jacks, kingfish, and blackfin tunas.

Figuring out where to drop your jigs or baits is easy. Just visit any of the area’s artificial reefs in 150-300 feet (you can find their coordinates at myfwc.com/conservation/saltwater/artificial-reefs).

Among the best wrecks for amberjacks are many of the 25 artificial reefs sunk off Pompano Beach by the Pompano Beach Fishing Rodeo, including the Corey and Chris in 244 feet, the Lowrance in 200 feet, and the Miller Lite in 155 feet.

The Rodeo reefs were so good for amberjacks that commercial anglers used to hammer them every spring. Rodeo officials repeatedly asked state and federal agencies to make the tournament’s reef area off-limits to commercial fishing. When that didn’t happen, the Rodeo refused to sink any more ships.

Deeper wrecks are often better than shallow wrecks because they don’t receive as much fishing pressure as the shallow ones. If you don’t get a bite on a wreck after a while, move to another one and keep moving until you  find the fish.

It’s best to fish the edges of a wreck rather than dropping a bait or jig in the wreck. Depending on the current, you might have to position your boat well off the wreck so by the time your bait hits bottom, it’ll be adjacent to the wreck.

In the Atlantic, the amberjack daily bag limit is one per person, the size limit is 28 inches from the tip of the mouth to the fork of the tail and the season is open year-round. The Gulf of Mexico bag limit is also one per person, the size limit is 34 inches fork length and the season is open May 1-31 and Aug. 1-Oct. 31.

A fried amberjack sandwich is popular fare in restaurants in Florida’s Panhandle, and smoked amberjack is quite tasty, but most local anglers release the fish because their flesh tends to have worms. The worms are not harmful, but they can make you think twice about eating an amberjack as you pull them out of a fillet.

What’s the deal with CBD?

CBD oil has recently been heralded as the key to alleviate many ailments for which traditional medicine has not offered reliable cures. So what is CBD?

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is an extract derived from the cannabis sativa plant, sometimes referred to simply as the cannabis plant.

The varieties of c. sativa containing high CBD, and low Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), are generally called hemp, or industrial hemp. The more famous, or infamous, varieties of c. sativa  with high THC are often generally referred to as marijuana (AKA weed, pot, reefer, grass, dope, ganja, Mary Jane, etc).

Cannabinoid compounds bind with receptors in human cells. Two main types of receptors have been identified, CB(Cannabinoid receptor type)_1 and CB_2. CB_1 is most widely expressed in the brain, and CB_2 are seen expressed in immune cells. Researchers are still working to identify other receptors in human cells.

Medical studies have shown the strongest evidence of CBD benefit is in certain epilepsy syndromes, which don’t respond well to anti-seizure medications. The FDA recently approved the first-ever cannabis-derived medicine, Epidolex, a purified CBD extract.

Other studies suggest CBD can help alleviate anxiety and insomnia. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), the studies are not as advanced as for epilepsy. Interestingly, recent studies say THC may increase anxiety as opposed to CBD which reduces it.

Another potential benefit of CBD that is being studied is the anti-inflammatory properties due to its interactions with the immune system. According to Harvard Health, “CBD may offer an option for treating different types of chronic pain.” More studies are ongoing to substantiate the effectiveness of CBD on these difficult to treat conditions.

As the medical community continues to study the benefits of CBD, more and more consumer products are being marketed. CBD products are often used topically, ingested, or inhaled. According to Dr. Junella Chin, an osteopathic physician, topical cream or ointment can be applied to “muscles, joints, and ligaments and still get a nice, localized release.”

Dr. Chin says, when CBD is inhaled, you will feel an impact in 10 minutes, that tends to wear off in two hours. Whereas, if it’s ingested as an edible or liquid, it will last 4-5 hours, but takes half an hour before you feel the effect.

Given the vast number of CBD infused products you can find, you should look for a third party quality assurance stamp or certificate of analysis. A 2017 Journal of American Medical Association study found 26 percent of 84 products tested contained lower doses than stated on the label. So in the wild, wild west of CBD products, it is buyer be aware.

CBD’s legal status is complicated. All 50 states have laws legalizing CBD with varying degrees of restriction. Federally, CBD oil extract from the marijuana plant, is still a schedule I controlled substance, whereas CBD oil extract from hemp (0.3% THC or lower), is legal for cosmetic use only, and not for food, or dietary supplements. In Florida, CBD extract can be legally processed with a state license under SB 1020.

As with all things, there are side effects from CBD that are also being studied. The FDA in their March 2020 statement says, potential side effects “include potential liver injury, interactions with other drugs, male reproductive toxicity, as well as side eff ects such as drowsiness.” The statement acknowledges much we still don’t know about CBD, and as recently as Oct 2019, the FDA and FTC sent warning letters to a Florida company for unproven claims on the benefits of CBD.

The CBD industry is evolving quickly, the FDA stated, and there is “significant public interest in CBD and we must work together with stakeholders and the industry to develop high-quality data to close the substantial knowledge gaps about the science, safety, and quality of many of these products.” So when you are shopping for CBD infused bath salts or other products, keep in mind, there is much we are still learning, both beneficial and potentially harmful.