Over the last couple of weeks, as the water in the harbor has cooled down a bit, reports from several anglers have noted that they have hooked and boarded small barracuda. It is not unusual for a catch to be made, but this late in the season is unusual. Just about every charter captain has, over the years, had their clients catch a barracuda. These apex hunters do not frequent our waters as much, but you will find them in great numbers in the waters around the Florida Keys. This year the hot spot for the great barracuda has been the inshore bar area known as Johnson Shoals, located just off Cayo Costa Island.
The water just off the shoal has been exceptionally clear, and holding a large variety of bait fish. Most of the barracuda have been caught either trolling, or rapid retrieving of sub-surface lures. Due to the nature of the barracuda’s physical design, they are very capable of a rapid attack to a bait, either artificial or live, as your bait is moving past their ambush point. The barracuda hangs out in grass beds or around coral limestone debris. These areas are perfect for the fish to see their victims coming without first being seen. Smaller barracuda hangout in small schools, while the larger deep-water barracuda travels in larger schools offshore.
The smaller barracuda, caught inshore, ranged between 5 to 20 pounds. Their predatory pointed head has a jaw that protrudes from the mouth and is filled with razor sharp teeth. Their torpedo shape and razor shape tail are one of the characteristics of this fish. Their body frequently has black dots on the lower side of the fish. Looking down on the barracuda you will see a greenish silver body that usually keeps them well hidden in the water column.
As an attacking feeder, and having razor sharp teeth, they are frequently lost during reeling them into the boat, unless you have a short wire leader from the hook to your running line. They are also known for their ability to attack a hooked fish leaving the angler with only a head or part of the lower body of their catch. When dehooking the barracuda, be sure to be very careful of their sharp teeth and sharp gill plates. As you can see from the picture, this boated barracuda has a hard plastic bait in his mouth, which, when being reeled by the angler or trolled, is capable of a distressed like motion, which is an attack signal to any barracuda. Remember, barracudas are not all that common in our area, but they do show up seasonally. Your chances of hooking many are quite rare but if you fish closer to inter-coastal area you may get yourself a nice trophy barracuda.
Tight Lines
