Horse-eye JackorYellow Jack
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
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 Jack | Yellow Jack | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Caranx latus | Caranx bartholomaei |
| Also called | Bigeye jack | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | 32 lb · Texas (2012) | 27.6 lb · Florida (2025) |
| On the table | Eaten small; ciguatera caution on big island fish. | Very good — among the best-eating jacks. |
| Rules of its own in | 1 states | 2 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 3 of 3 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), yellow jack is No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day while horse-eye jack has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Horse-eye Jack: size · bag · season | Yellow Jack: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Florida (Atlantic) | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
| North Carolina | No 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.
Get the appQuestions 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 3 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): horse-eye jack no rule of its own, yellow jack No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day; Florida (Gulf): horse-eye jack no rule of its own, yellow jack No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day; North Carolina: horse-eye jack No size limit, No bag limit, yellow jack no rule of its own.