Barracuda

	Scientific Name	Sphyraena Barracuda
	Other Names	Cuda, Sea Pike, Giant Sea Pike
	World Record	85 lbs

Description

Barracuda are pike like fish. They are 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. Other members of the family Sphyraenidae, the sennets, are often mistakenly identified as barracudas. Sennets not only are much smaller (only 10 to 20 inches long) but also have more scales along the lateral line.

Habitat

Barracuda's roam the seas, sometimes they are as individuals and others they form massive shoals, swimming in endless circles towards the surface. In large open water Barracuda will tend to be in shoals but closer in or near ship wrecks and sea mounds Barracuda's can be found aloane.The preferred habitat is high-profile bottom such as reefs and wrecks.

Feeding Habits

Great Barracuda are carnivorous and feed on many species of fish. Favorite foods are jacks, needle fish, silversides, parrot fish, and filefish. Barracuda attacks it prey at great speed, They stalk as close as they can before bursting into life with deadly effect, usually biting the prey in half with one clean bite.

Age and Growth

Barracuda mature early, the males mature when they are aged 2 or 3 years old and females when they are 3 or 4 years old.

Tackle and Methods

Barracuda are normally caught by trolling spoons, feathered jigs with strips of fish, buck tail 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 (They like to be excited). Trolling or retrieval speed must be rapid and the lure action should be erratic to excite the fish into biting. Another great way to fish for Barracuda is to fly fish. A 9-weight fly rod with a long and brightly colored pattern, retrieved quickly, is a killer. For shallow-water casting, try either fly-fishing or spinning with surface poppers, the action is fantastic as the Barracuda hits the lures with such fore and might. As the Barracuda has extremely sharp teeth it is essential to use a short wire leader regardless of the type of tackle used.

Related Species

Listed below are similar related species that customers have searched.

	Bonefish		Roosterfish
	Blue Salmon		Snook
	Forktailed Catfish		Tarpon
	Permit		Threadfin
	Queenfish		Yellowtail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best Barracuda fishing holidays from around the world with top fishing specialist Angling Direct Holidays