The term amberjack is applied to two members of the jack family that occur in the Mid Atlantic region.
Greater amberjacks are common around wrecks, reefs, buoys, and other structures. They often mill around structure, moving throughout the entire water column.
Amberjacks are sometimes taken using live baits, fished at mid depth or along the bottom. They are also taken using flashy metal jigs and medium-heavy tackle.
During the summer, greater amberjacks are sometimes seen swimming near the surface around wrecks or towers. During these situations, they sometimes respond to surface poppers or other lures that have a popping or splashing action.
Adult greater amberjacks are sometimes found together with crevalle jacks, cobia, and other large predators.
The lesser amberjack is smaller, but otherwise similar in appearance. Lesser amberjacks are sometimes found near inshore buoys, wrecks, debri fields, weedlines, and other floating objects. Like their larger relatives, they respond to flashy lures, live baits, and other offerings.