First mate holding a Big Barracuda caught in Key West

a LITTLE LOVE FOR THE BARRACUDA

One of the best-known fish caught in the Florida Keys is the Barracuda
Customer and 1st mate with big Barracuda

The Barracuda is a large, fast, aggressive, and, impressive predator in the water of the Florida Keys. Many an angler has had the thrill of hooking a big ‘Cuda, heard the drag scream as it pulls out line, and watched it jump as it tries to throw the hook. They strike fast and hard and put on a great fight. The Barracuda has a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth and can make for a very impressive photo opportunity once they are in the boat. Although they are not as common as they used to be, a Barracuda is still a fish that can be found with relative certainty on most days.

The big ones are not as common as they used to be.

Customer and mate holding big Barracua

The reason is that for many, many years Barracuda was not considered a ‘food’ fish. The reason is because of a toxin in their tissue called Ciguatera. It is a cumulative toxin the Barracuda gets from eating smaller fish on the reef. Some of the coral has toxins, (you would know this if you had ever brushed up against Fire Coral). Some of the fish on the reef have adapted to be able to eat the coral. The toxins do not bother these fish, but it does accumulate in their tissue. Being a voracious Reef predator, Barracuda would eat many of the smaller reef fish, including some of the fish that eat coral. Those same toxins don’t bother the Barracuda either, and they also accumulate in the tissue of the Barracuda. The problem is, when you eat the Barracuda if it has enough of the toxins in its tissue, it makes you very sick. One friend of mine who had it, described is as having food poisoning and a really bad hangover…..for a couple of weeks! I’ve never had it, but I’m told it is no fun!!

someone decided to commercially fish for them a few years back.

Apparently some of the immigrant communities from the Carribean Islands grew up eating them. I’m not sure if the barracuda they grew up eating had the toxins and they just got used to them or perhaps the coral in those areas didn’t have the same toxins. Either way, a growing population of residents wanted to eat them and were willing to buy them at the fish market. Anytime you put a price on a fish, its numbers get depleted. With the Barracuda, it didn’t take long. Being an aggressive predator and also curious-minded, they became easy prey for hook and line fishermen and easy targets for spearfishermen. They were getting wiped out and it was happening quickly.

Finally, Limits were proposed

The biggest outcry came from the Recreational fishermen. Offshore Charter Captains, such as myself, Flats guides and private fishermen all realized they would be gone if we didn’t take action. I spoke at the FWC, ( Fish and Wildlife Commission) meeting the day it was on the agenda along with some of the other Charter owners on Charter Boat Row. There were also some of the Keys Flats or Backcountry Captains there voicing the same opinion as the Offshore boats. Generally speaking, the boats that fish offshore and the guides that pole the Flats, don’t always agree. But on this issue we were unanimous and fortunately, The FWC listened. Limits were imposed and most of the Commercial fishing has stopped. The population is not back to where it once was, but is starting to make a comeback and should continue to grow.

A great fish when you need to catch something Big!

Mate and customer with nice Barracuda on the Southbound

Some of my regular customers and some of the experienced anglers I get on the boat have already caught Barracudas. They have had the thrill of seeing them jump and are not interested in catching them again. So for those people, we target something else. But for new customers and inexperienced anglers, the Barracuda is the perfect fish to make their day on the waters of Key West memorable. As Captain of the charter boat Southbound, I’ve probably watched thousands of Barracudas caught and released and I still enjoy it. The reason I enjoy fishing for Barracudas is because I see the smile it puts on the faces of my customers. I have always believed that if the customer is having fun, it’s a good day. In the end, that is the reason we are out there. When we are having a tough day, a big Barracuda can be a “game changer”. Everyone perks up when the rod bends over and even though we don’t keep them for food, they are still fun to catch.

Love hate relationship

While most Captains love the Barracuda when we need them, there are times when we curse them. They are a voracious predator and I have many a good-eating fish bitten in half by a Barracuda during a fight. Nothing sadder than seeing a customer fight a fish only to bring nothing more than the head into the boat. The Barracuda has razor-sharp teeth and can usually cut a fish in half in one swift bite. These are the times we curse the Barracuda. Mahi, Tuna, Yellowtail Snapper, Grouper, Mackerel, and Mutton Snapper have all been stolen off the Hook by This predator. Heck, I even had a smaller Barracuda bitten in half by a bigger Barracuda. In the ocean anything bigger than you can eat you and when a fish on the line struggles it puts out distress signals. Usually, the predators are not far behind.

There are other fish I would rather Catch

All the fish I listed above as well as Sailfish and Wahoo,(both are generally too big for a Barracuda to bite), but some days you have to take what the ocean gives you. I usually let my customers be my guide. After all, it’s their trip and I want to make them happy.

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