Fish
Seriola dumerili ・ Carangidae (Jacks)
It prefers warmer water than the amberjack. From piers you mostly meet the small ones, called shogo, taken on live bait or jigs.
A brown band runs from the top of the head through the eye to the upper jaw; seen head-on it resembles the character for eight, hachi, which is where the Japanese name comes from. The band is bold in young fish and fades with age. The back is yellow-brown shading to pale purple, and the body is deeper and more compressed than that of the Japanese amberjack or the yellowtail amberjack. Most are about a metre long, but the record is 1.9 m, making it one of the largest of all jacks, and its sashimi has a firm bite.
Offshore anglers take it on metal jigs or live bait. Juveniles, called shogo, come within reach of breakwaters and rocky shores on lures, with July to October the hottest months.
It works a layer deeper than amberjack, so fish the bait lower. It holds around submerged rock, so get a hooked fish up before it can reach it.
Waters: Sea of Japan, Southern Pacific coast, Seto Inland Sea, East China Sea & western Kyushu, Okinawa & Nansei Islands
Dropped straight down from the boat and worked back with a fast one-pitch retrieve. It is exhausting, so concentrate your effort on the morning window, and fish the depth the skipper tells you.
Waters: Sea of Japan, Southern Pacific coast, East China Sea & western Kyushu, Okinawa & Nansei Islands
Live-bait fishing kit ・ Kit total ¥25,000–60,000
The bait is normally caught on site with a sabiki rig, so bring that kit too. You need a bucket, ideally aerated, to keep the bait alive.
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Sashimi and sushi. Firm-fleshed, and the most highly regarded of the amberjacks in summer.
Best eating: June–September
Check the local prefectural fishery regulation.
Closed seasons and size limits — how to find the numbers, which differ by prefecture
This article organises general information and is not legal advice. Rules differ by municipality and by fishery cooperative, and they change. Always check the current rules for where you are going.