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Species · Lookalikes

Horse-eye JackorYellow Jack

Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.

Studio photograph of a Horse-eye Jack (Caranx latus), side view, on a white background
Horse-eye JackCaranx latus
Studio photograph of a Yellow Jack (Caranx bartholomaei), side view, on a white background
Yellow JackCaranx bartholomaei

Rules for both fish from 1 state rulebooks, checked Oct 29, 2026. Every rule names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

How to tell them apart

Horse-eye Jack

Big-eyed crevalle look-alike with a blacker tail, full scute row, and NO dark blotch on the pectoral fin.

Horse-eye jack, next to yellow jack: bigger eye, blacker tail.

Yellow Jack

Slender, clean-lined jack that turns brassy-gold toward the tail; no fin blotches anywhere.

Yellow jack, next to horse-eye jack: slimmer, brassy-yellow rear half.

Side by side

Horse-eye JackYellow Jack
Scientific nameCaranx latusCaranx bartholomaei
Also calledBigeye jack—
WatersNearshoreNearshore
Heaviest state record32 lb · Texas (2012)27.6 lb · Florida (2025)
On the tableEaten small; ciguatera caution on big island fish.Very good — among the best-eating jacks.
Rules of its own in1 states0 states

Rules for

Every state, both fish

The two fish are regulated differently in 1 of 1 states with a rule for either. In North Carolina, horse-eye jack is No size limit, No bag limit while yellow jack has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.

StateHorse-eye Jack: size · bag · seasonYellow Jack: size · bag · season
North CarolinaNo size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies.

In the app

Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, horse-eye jack or yellow jack, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.

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Questions anglers ask

How do you tell horse-eye jack from yellow jack?

Horse-eye Jack: Big-eyed crevalle look-alike with a blacker tail, full scute row, and NO dark blotch on the pectoral fin. Yellow Jack: Slender, clean-lined jack that turns brassy-gold toward the tail; no fin blotches anywhere. Yellow jack, next to horse-eye jack: slimmer, brassy-yellow rear half. Horse-eye jack, next to yellow jack: bigger eye, blacker tail.

Which gets bigger, horse-eye jack or yellow jack?

Horse-eye Jack. The heaviest state record we hold is 32 lb in Texas; the heaviest yellow jack record is 27.6 lb in Florida.

Which is better to eat, horse-eye jack or yellow jack?

Horse-eye Jack: Eaten small; ciguatera caution on big island fish. Yellow Jack: Very good — among the best-eating jacks.

Do horse-eye jack and yellow jack have the same limits?

Not everywhere. They differ in 1 state rulebooks. North Carolina: horse-eye jack No size limit, No bag limit, yellow jack no rule of its own.