Busan Offshore Amberjack Report
After what seemed like an eternity since the last time I was able to wet a line (my broken foot and my daughter’s broken wrist) we finally made our way to Busan for the amberjack migration. I have been planning this trip for an entire year since TexMex made his post last October. A group of 5 of us hooked up with the guide that Tex recommended. The guide wanted us to be there at 0245 for an 0330 departure. The captain made our way over to the harbormaster’s office and we were cleared to leave the port at 0400 sharp. Weather was perfect and seas were fairly smooth. However we all made use of the seasickness patch behind the ear just in case. We arrive at the spot at about 0440. They fire up the lights and start chumming. Within a few minutes we were under siege by huge schools of 8-12 inch jack mackerel. We could see that there were a few larger fish underneath, but we couldn’t get our bait down past the mackerel before they would pick it clean or hook themselves. This went on for about an hour and a half until it got light out. We only managed two amberjack during this time but landed about 40 mackerel. If we were specifically targeting them we could have easily caught hundreds if not thousands of them but we were doing our best to avoid them. They disappeared as it got light and the fishing kind of slowed down. After a while the captain gets word that the fish are biting well a couple hundred yards away (there were about 20 boats in the general vicinity) so we move a little ways and the fishing really picked up. We landed some more amberjack, a few more mackerel, and a few odd green colored fish that the captain said didn’t taste very good. They were still fun to catch because they would readily go airborne. All in all we had a good time. We didn’t get the numbers compared to some of the other boats, but it was a good trip. Me and my daughter Rene were the only experienced anglers on the trip though. Total tally was 20 amberjack and about 50 mackerel. I want to give a special thanks to Tex for setting us up with the guide. I have also included the obligatory sunrise picture. 
Great job guys, and awesome pictures!!
If I wasn’t so prone to seasickness I’d love to do some offshore fishing. Did you guys eat any of the fish?
Rob,
Thanks for posting.
We ate some just last night.
No problem Dave, and I’m glad you guys had a good time and caught some fish.
Dave, well that looks like it was worth the wait and planning! I’m like Rob though and get seasick really easy so any kind of off-shore fishing is out for me
Did your daughter catch one?
I heard those Amberjack put up one hell of a fight
That looks great Dave and I live in the same area, I may have to look into that
Some light tackle would of been great fun for those mackerel also.
Nomad,
my daughter did real well. caught a couple. The action wasn’t fast enough to keep her interested the whole trip. She would occasionally read or play the video game for a while.
Steve,
Down just Dadepo beach is where all these fishing charters are located. Easy to get to. they have 2 types of fishing, boat trip to a rock somewhere where they strand you for a while or fishing from a boat. I prefer the latter, but you need a group to distribute the cost out a little. The exchange rate now did help the cost out a bit. You’re right, the mackerel would have been very fun on a light spinning rod. About 4 or 5 hooks baited above a small weight just dropped 10-15 feet below the surface and we would have been pulling them in bunches. It was just a little frustrating because you could see a few larger fish darting in and out of the light, just below them.
Dave
Dave,
Sorry the pesky macheral interfered with the Amberjacks. Hope you all had fun though. Did you see any of the catches from the other boats? On the trips I went to we never caught any mackeral, just amberjacks. Hope you all had fun though and at least you can eat the mackeral; they are somne good eating fish when cooked on a grill with some olive oil and salt. Hunter there was a lady on a previous post asking for info on this type of trip, maybe you could answer her as I don’t have the card anymore.
Tex,
The other boats all had about 50 or so amberjack and no mackerel. I don’t know what was up with them and our boat. Our capt was a little tentative about getting in close and mixing it up with the other boats but that was where the action was.
I’m shocked, I tell you, shocked!!!
You are right there Nomad
Part of it was the way they were anchoring the boat. They would drop the stern anchor and gun it for what seemed like a couple hundred yards, then drop the bow anchor and retrieve about half the line from the first drop leaving anchors deployed off both ends a long way out. I guess they needed to do it that way due to the depth at about 30-40 meters and to keep the boat perpendicular to the chum field they were creating. I guess I would be a little nervous as well trying that maneuver around 20 other boats. I still think that we could have gotten closer though.
hey guys, i am a member of anglerstown and would like to take a trip out there to catch some of these “amberjack’ do you have the number of the man or some more information? thanks.
my email address is steveyasaboy@yahoo.com
steve
Steve,
I sent you an email with the info…
thanks!!
That’s awesome, I wish we would have taken the time to do that when we were out there!!
I know this post is old but myself and a couple friends are looking to do some deep sea fishing around korea, Ive tried to look it up but cant find anything. If anyone could email me any info on it I would greatly appreciate it….
chrismayers05@hotmail.com
Thanks
Chris