The Mighty Bar Jack

Bar jacks are a common species on the coral reefs of the Caribbean and Atlantic. They get their name from the bright neon-blue bars that run down both sides of their back.

A good size bar jack weighs in around two pounds and the occasional five pounder is not uncommon. Like every other member of the jack family, they're a tremendous fight on light tackle, especially fly rods. On top of being a great looking, strong running catch, bar jacks are delicious. Unlike most other jacks, they have firm white meat and are perfection when lightly grilled with olive oil and Old Bay.

The fish in this picture was caught yesterday in Ensenada Honda by Idaho angler Greg Gibson. We were hopelessly casting to a parade of tailing bonefish and getting rejected by every single one of them. A serious wake came pushing our way, which I assumed was another huge bone, and Greg threw a perfect shot right in front of it. The take was immediate and the fish burned all the fly line and a pile of backing off his classic Fin Nor reel.

It was the perfect bonefish fight until we got on top of Greg's actual catch. I couldn't believe it was a bar jack. It did everything a six pound bonefish should do except look like one. We were both disappointed that it wasn't a bone but I took a handful of pictures anyway.

Looking back, I have no idea why I felt bummed about catching a big bar jack instead of a bonefish. Here on Vieques, I've landed hundreds of bones on the flats over the last few years and only a few bar jacks worthy of a photo. Maybe that makes them a much more rare prize.

Come to think of it, if someone called me and requested a trip to specifically catch bar jacks on the flats, I'd tell them that they've got their work cut out for them. Casting to tailing permit is much more common.

Big bar jacks are a rare fly rod catch on the flats in most locations. They do everything that bonefish do and can make a great meal at the end of the fight. So why aren't they considered part of the elite flats species? This is a good question.

I have a great answer to this and I'll post it later. For now, if you want to catch and eat a great meal, try landing a bar jack like this on a fly rod. It's a hell of a lot tougher than you think.