Barracuda In Key West
If you love to fish and are wondering about how you can catch some Barracuda, then you’ve come to the right place. Barracuda are very fast and also very smart. They patiently keep an eye out with their excellent eyesight for any hurt prey or anything fast-moving coming by. Though they are aggressive fish, they mainly rely on a surprise attack in order to dominate their prey. While there are 28 species of Barracuda, two of those live in the Key West area, these are the Southern Sennet and the Great Barracuda, which can grow anywhere from 20 inches long to over 6 feet long while weighing about 110lbs. The Barracuda fish is not commonly eaten, this is due to it having an off putting odor from the flesh.
When Is The Best Time To Catch Barracuda
The Barracudas’ mating season is in Spring, usually lasting from April to September, where females can spawn eggs a few times which can be up to 300,000 eggs or as low as 5,000 eggs per spawn. There is not a whole lot of information known about the Barracudas reproductive stages, however, it is known that the male Barracuda becomes sexually mature once they’ve hit 3 years of age. Once the female reaches hers in 4 years, she is ready to spawn her eggs and let them become fertilized. This can make for a good time to fish Barracuda due to the high numbers of them that congregate for breeding.
Where Can You Find Barracuda
They like to stay camouflaged while hunting so that they can ambush their prey with an attack. They are deep-sea fish who live in the reefs and feed on Mullets, Snappers, and Grunts. When the Barracuda is hatched as a baby, they start in shallow waters which lets them live there safely, once they begin growing they start moving down to deeper waters where they can stay indefinitely.
How to Catch Barracuda
The lure is the most popular way to catch Barracuda in Key West, you can also use other small fish to lure them with since they do tend to attack fish that have already been hooked when they are being reeled in. This is because they are curious fish and they like to go after things that attract their attention.
What You Need To Catch Barracuda
A sturdy reel is going to be needed when catching Barracuda, they like to stay in the reefs but can still be quite big. Along with the sturdy reel, a wire line is the best option to use since most others are too weak for the Barracudas’ sharp, pointed teeth. Since they are curious fish who also like to ambush their prey, using any kind of bait or lures that are shiny or will resemble injured fish will work.
More about Barracuda
Barracuda are large often aggressive salt water fish. Sometimes called Cuda for short the fishes true scientific name is Sphyraena which comes from the pike or spear like look of the fish. The Barracuda has no closely related fish.
- Scientific name: Sphyraena
- Higher classification: Sphyraenidea
- Bite force: 60-70 newtons
- Lifespan: 14 years
- Rank: Genus
What family does Barracuda Belong to?
Barracuda Belong to the Family Sphyraenidae and the term refers to multiple species of fish.
Are Pike and Barracuda related?
Although they may look similar Pike and Barracuda are not closely related.
Are Barracuda edible?
Barracuda can be eaten but due to its large size and place on the food chain the barracuda can accumulate toxins. When eating Barracuda It is advised to stick to small fish or take caution when eating larger Barracuda.
Are Barracuda Dangerous?
Attacks by Barracuda are rare and the fish is not considered dangerous. However, these fish are known to be curious and approach or follow divers in an unnerving fashion.