Barracuda!

[72Twenty]

I have always been fascinated by the barracuda. When I was about 8 years old living in Nigeria I was on a boat with my dad, his friend and a US Marine that was stationed there. We were fishing in a bay and the Marine caught a 6 foot 'cuda. I just remember the eyes and the teeth.

I wonder if it would be possible to catch one on a fly rod.

Any of you guys ever catch one?

I found this video, and it gives me the chills - I wouldn't want to be swimming in this place... :eek:

LmTK1zaCTVU

http://www.divemagazine.co.uk/news/images/Barracuda2006SRogerson1.jpg

[bigsugar]

From what I've read people catch on flies on the flats all the time.....and they use a bait and switch technique offshore.

[ak_powder_monkey]

I would bet if you threw a big ass popper above that group they would fight over it

[warthog]

They are predatory pack hunters. If it looks like food, they will eat it. My watch, that I left on one time diving, apparently looks like food to Barracudas. Note- take off shiny jewelry when diving in the Bahamas. These are some toothy MFs.

[khakis]

I love messing with cudas while diving. Have never been able to get one interested in the watch or any other reflective stuff, but have also never been near more than a group of 5 or so in the water. Not sure I'd get near a group like that one! I remember hearing in the keys that they were easy to catch if you dragged a piece of surgical tubing with a stinger hook (like a ribbonfish, maybe?), so I bet they'd be interested in most streamers.

[mushmouth]

I brought my fishing rod on my honeymoon to a tiny island in the Grendines. Within 20 minutes of arrival I walked out to the beach down a 30 foot path from our patio, casted a deadly dick out and within 15 seconds had a barracuda doing somersaults while peeling out line. I was sooo hungover.

Ten days of this...and that.

:D:D:D:D:D

[mnflyfish]

I spent an entire afternoon catchin them on an 8wt in the Keys. A chartruse Clouser and some beefy leader and you're gold.

Jay

[Buke Skywalker]

Totally. I caught a smallish one on a Dahlberg-ish thing off Marathon Key last September. Coincidentally, it was on my honeymoon.

If you actually want to land one, you need the kind of haywire or Tyger wire that will spook a bonefish into a different area code. They'll bite most tasty-looking bugs but you won't be using that fly ever again ... it'll look like it went through a garbage disposal.