Fish

Green jobfish (uku)

Pargo verde (uku)

Aprion virescens

Saltwater

At a glance

Typical size

5–20 lb.

Depth

Surface to 600 ft; mostly 30–300 ft.

Best time

Daylight hours, especially early morning and late afternoon.

Found in

11 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: A long, torpedo-shaped snapper, gray-green to blue-gray all over, with a big mouth with prominent canine teeth, a deeply forked tail and a groove in front of the eye. Called uku in Hawaii.
Typical size: 5–20 lb.
Maximum size: About 3½ ft and 34 lb (15.4 kg).
Diet: Fish, squid, shrimp and crabs.
Behavior: More of a mid-water hunter than most snappers: cruises over reef edges, ledges and sand channels, and will chase lures up off the bottom. Can live over 30 years.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from Hawaii, Guam & Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, South Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea, Queensland & the Great Barrier Reef, Northern Territory & Western Australia, Indonesia (Bali, Komodo, Raja Ampat, Sulawesi), Philippines, Japan & South Korea, East Africa & Indian Ocean Islands and Red Sea & Arabian Gulf (Egypt, Oman, UAE). Reef slopes, banks, channels and lagoons throughout the Indo-Pacific; Hawaii's Penguin Bank and the Guam banks are well known.
Habitat: Reef slopes, banks, channels and lagoons throughout the Indo-Pacific; Hawaii's Penguin Bank and the Guam banks are well known.
Depth: Surface to 600 ft; mostly 30–300 ft.
Fishing depth: 60–250 ft.
Best season: All year; spring and summer (May–August) is peak in Hawaii.
Best time: Daylight hours, especially early morning and late afternoon.
Best tides: Moving water: the hours around the tide change, when current pushes over the reef edges and bait gets swept along.
Best weather / conditions: Calm to moderate seas; light wind against the current stirs up bait. Watch for storms and cyclone season.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Live or whole dead small fish (opelu, akule), squid and cut bait, with chum.
Best artificial lures: Slow-pitch and speed jigs, soft plastics and deep-trolled plugs.
Tackle setup: Medium-heavy jigging or conventional rod (30–50 lb).
Hook size: 5/0–8/0 circle hooks.
Line: 40–65 lb braid.
Leader: 50–80 lb fluorocarbon.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

Also at Bass Pro Shops: Rod Reel Line Leader Hooks Weight Tool

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Reef slopes, banks, channels and lagoons throughout the Indo-Pacific; Hawaii's Penguin Bank and the Guam banks are well known.
Rig up: Medium-heavy jigging or conventional rod (30–50 lb). 50–80 lb fluorocarbon.
Pick your bait: Live or whole dead small fish (opelu, akule), squid and cut bait, with chum. Lures: Slow-pitch and speed jigs, soft plastics and deep-trolled plugs.
Fish it: Drift or anchor over ledges and drop-offs with chum, and work jigs or baits from the bottom up through mid-water.
Time it: Daylight hours, especially early morning and late afternoon. Moving water: the hours around the tide change, when current pushes over the reef edges and bait gets swept along.

Fishing techniques: Drift or anchor over ledges and drop-offs with chum, and work jigs or baits from the bottom up through mid-water.
BigJoe's tip: Uku are line-shy in clear water: drop down to a lighter fluorocarbon leader if the bites stop.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: Excellent: firm white meat, great as sashimi, fried, steamed or grilled.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Big reef fish from some tropical areas can carry ciguatera (a fish poison that cooking doesn't destroy); ask locals which fish and sizes are safe to eat. Sharp spines and gill covers — handle with a towel or gloves.
Regulations: Hawaii has a minimum size for uku; other islands and countries set their own rules. Check current rules. Rules differ by island: Hawaii, Guam, the Northern Marianas and American Samoa need no license for recreational saltwater fishing, but size and bag limits, closed seasons and marine preserves apply; other Pacific nations require permits, and many reefs belong to villages, so ask permission.
Conservation: Keep only what you'll eat and release the big breeders; wet your hands, support the fish's belly and get it back in the water fast.

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Sources & photo credits