Barracuda
A flashy and aggressive fighter, the Barracuda is often called the
Tiger of the Sea. The preferred habitat is high-profile bottom such as reefs and wrecks.
Barracuda are pike-like fishes, elongated and slender with long jaws and protruding,
razor-sharp teeth. The body is colored silver overall, with dark green to gray along the
back. Blotches on the lower sides are variable in number, size, and position. The species
reaches a length of 6 feet and a weight slightly greater than 100 pounds. In the more
southern part of the range, the flesh, particularly of larger fish, is considered toxic,
being associated with fish poisoning, or ciguatera.
Barracuda are piscivorous and feed on many species of fish. Favorite
foods are jacks, needle fish, silversides, parrot fish, and filefish. Most anglers catch
Barracuda by trolling spoons, feathered jigs with strips of fish, bucktail jigs, or
brightly colored rubber tubing, which are eel-like and spin as they move through the
water. The trick to catching the species seems to be lure action as much as anything else.
Trolling or retrieval speed must be rapid and the lure action should be erratic to excite
the fish into biting. Some fishermen use spinning and bait-casting tackle to cast topwater
plugs. A 9 weight fly rod with a long and brightly colored pattern, retrieved quickly, is
effective for the fly fisherman. For shallow-water casting, the ideal lure is a plug about
4 inches long. It should be made of wood or very durable plastic so it won’t be
destroyed by the Cuda’s teeth. Wire leaders are essential regardless of the type of
tackle used.
