Since we are about halfway through the new grouper ban, we have to look elsewhere to fill our coolers with delectable goodies. Snapper and dolphin are high on everyone's list, along with hogfish, king mackerel and sheepshead (one of my favorites). However, there's an offshore muscle man that's long on fight and not too shabby in the taste department either.

Amberjack just may be the Rodney Dangerfield of Keys fishing. These yellow-tailed brutes pack serious punch on light to medium tackle, but aren't high on most anglers list of fun food catches. They can be found just off the reefline from North Key Largo and on down the island chain. In fact, amberjack can be found in subtropical waters throughout the world.

But amberjack tend to have a bad name when it comes to dinner. One of the most popular recipes for amberjack I've heard is add salt, pepper and olive oil; bake in a paper grocery bag for 20 minutes at 325 degrees F; then throw out the fish and eat the paper bag. Ouch, no respect, I tell ya.

The problem is that amberjack filets don't do well when poorly treated. It can tend to get fishy very quickly. If you've had this problem with amberjack, try keeping the fish whole on ice for as long as possible, but don't freeze it. Also keep it from coming into too much contact with air, which can cause the taste to spiral out of control. Another trick to try is vacuum packing the filets soon after cutting. If you don't have a vacuum apparatus (any serious angler should have one of these) try a zip top bag and burp all the air out before dropping it in an ice bath. Remember, avoid the freezer at all costs and eat the fish as soon as possible.

Some ideas to try are marinating and cooking the filets in cole slaw dressing, soy sauce or mojo seasoning. Another hot tip is to cut it into two-inch cubes and wrap with bacon and grill it, but then again you could wrap rice cakes in bacon and they would taste good. Dry rubs and spicy seasonings are fun to try as well.

Anyone who has caught a number of amberjack, or any large edible fish for that matter, knows to check the meat for worms. The worms will look like thick spaghetti and are often found in the back half of sizable amberjack and should be removed before cooking (although I've read that they are harmless to humans). Another nasty to watch out for is ciguatera poisoning, a buildup of toxins in larger reef fish. There's really no way to know what fish may be carrying this, so just be forewarned.

Until April 30 rolls around and grouper are back in season (wow, that's weird to write) amberjack are a fun and plentiful substitute. Consider it the other, other white meat.