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Species · Nearshore

Bar Jack

Caranx ruber

Rules in 4 state rulebooks, checked Sep 16, 2026. Every rule names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

How to tell it

Sleek jack with electric blue-and-black stripe along the back into the tail.

Rules for

Every state

StateSizeBagSeasonToday
Florida (Atlantic)Federal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)No size limit10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundSAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked Open
GeorgiaFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)No size limit10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundSAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked Open
North CarolinaFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)No size limit10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundSAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked Open
South CarolinaNo size limit20/day aggregate, max 10 of any one speciesOpen year-roundSC DNR 2026 · checked Open

Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (Gulf), Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).

State records

StateWeightWhen, whereSource
Florida7.75 lb1999 · MiamiFWC Saltwater Fishing Records (All-Tackle) · checked 2026-08-23

On the table

Good; ciguatera caution on southern reefs.

In the app

Point the camera at a bar jack and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.

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Questions anglers ask about bar jack

How many bar jack can you keep?

Florida (Atlantic): 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; Georgia: 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; North Carolina: 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; South Carolina: 20/day aggregate, max 10 of any one species.

What is the record bar jack?

7.75 lb in Florida (1999), Miami. Other states’ records are in the table.