Strike Local Guides: Everything You Need To Know About Amberjack Angling

As one of the Mediterranean's mightiest predators, landing one of these aggressive pelagic–coastal bruisers is a sought-after activity. Even more so when you consider that amberjack can grow up to 6ft (1.8m) in length.



But what takes Mediterranean amberjack fishing to the next level is the amount of expertise and brainpower it takes to tempt them onto a hook. Amberjack can be caught using various techniques – live-bait trolling, vertical jigging, offshore spinning, drifting – but one thing is a constant: these are smart animals with serious cunning and superior stamina. Get ready for a fight that’ll test not only your best saltwater fishing gear right up the water column, but a challenge for your brain and brawn in equal measure. 


Edoardo Civita is Strike’s amberjack fishing expert. Having settled on the island of Sardinia after years of fishing around the world, he knows precisely the unique challenges that anglers of every level will face when targeting the locally-known ricciola. It’s why we’ve asked him to contribute to our Strike Local Guides series, and share his pro tips, best advice, and gear essentials for catching amberjack in Sardinia.

Name: I’m Edoardo Civita. I was born in Rome in 1996, and now live on the Italian island of Sardinia where I split my time between charters, guiding, and documentary production. I’ve fished around the world but my heart is in the cold waters of the Atlantic.

Mark and species: Porto Rotondo for amberjack, known locally as ricciola. 


Why there: It’s my beautiful home port. Amberjack are the smartest, most technical fish in the Mediterranean, so I get great satisfaction when putting a big one on deck. 


PB: My record amberjack is 44kg. Other PBs include a 150kg bluefin tuna, 14kg dentex, 10kg pink bream, and 27kg grouper.


Kit list: You need a healthy well of live bait, so my essential gear revolves around baitfish. Stock up on sabiki rigs, tataki jigs, and small minnows for the bonitos.


Footwear of choice: I’ve been converted to the Bigeye boot. It’s the best.


Top tip: Sounds obvious, but never give up!


Lasting memory from your mark: Just one?! Wow it’s hard to say, so let’s go with… my first nighttime swordfish.