 Distribution
& Size
The Barracuda is found almost
anywhere in South Florida and will move into northern Florida during the warmer months.
This fish is found from the shoreline
out to the bluewater. Juvenile fish are
found around submerged structures, along the beaches and on the flats. It is common
on offshore wrecks and artificial reefs and can be a nuisance when fishing for other
species. It's nothing unusual to catch half a fish which has been eaten by this
veracious predator, even this fish may have been 20lbs. Average fish weigh from 5 to 15 lbs.
Offshore up to 30lbs with specimen fish in the 50lb mark.
Our
picture shows a fish of 48lbs caught from the
"ELECTRIC
BLUE"
by Ed Wieszczck of Clearwater.
The Florida record
is 67lbs and the World Record stands at a whopping 85lbs.
A little way yet to go ED!
General Information
The Barracuda has earned the
reputation as a fearsome creature with its menacing stare, combined with its mouth
full of razor sharp teeth. Its appearance is that of a feared predator but it
probably does not deserve that title. The Barracuda is a curious fish and will check
out visitors than venture into its territory. This curiosity should not be construed
that it is about to attack. In fact attacks on divers are very rare.
However the Barracuda is a
dangerous fish when hooked and brought into a boat. When hooked the fish
may leap out of the water and tail walk in a
spectacular fashion. This may
happen several times. Be especially careful whenever handling this specie as its teeth are
extremely sharp, as can be seen from our picture. When releasing the fish, it is
liable to turn and bite, so take care.
It is best caught using live
baits, we used whole Bonito flat lined at about 100 metres to catch the one pictured or you can use tube lures
which are popular.
Eating
Qualities
The fish is excellent to eat up
to a size of 5lbs. However the fish is not normal table fare as it is known to cause
ciguatera poisoning. This fish gets this disease from eating organisms that have ciguatera
and then concentrating the toxins in its body. Therefore most people avoid eating
this specie. I certainly would not recommend eating them to anyone, as there is
no antidote I am told to ciguatera.
State
Limits and Regulations
|
Size
Limit
|
Closed
Season
|
Daily
Rec. Bag Limit
|
Remarks
|
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
Larger
fish may
contain the toxin ciguatera
|
FLORIDA FISH
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