Mangrove jack (mangrove red snapper)

A deep-red to copper-bronze snapper with big canine teeth, a slightly forked tail and no black spot on the side. Young fish have pale vertical bars and blue lines under the eye. Looks like the Caribbean's dog snapper or mutton snapper's cousins, but redder.

12–20 in and 1–5 lb in estuaries; offshore reef fish 10–25 lb.

About 5 ft and over 30 lb.

Prawns, crabs, mullet, herring and small fish.

Young and medium jacks live in mangrove creeks and even freshwater streams, hiding deep in snags and rock walls; big adults move out to offshore reefs to spawn. Known for hitting a lure and bolting straight back into the snag.

Found from Queensland & the Great Barrier Reef, Northern Territory & Western Australia, South-East Australia & Tasmania, Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam), Indonesia (Bali, Komodo, Raja Ampat, Sulawesi), Philippines, South Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea, China, Hong Kong & Taiwan, Japan & South Korea, Guam & Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, East Africa & Indian Ocean Islands, Red Sea & Arabian Gulf (Egypt, Oman, UAE) and India, Sri Lanka, Maldives & Pakistan. Mangrove creeks, tidal rivers, rock walls, bridges, canals and freshwater reaches; adults on offshore reefs down to 400 ft.

Mangrove creeks, tidal rivers, rock walls, bridges, canals and freshwater reaches; adults on offshore reefs down to 400 ft.

3–400 ft.

3–15 ft around snags in estuaries.

The warm months: October to April in Australia, especially before summer storms.

Dawn, dusk and night, and hot, humid afternoons before a storm.

The first half of the run-out tide, when bait drains off the flats and out of the creeks; the turn of high tide is good too.

Warm, stable weather; the build-up before the wet season and calm, overcast days are excellent. Heavy rain muddies the water.

Live mullet, prawns and herring; fresh mullet strips.

Hard-body minnows cast tight to snags, soft-plastic prawns and paddle tails, and surface walkers at night.

6½–7 ft medium-heavy baitcasting or spinning rod with a locked-up drag.

2/0–5/0 strong hooks.

20–30 lb braid.

30–50 lb fluorocarbon.

Cast as close to the snag as you dare, let the lure sit a second, then twitch it out. When a jack hits, don't give any line — turn its head away from the snag right away.

Fish the hottest, stickiest afternoons of summer, right before a thunderstorm — that's when jacks bite best.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Excellent: white, firm and sweet. Fry, grill or steam whole.

Big canine teeth and sharp gill covers — use pliers and a lip grip. Big offshore fish can carry ciguatera in some areas; saltwater crocodiles live in many jack creeks in the north.

Queensland and NSW have a minimum size and bag limit; other countries set their own. Check local rules. Licenses and rules differ by country across the Indo-Pacific: Australia's states, Asian countries and the Pacific islands all set their own bag limits, size limits and marine park zones. Check the local rules or fish with a licensed charter.

Keep only what you'll eat and release the big breeders; wet your hands, support the fish's belly and get it back in the water fast.