Barracudas for dummies

They eat my fish.

as a construction diver many times i have stainless steel tools on my harness,cuda like to get in within arms reach sometimes just to take a look at my shiny stuff, sometimes one gets brave and will actually hit my gear..............flashers really do pull them in close

how much they can grow?

ive seen them over 5 feet for sure................look like torpedos in the water......sometimes they will stack 1 on top of the other and just sit there

Here in the azores, beettween spearfishers it is said that aproaching the barracuda right from top of it, makes it much easier to get into range. i believe this to be true.

idk if it helps.

Hello,

I see them every time I go spearfishing. They get close, check me out and leave.

Some people tell me it's OK to hunt and eat, others say not to.

Besides they are always idle or swimming slowly so not much of a challenge to shoot them.

I am always hesitant to shoot them and never have shoot one.

Over here they are very popular to eat. and very expensive on the market too. and hard to catch aswell

Being a predator they should be good to eat, what is the best way to prepare them? I have never shot one, but have been tempted as there looks to be a lot of meat in them, especially a big one. Any contra indications in devouring them, diseases, etc?

High yield, very clean meat there's just the backbone. Excellent food fish except in areas where they can carry ciguatera. Very upset about the new Barracuda regulations in Florida.

In Puerto Rico it is very possible that they carry ciguatera.

What are the new regulations, Dan?

I usually catch them, kill it instantly and bleed them out right away ( they say its the best way to preserve the quality of the meat. i like to grill it and apply a lemon garlic and white wine sauce while cooking. its delicious. it has a bit of a dry meat so goes along great with anything that has some sauce. has for any diseases, i never heard of any here in the azores, but im sure thats not the same everywhere.

In Azores do you get the Great barracuda or the other ones?

Quote from Marco

What are the new regulations, Dan?

2 per person and one can be big https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/barracuda/ Absolutely ridiculous.. they're a plague up in WPB county. You could get 500lb in a day in some spots.

We get yellowmouth barracuda in abundance, not sure about great barracuda, maybe offshore only.

Quote from Dan

2 per person and one can be big https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/barracuda/ Absolutely ridiculous.. they're a plague up in WPB county. You could get 500lb in a day in some spots.

I hear you. But that's not new. It's at least 2 years old.

And we are supposed to be recreational spearfishermen. What would you do with 500 lb of any fish? That won't be personal consumption and we know it.

It seems not new to you because the regulation was already in place when you came here. For us that have been spearfishing SF for years it's a new and shit/completely unnecessary regulation. And no I wouldn't take 500lb of "saltwater pike", I'm recreational. But I certainly would like to shoot a big barracuda if I see one after having already shot two small ones.

Sergio with some biggies from our trips long ago.

Quite a few meals in that last photo!

i look at those photos and all i see is good food hum humm

As many of you know, I've got ciguatera several times while in Puerto Rico...

Well, when I just landed in Florida i shot some barracudas and eat them, guess what? my hands and feet started itching and I felt that burning sense in my tongue when drinking cold water after eating a fat one. That means that they hold some toxin. I feel it more than others because I'm sensitive, but I don't eat more barracuda.

However, IMO, two per day per person is enough