yellow jack
Caranx bartholomaei
A large blue runner (xerelete) with golden reflections, from reefs and distant shoals. It moves alone or in small groups and strikes jigs and midwater baits.
Also called: xerelete-amarelo, guarajuba, garajuba, yellow jack
- common size
- 35–60 cm
- maximum
- 100 cm
- common weight
- 1–4 kg
- record/max.
- 14.0 kg
- depth
- 0–50 m
- ideal water
- 24–29 °C
who is the yellow jack
The yellow jack (xerelete-amarelo) lives in the western Atlantic, from Massachusetts and Bermuda, through the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, down to São Paulo, and also at the St. Peter and St. Paul Archipelago. Adults prefer distant reefs and open water; juveniles stay near the coast in seagrass beds or follow jellyfish and drifting sargassum. It usually swims alone or in small groups and eats small fish. It spawns offshore, from February to October. In sport fishing it is caught on jigs, by casting midwater baits and trolling near reefs. Some authors call it Carangoides bartholomaei.
fun facts
- Juveniles often swim alongside jellyfish and drifting sargassum.
- Some authors place it in the genus Carangoides.
identification
Elongated, compressed body, blue-green to silvery with golden reflections; yellowish fins. The upper jaw does not reach the front edge of the eye. No dark spot on the operculum or pectoral fin. Juveniles with about 5 dark bars. The blue runner has a black band on its back that runs to the lower lobe of the tail; the xerelete has a black spot on the operculum.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
where found
In Brazil, from the north to São Paulo, on reefs and shoals, and at the St. Peter and St. Paul Archipelago.
Habitat: Distant reefs and open water over the shelf; juveniles in seagrass, alongside jellyfish and drifting sargassum.
coast
states
Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo
when to fish
best season
Found year-round in warm waters; spawning runs from February to October, far from the coast.
best time of day
Daytime. Active by day, with more strikes at tide changes and early in the morning.
what affects the yellow jack
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Cold water drives the fish away from the shallow shoals.
atmospheric pressure
Rough sea after a cold front stops the fishing.
moon
Small effect.
rain
Little effect in open sea.
water level
Not applicable at sea.
noise
A clear-water fish: an engine over the shoal scares it.
wind
Strong wind speeds up the drift and pulls the jig off vertical.
tide
Moderate current over the shoal concentrates bait.
depth
From the surface to about 50 m.
how to fish
- rod
- jigging PE 2 to 3; casting 7', 15 to 30 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 4000 to 6000
- line
- braided line 20 to 40 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 30 to 50 lb, 1.5 m
- hook
- assist hooks 2/0 to 4/0; circle 3/0 to 5/0
lures
- jig 40 to 120 g
- midwater lure 9 to 12 cm
- trolling feather
natural baits
- small live fish
- lula
accessories
- alicate
tip from an angler
On shoals, a jig with quick twitches in midwater often finds the yellow jack, which travels alone around the rock.
rules for the yellow jack
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the national list (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026). We found no specific federal rule for this species.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Hold it by the peduncle and the belly, remove the hook with pliers and release it head first into the water.
in the kitchen
Fair to good flavor; best fresh, grilled or fried. Ciguatera has been recorded in reef fish.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0195, b = 2.9; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana para o gênero e o formato do corpo, comprimento total)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
- scientific FishBase — Caranx bartholomaei (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship, country list and references. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 — Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked October 13, 2026). The search was also run under the synonym Carangoides bartholomaei.
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Carangoides bartholomaei (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2023. DOI verified in Crossref. The profile uses the name Carangoides bartholomaei.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Caranx bartholomaei (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 20/08/2012)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Chapter Carangidae (Smith-Vaniz, W. F.).
