Waterlands

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Greater amberjackRetention open

Bar · Florida

Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef

28.32°N · 80.55°W · Bar · Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm

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Best score today · 8 PM · Greater amberjack

75/100Great
Now
4912 PM EDT
Best window
1 PM-12 AMHigh slack
Tide now
Low0.9 ft

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 12 PM · now

Time12PNOW
Score49Good
Tide0.9 ftLow
Current0.2 knmodeled · toward SW
Wind5 kn NNEgusts 12 · steady
Sea stateLight chop0.8 ft · 7 s
Air temp82°Warm
WeatherMostly cloudy69% chance of rain
Water83°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)

IN EFFECT NOW

Greater amberjack

Retention open
Daily limit
1 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Minimum 28 in, fork length
Season
No closed season on file
Annual quota
Not published
Changes
Closed from Apr 1
Other
Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Open January through March and May through December. Closed in April.

From FWC Recreational Regulations: Amberjack, read Sep 13

Other species here

  • Atlantic croaker Retention open (50 per day)
  • Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
  • Bluefish Retention open (3 per day)
  • Bonefish Catch & release (No retention)
  • Cobia Retention open (1 per day)
  • Crevalle jack Retention open
  • Florida pompano Retention open (6 per day)
  • Gag grouper Closed (No retention)
  • Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
  • Gray triggerfish Retention open (10 per day)
  • King mackerel Retention open (2 per day)
  • Mahi-mahi Retention open (5 per day)
  • Permit Retention open (2 per day)
  • Red drum Catch & release (No retention)
  • Red grouper Retention open (3 per day (3 Atlantic grouper and tilefish combined))
  • Red snapper Check regulations
  • Sailfish Retention open (1 per day (1 billfish combined))
  • Sheepshead Retention open (8 per day)
  • Snook Retention open (1 per day)
  • Southern flounder Retention open (5 per day)
  • Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
  • Spot Retention open (50 per day)
  • Spotted seatrout Retention open (2 per day)
  • Summer flounder Retention open (5 per day)
  • Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
  • Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Greater amberjack is best here

Shoulder season for Greater amberjack · 9 more weeks at shoulder

Greater amberjack season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Greater amberjack · 9 more weeks at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Greater amberjack in Florida

Spot profile

Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef

Depth
40-45 ftFlat bottom
Structure
Reef · Outer · ExposedReef · flat bottom
Season
Shoulder seasonGreater amberjack

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef

Walter L Hudson, Junior Artificial Reef is a bar in Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 40-45 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads reef, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are king mackerel, gray snapper and Atlantic tarpon. It is peak season now for king mackerel, gray snapper, Atlantic tarpon and Atlantic croaker, and shoulder season for gray triggerfish, red snapper, black sea bass and red grouper. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October. Gray snapper peak from June through September. Atlantic tarpon peak from July through September.

Tackle & technique

Greater amberjack
Amberjack school around wrecks, oil rigs, towers and high-relief reefs in 60 to 250 feet, often suspended well above the bottom. Drop a live blue runner or work a heavy jig through the school, then pump hard, because a big AJ runs straight back into the structure. Heavy conventional gear with 50 to 80 pound line is standard.
King mackerel
Kings roam from beaches and pier ends out to reefs, wrecks and ledges in 40 to 200 feet, usually feeding in the upper half of the water column. Slow-troll live menhaden, blue runners or cigar minnows on a light wire stinger rig, or pull spoons and ribbonfish past bait schools. Look for clean green water above 68 F with bait and birds on it.
Gray snapper
Mangrove snapper hold tight to mangrove roots, bridge pilings, jetties and reef ledges, from a few feet deep inshore to 150 feet offshore. Chum to pull them out of cover, then freeline or lightly weight a live shrimp or pilchard on fluorocarbon leader, since they shy away from heavy line in clear water. The bite improves at dusk and after dark.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Sprig Point

    Cape · 4.7 mi

    62
    Top: Atlantic tarponPeak season
    • Atlantic tarpon 62
    • Red drum 61
    • Southern flounder 60

    5 kt NNEH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:26 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Shortys Pocket

    Bay · 4.1 mi

    61
    Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season
    • Atlantic croaker 61
    • Common snook 59
    • Crevalle jack 59

    5 kt NNEH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:26 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Shortys Banks

    Bar · 4.6 mi

    59
    Top: Common snookPeak season
    • Common snook 59
    • Atlantic croaker 56
    • King mackerel 56

    5 kt NNEH 6:09 PM · 4.1 ftL 12:26 AM · 1.0 ft

  • Shell Point

    Cape · 5.0 mi

    59
    Top: Common snookPeak season
    • Common snook 59
    • Atlantic croaker 56
    • King mackerel 56

    5 kt NNEH 6:12 PM · 4.0 ftL 12:25 AM · 0.9 ft

Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with FWC before you keep a fish.