we were out at towers B&C last summer and hooked alot of amberjacks but couldn't stop-em, the hooken was easy snapper blues ,usaly with in 30 to 60 seconds but couldn't pull-em away from the tower!!!
80lb test 100lb leaders even tried gunning the boat to pull them away!!!!
any suggestions????
thanks for any info in advance!!!!

30+ pound line as soon as you hook up run 100+ yards away from the tower for leaderts use 200 lb with no wieght

Yeah, you gotta love the fight of an AJ...if you can stop them, you should be able to stop anything. We had really good luck last couple of years at the Towers. What we did was anchor up-current of the tower, staying probably 20 yards off the tower. Then let the lines out and get the AJ to come to you, so their not right on the tower when you hook up. Once your hooked, they're running down and back to the tower, so strong tackle and lots of drag to stop them before they break you off. Also when they're feeding using top water plugs is much more exciting than live baiting...seeing them fight over a lure and break the surface when they strike...oh yeah, I'm ready for summer! Let me know if you want someone to run with when the time comes.

You have to use 100lb test shock leaders , set your drag to about 20lbs,Apply maximum drag to turn the fish .Once you turn the fish you take away his leverage and in most cases break their will(some what),the whole time you are doing this the Captain needs to head away from the Tower 10 Knots get several hundred feet away from the tower.Getting the fish turned is the most important part,it takes some practice knowing the breaking point of the line,I will thumb the side of the spool for a little extra resistance.It is better for the fish the faster you get him to the boat,hour long battels are fun but usually wear the fish out beyond recovery.A harness with 50# class tackel does the job for the large Amberjacks.We get them by Jigging mojos or using Live Spot.Be careful with wraps and loops of line around your feet and hands. Amberjacks are serious pullers .I got jerked out of the boat and almost lost 3 fingers with a wrap of 150 lb mono around my right hand at the Tower about 15 years ago.Do not under estimate the pullage of a large Amberjack!

Thanks Mega Bite sounds like these fish have some serious pulling power!!!! And wraps should be avoided, its a long way back to reatach body parts, I haven't had one on longer than a few minutes but looking forward to getting one boat side
thanks for the info!!!! what kind of top water plugs do AJ like?

I have never caught AJ`s on top.But I have never tried either.

One trick I've learned over the years with AJ's is to try and pull them off the tower with the boat before you start fighting them. As soon as the fish is hooked use the boat to pull it away without jerking on the rod. The minute you start jerking on the rod the fish is going to try and go back to the tower.

Another trick is throw a couple live baits in the water as the boat drifts off the tower. The live baits will immediatley see the AJ's and look for a place to hide. The only place they can find is under the boat. The AJ's will see them under the boat and often the school will follow the boat away from the tower.

When the fish are feeding any topwater plug will work. I have often pulled the hooks off my topwater and used it to pull the fish off the tower. It's wild when they start pulling it down then spit it out when they realize they have a piece of plastic in thier mouth and another fish grabs it on the way up. I've had as many as 6 fish on in one cast before the lure made it back to the boat.

thanks ROB that sounds like a good battle plan. That must be some heart stopping action with the top water plug without the hooks.
so do the AJ's stay under or close to the boat with the live bait??

You can get Amberjacks off the wrecks also,I have seen them on almost every wreck that I have been diveing on in the Summertime.

Yep, almost all the VA wrecks have them during the summer and that's where I usually target them. I do like to try and get in at least 1 south tower trip a year though, the catching is usually outstanding. You won't catch nearly as many on the wrecks.

If the school comes off the tower after the live baits you threw in the water they will swim right under the boat and eat em. That's when you drop a few live ones over with hooks in em. Many times the school will stay with you away from the tower if you keep 1 hooked up at all times and keep working that topwater as fast as you can. If it looks like they're leaving throw a couple more live baits in the water. We always try to head down there with at least 50 live baits, preferably Spots but Croakers will work also.

Don't forget the old diamond jig, they will also work well at times. They also work well for pulling those monster Seabass off the legs of the tower.

I fish with the "Amberjack Kid" (DR WRIGHT) all the time and we have perfected a little trick that works well.
1) Go around the tower couple of times to find fish.
2) Set up to drift safely past tower.
3) Wait until well away from the tower before dropping bait. SOME JACKS WILL FOLLOW YOU! Pull away from tower after hook-up.
4) When Dr W was fishing and getting the Atlantic Ocean Release award year after year and catching and releasing thirty or forty BY HIMSELF a day, he used stand up tackle, Shimano Two-Speed reels, 100 lb test line, and 150 leader. He also wore a harness. (This is while he was in his late sixties!) If you are catch and release,USE BIG REELS,as a shorter fight will greatly benefit the fish.
5) TAKE A BUNCH OF LIVE BABY MENHADEN<AS WELL AS YOUR OTHER LIVE BAIT. Pitch a handful on the surface,and I promise you can lure them boys away from the tower real easy. I also have a hookless top-water that I cast and reel as fast as I can which results in EXPLOSIVE strikes,as well as drawing the fish off.

Back then the AmberJack ran larger too!That story got me pointing towards the ocean like an old Bird Dog.