Most of the fishing opportunities around our Peace Corps post are from shore and best suited to spin-fishing with lures. Some of the fishing has been productive, some not so much. I am still learning what to expect when I go fishing, and trying to develop a method that maximizes my chances of having a good day.

Two of the most common fish I catch are jacks. No surprise, since the technique I have been using is mostly used for catching jacks in Hawaii. One species I have hooked is the Big-eye, or Horse-eye Jack:

These fish have a nice black and yellow coloring. They are a popular food fish here and, with minimal scales and tasty meat, I can see why. So far, the biggest ones I have hooked have been around the size of the fish in the photograph, but they get significantly bigger. I have hooked quite a few in the dark after sunset or before sunrise, and I believe their large eyes may help them be effective nocturnal hunters. I may have to do some more dawn and dusk fishing to see if I can hook some bigger ones.

The other common reef predator I have met is the Blue Runner:

These jacks also get a bit bigger, and often travel in groups. There was a little girl on the beach when I caught this fish. She watched me land it and then release it after the picture. “I’ve never seen anyone catch a fish that big before,” she said, “and I’ve never seen anyone let a fish go, ever.” I get that a lot here. It’s a catch-and-eat kind of place.