As Posted by South Florida Sport Fishing Magazine
Tips and Tales
Braving the Ferocious Barracuda
By Jan S. Maizler
More and more inshore anglers are learning to appreciate one of the most powerful and ferocious shallow water predators on the face of the earth — THE BARRACUDA!
Anglers usually pursue inshore barracuda strictly as a default species. This needs to change. South Florida offers a vibrant and viable barracuda fishery that stands on it’s own. Fish ranging from four to forty pounds stand ready to do battle and will test your tackle to its absolute limits.One guide who is at the forefront of this untapped fishery is Captain Jon Cooper of Still Waters Charters. A full time south Florida flats fishing guide and certified fly casting instructor, Jon takes fishing charters from Fort Lauderdale to the Keys including the beautiful flats of Biscayne Bay in Biscayne National Park. Jon is an ace inshore and flats specialist who targets ‘cuda year- round. The variety of tackle and techniques he uses, produces trophy sized fish that turn his customers into ecstatic ‘cuda fanatics!Let’s take a closer look at this fishery. There’s basically two variations of ‘cudaNfishing in the shallows. First are theNoutside sand flats from Biscayne Bay to Key West where anglers are usually seen pursuing bonefish, tarpon and permit. The other angle is hitting the inland bay environments, which are home to deeper grass flats and large numbers of these mean looking fish. In both areas, barracuda are the most abundant year-round inshore flats species and can remain in the shallows during the colder months when other shallow water species are long gone.Barracuda, similar to many other game fish, lose their high ranked fighting qualities when caught unintentionally on heavy tackle. Make no mistake, pound for pound this toothy critter is right up there. A beefy 20 pounder on a silky smooth 8 lb. spinning outfit while in 2 feet of water is an experience you will not soon forget. They fight like crazy and with their huge, powerful tail can fly through the air so high up, you wouldn’t believe unless you saw it for yourself.Targeting ‘cuda‚ with light tackle in sometimes just inches of water , is as distinctive and exciting as sport fishing can get. You can often sight-cast to the individual fish, and watch throughout the entire pursuit, strike, fight and release. If that doesn’t get you pumped, than what will? Once hooked up, shallow water ‘cuda become adrenaline-filled rocket ships. They make long surface runs, which climax in arching leaps and often go higher and stay aloft longer than the supposedly more glamorous tarpon.Barracuda are the most predatory of all shallow water fish, as well as being one of the most curious. These characteristics are essential to remember in establishing a game plan prior to getting out on the water. ‘Cuda are frequently spotted motionless, laying low and waiting for an unsuspecting baitfish to get caught off guard. As predators, ‘cuda have the added ability to change colors based on the bottom which they are hovering over. This chameleon like trait has helped smaller fish avoid death by predatory birds from above and now as larger fish, they use this tactic to camouflage themselves from the prey that they are about to eat. Off the line, big barracuda are also the fastest shallow water fish, due to the broad size of their tail. They were given this ability by nature, because of the necessity to frequently pounce on prey from a motionless stance.Another important characteristic to take into consideration as a stalk and charge predator, the things that raise a ‘cuda’s eyebrows are distress signals.
‘Cuda equate splashes and movement on the water’s surface with senses of the perfect opportune meal — which of course is a struggling baitfish. You should always remember, regardless if the offering is a plug, strip bait or tube lure, the appearance of injury and distress spells F-O-O-D. Although some lures are jerked‚ (plugs), chugged (popping plugs), or rapidly retrieved (tube lures), all these simulate distress, and are key to eliciting a hard strike. Keep in mind that ‘cudas are capable of running down even the fastest of baitfish, so keep your lure moving. Ideal tackle for inshore ‘cuda success includes spin and plug outfits ranging from 6 to 12 pound class. It has not been my experience that fly tackle is as effective although some anglers who are masters of the art, do score consistently on trophy size ‘cuda. Spinning reels with fast retrieves and super smooth drags matched with graphite rods, are a good choice. I also prefer monofilament lines, which feature moderate stretch, high impact resistance and definitely high abrasion resistance. Terminal tackle is quite simple. A 6 inch trace of coffee-colored #5 wire as a leader is sufficient. If the water is clear and calm, and the barracuda are small fish of less than ten pounds, you might want to scale it down a bit. A small barrel swivel between the wire and main line will finish things off and also prevent line twists. Flats ‘cuda will take a wide variety of lures and baits. It would be beneficial to have choices ranging from live baits for reluctant fish, to a variety of artificials for use on more active fish that are in an aggressive striking mood.
Let’s focus on natural baits for a moment, both live and dead. We all know there is no surer way to connect with the “cheetah” of the flats than to flip a frisky live bait in front of his nose. The type of live bait is often determined by the size fish you are after and the usual forage in the area you’re fishing. Some live baits have universal appeal as a productive “pitch” bait regardless of location, such as mullet and herring, ‘cuda will pounce on these just about anywhere, anytime. Captain Jon Cooper targets trophy ‘cuda by enticingly slow trolling a medium size live mullet through the structure-oriented areas that he knows harbour whoppers. His baits are fished way back and trolled along rock piles, channel markers, channel edges, sandy runs, jetties and docks that ‘cuda use as ambush points. “I have found that on the outside sandflats, ‘cuda will grab a pilchard, small blue runner or even a big live shrimp. Although, on the inside grass flats of Biscayne Bay, It’s hard to beat a fresh 5 inch mullet strip” says Cooper. Fresh dead bait can be equally as effective and on occasion can also rid you of the time consuming live bait cat & mouse game. The most effective way to fish a mullet strip is to simply hook one end about an inch down with a ;’,,,12/0/0 hook and light wire leader. Cast the bait in front of any sighted ‘cuda and let the bait settle through the water column. Hope the fish nails it on its undulating drop and if it doesn’t, take another cast. After the strip settles down to the fish’s level, slowly twitch the strip. If the fish only tracks and follows the strip, speed up your retrieve a little. ‘Cuda will often seize the mullet strip crosswise in their ferocious jaws. I always give them a tiny bit more time to turn away before striking back. A second option with fresh strips is to blind cast at likely looking structure. Potholes, dock pilings, sandy strips, and channel markers are all common hideouts and will all hold fish. For artificials, the most potent lures resemble distressed needlefish and finger mullet. Tube lures, which are extremely popular can be used anywhere inshore and come in a variety of colors. Cuda will hit them with explosive strikes while the lure is skidded across the surface or jigged just below the surface. The tube lures squiggly action, evidently, is too good to turn away. It is amazing how easily the lure can be mistaken for a live needlefish. Top water plugs also work wonders on both sand and grassflats with ‘cudas of all sizes. Work the plug with an erratic retrieve emulating an injured baitfish struggling on the surface, something all ‘cuda find irresistible.Regarding specific habits, ‘cuda tend to cluster in groups. They are not a true schooling fish in the sense that the group acts with the coordinated predatory behavior that jack crevalles do. They are found in groups because they are individually drawn to the same areas that provide feeding opportunities — like rockpiles, pilings, drop-offs and other ambush points. You will also learn that certain inshore flats and channels hold more ‘cuda than others for reasons that we cannot visually determine. Keep a written log and remember these spots.Some anglers eat inside grassflats ‘cuda, while avoiding fish that are larger and frequenting the ocean side. This is an individual choice, but the risk of ciguatera is great enough to really encourage anglers to release these toothy gladiators back to their watery world. Barracuda are definitely worth more as a hard fighting high flying game fish than on the dinner table.
DID YOU KNOW.......Ciguatera — also known as ‘Fish Poisoning’ is a form of food poisoning caused by the consumption of subtropical and tropical marine finfish which have accumulated naturally occurring toxins through their diet. The toxins are known to originate from several dinoflagellate (algae) species that are common to ciguatera endemic regions in the lower latitudes. One marine finfish most commonly implicated in ciguatera fish poisoning is the barracuda. The occurrence of toxic fish is sporadic, and not all fish of a given species or from a given locality will be toxic.source: http://www.fda.gov/
Website: http://www.flatsfishingonline.com
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