Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 750 is my conversation with Dr. Mike Larkin about why jacks may be the most underrated gamefish swimming. Mike has spent years studying these fish, and he walks through why they fight harder than their reputation suggests, what makes the African pompano so powerful, why the golden trevally is such an acrobatic target, when live bait beats fast-moving lures, and why the ecosystem role of jacks makes conservation matter more than most anglers realize.
Listen now: Megaphone · Spotify · YouTube.
Dr. Mike Larkin is a fisheries scientist and avid angler who has spent years studying jacks in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. He brings both a researcher's understanding of the fish and an angler's appreciation for how hard they fight.
Mike argues that jacks are overlooked because anglers often target flashier species, yet pound for pound jacks deliver some of the hardest fights in the water. He says their power, willingness to eat a variety of baits, and wide distribution make them a far better gamefish than their reputation suggests.
Mike highlights the African pompano as one of the most powerful jacks an angler can hook, describing the kind of relentless, dogged fight it puts up. He also praises the golden trevally for its acrobatic battles. Both, he says, punch well above their reputation.
Mike compares live bait against fast-moving lures and explains when each shines. Live bait can be deadly in certain situations, while fast retrieves trigger the aggressive, chase-and-crush instinct jacks are known for. He gets into the trade-offs in the episode.
Mike explains that jacks play a significant role in their ecosystems as predators, and that healthy jack populations matter beyond just the fishery. He makes the case that anglers should value and protect these fish rather than dismiss them.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 750 with Dr. Mike Larkin is available on Megaphone, Spotify, YouTube, and the Tom Rowland Podcast feed. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
I wanted Mike on because anybody who has hooked a big jack knows the secret he is trying to tell everyone else. These fish fight like crazy, they eat aggressively, and most anglers still treat them as a nuisance or a bycatch. Mike studies them for a living and fishes for them by choice, which is exactly the combination I want when I am trying to understand a species. I wanted listeners to walk away rethinking the fish they have been ignoring.
Press play in the player above to hear it.
Mike makes his core argument that jacks are dismissed unfairly when they may be among the best fighting fish you can target. He explains why their reputation has lagged behind their performance. Hear the case in the episode.
Mike singles out the African pompano as a standout, describing the kind of fight that surprises anglers who hook one for the first time. He gets into what makes this jack so strong. Listen to that section of the conversation.
The golden trevally earns its own spotlight for the acrobatic, visual battles it puts up. Mike explains why this species is so much fun to target. Press play in the YouTube player above.
Mike breaks down when live bait outperforms a fast retrieve and when triggering the chase instinct with a moving lure is the better play. It is the practical heart of the conversation. Worth hearing in full.
Listen to the full conversation: Megaphone · Spotify · YouTube.
What I took from Mike is that we have all been sleeping on a fish that is right under our noses. Jacks are everywhere, they fight harder than most of what we chase, and they will eat almost anything presented well.
The conservation angle stuck with me too. These are not throwaway fish. They matter to the ecosystem, and they deserve more respect than they get.
Press play in the player above, or grab Episode 750 on Megaphone or Spotify.
Dr. Mike Larkin · African pompano · golden trevally · Tom Rowland (host)
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Dr. Mike Larkin is a fisheries scientist and avid angler who has spent years studying jacks in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. He combines formal research into fish populations and ecosystems with deep on-the-water experience targeting species like the African pompano and golden trevally, and he is an advocate for recognizing jacks as both a premier gamefish and an important part of marine ecosystems.
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