Caught my first barracuda today...in Stoney Bayou!

[GaryDroze]

In the spirit of eating everything I catch at least once, I'm putting it in the pan. Fillet looks great, and it was at the low end of the slot limit (18 inches), so I don't expect to suffer poison. I guess they are following the snook migration!

[eightwt]

Cool! A bone won't be far behind. Get a pic?

[Srbenda]

That's awesome.

Barracuda is pretty good to eat, a flaky white flesh.

Enjoy!

[FUTCHCAIRO]

DONT YOOU EAT THAT CUDA, IF YOU DO YOU WILL BECOME ONE SICK SUCKER. PA

[GaryDroze]

It was very tasty and I feel great!

[Juan]

Are you glowing in the dark yet?

[fishTheBend]

Pics or didn't happen Gary.

[Salty Gator]

Thanks gary

[procraftwes]

Small cudas are pretty tasty and little to no risk for ciguatera like the big ones. I always caught them in south fl inshore fishing and would rather eat a "trash" fish over a trophy(AKA sailcats).

[GaryDroze]

BTW I was using 12lb mono and was amazed to not be cut off. The line was wrapped around its choppers, with hook flopping outside his mouth, a few inches behind. Had a cutoff on the cast right before that one. Perhaps there was more than one in there? I'm sure thin mono would have had no chance against a biggun, but given that I haven't yet seen an adult snook in refuge waters, I can't imagine any scary large cudas have made their way up here yet. If they have, just another reason to be excited about wade-fishing hereabouts.

[MudDucker]

Cudas under 20lb are usually ok to eat. However, above that a fishery biologist told me that get a very high mercury level and shouldn't be eaten. Personally, I've never tried one.

[WetBandit]

Apparently they are showing up all around the Big Bend area.

http://www.floridasportsman.com/2019/10 ... ing-4cast/

Here's the excerpt:
"Homosassa to Steinhatchee
Includes Homosassa, Crystal River, Yankeetown, Waccasassa Bay, Cedar Key, Suwannee, Horseshoe Beach, Steinhatchee and Keaton Beach

November 1-3


Coming into November, our hunters moon runs later than our friends to the north because we are still in summer. Crazy catches have been coming to the dock like barracudas on the Big Bend waters. I’ve seen them here and there on occasion but not multiple anglers catching them in the same weekend."

[silverking]

I had one on briefly during a recent trip east of the Lighthouse. They are fun to catch.

Sure the proliferation has nothing to do with coastal water temperatures since the planet can't possibly be experiencing climate change.

[tailwaters]

I know we don't see the small ones inshore too often but we sure do have some monsters living just offshore. I see them on just about every wreck from 30' on out. The true monsters hang around the towers with some exceeding 50lbs. I've lost countless Bonita and Kings to those guys. You can occasionally catch them on live pilchards and artificials but for a sure thing use live ladyfish! Bluefish work too.

[procraftwes]

I had one on briefly during a recent trip east of the Lighthouse. They are fun to catch.

Sure the proliferation has nothing to do with coastal water temperatures since the planet can't possibly be experiencing climate change.

They sure do put on a show.

As far as mercury the higher up the food chain a fish and the longer it lives it will contain more mercury. Full grown barracuda contain higher than normal levels of mercury but no more than some types of tuna(both are high).. The major issue is ciguatera. A small barracuda will probably contain as much mercury as any other flats fish and potentially less because of age. As far as I know only fish that live in deeper reefs get ciguatera but I could be wrong.. A small Barracuda is very unlikely to have it though.