Barracuda - Sphyraena barracuda
Florida Record 53lb. 0oz.

Feeding patterns and unique characteristics:
Barracuda are quickly gaining notoriety as a top quality high-speed flats game fish. They are aggressive strikers that will hit a wide variety of lures and live baits with lightning speed. Expect long runs and maybe even a few high jumps when they rip the line off of you reel. Barracuda that are found in the shallows are usually between 3 and 5 feet, sometimes they even reach more than 6 feet long. When you combine aggressive strikes with dazzling acrobatic and long runs, you'll see why these guys are considered one of the top flats game fish.

What you and your guide are looking for:
Barracuda can blend in on the flats like few other fish, they can change their coloring to blend in with the surrounding bottom and almost appear to disappear. On days that are cool, look over the darker patches of sea grass for "logs". You hardly ever see them move about; they just sit there, waiting for prey to come close. On Cooler days, look over the white sandy patches, these fish are easiest to spot. When presenting your lure of live bait, remember few fish charge predators, keeping this in mind, don't bring you bait towards the fish and never throw the lure directly on top of it either. Present your lure a few feet away from their head and move it away very quickly. Remember, the prey has to run away to get the attention of the barracuda, real, real, real! If you find the ‘Cuda hesitant, only following the lure, not striking it, move it faster, giving them time to analyze who the manufacture of the plug is will certainly not get him to eat.

When are they hungry?:
Barracuda are year round feeders. They are found in all depths of water from 18 inches to 1000ft or more. You can come down and fish for them any time of the year with great success. In the winter months; from November through February, the skinniest waters do the best. In the summer months, the edges of the channels and around the mangroves should prove excellent locations. Best months are from February through November.